Rear Window: A True Classic

Rating: 10/10 (15 March 2006)

I always loved Hitchcock's "Psycho", so when i found out we would be watching "Rear Window" in my college film class i was excited. Surprisingly i didn't know much about the film, and had never seen it before. It is so much fun to watch a classic for the first time. The movie is so full of suspense it keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
When "Jeff" (James Stewart) continually spies on his neighbor believing him to be a murderer, the plot thickens. I love mysteries, and i wasn't sure throughout the movie if i also believed there had been a murder, or if i thought maybe "Jeff" was just paranoid. Hitchcock uses great elements to build the suspense, such as POV (Point of View) shots that really make you feel for the protagonist. He is seemingly helpless stuck in that wheelchair of his. I also loved how Hitchcock not only included the story of the upstairs neighbor, but also of many other neighbors surrounding the courtyard. Downstairs, Miss Lonely Hearts was also an object of "Jeff"s voyeurism.
This film was interesting for 1954, an era when peeping tom's were not accepted, much less as the "hero." It broke down barriers by showing women "spending the night", and dancing around in their underthings. This film has definitely become a new favorite of mine, and i would recommend it to any movie-buff's out there that haven't yet seen it.