Still an enthralling masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2004)

I'm not sure I'd say this is Hitchcock's finest film (personally there are so many masterpieces he made - Psycho, Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt, Strangers on a Train, The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, The Man Who Knew Too Much, etc. that it's hard to choose) but it is definitely ONE of his finest films.
A twisting thriller that opens with a bang and follows the physical and psychological journey of an ex-cop (James Stewart) who has a fear of heights and an obsession with a mysterious woman (Kim Novak) that leads to a chilling finale.
As a filmmaker I find this extremely inspiring and along with the work of Scorsese, Kubrick, Cameron, et al, this is one of the films that EVERY filmmaker points to at one time or another. Hitchcock practically reinvented cinema techniques with this. Some of them (such as the lens effects) are outdated and could be altered more drastically nowadays but that is irrelevant - it still holds up despite its dated quality and that's what matters. The film is rooted in story and the style comes afterwards.
A brilliant motion picture that captures the essence of cinema and why I love to go to the movies.
5/5