In my limited experience as a film viewer, I consi...

Rating: 10/10 (8 October 2000)

In my limited experience as a film viewer, I consider this the best movie I have ever seen. The movie takes a while to get going- after the first couple of viewings, I can fast forward or do a crossword puzzle for the first 20-30 minutes of the movie without worrying about missing anything spectacular, but once it does, it soars. The performances are wonderful, especially James Stewart, who is mesmerizing as the haunted detective. Hitchcock, almost always a master with the camera, supports the acting with wondrous shots that add to the mystery of the movie. While some have criticized the movie for a lack of mystery, I believe they miss the point. The mystery of the movie is the relationship between Stewart and Novak, not any particular plot element. Without giving away the plot, let's just say the viewer is allowed to understand what is going on before the climax, but I think that heightens the interest in how the Stewart/Novak characters will play out their roles in this psychological drama. This movie is not exactly the feel-good hit of the summer, as it is painted in very dark colors. The movie's essence is about guilt, self-hatred, and a quest for redemption that spills over into obsession. That is why, even though the "mystery" in the plot is revealed before the end of the movie, that becomes incidental to what is really being discussed by Hitchcock. I would recommend this movie to anyone, even if you don't care for psychological dramas, just for the Bernard Hermann score. The film, however, offers much more, more than any other film you will see.