Movie Review - Rear Window (1954)

Rear Window

The audio review:

 


It's hard to be ignorant of Rear Window's impact on cinema. Alfred Hitchcock movies have a huge amount of clout in the film world, and not just because of the film in question. Even newcomers to horror and suspense have seen the influences of Hitchcock's work without realizing it; Disturbia is, in large part, a re-imagining of Rear Window for a younger audience. But reviewing a film over half a century old with as much reverence as Rear Window has is a daunting task, and one that seems a little pointless.

Yet I'll do it anyway, because it never hurts to reiterate the good of a film that younger viewers might have missed. Because Rear Window is such a plodding film, it may seem a bit boring to the casual, contemporary movie-goers. But it's helpful to look at the opening of the film in a different light, recognizing the slow-moving camera of the first scene as a means to characterize main character Jeffries (James Stewart) without ever having to meet the character. And it acts as a form of voyeurism on the part of the audience, who see Jeffries' apartment long before we see the man himself.

The same can be said for the first half hour or so of the film, where the viewer is presented with a lot of exposition through dialogue and visuals. Hitchcock is eager to present the characters first, knowing that the act of voyeurism that movies (and the participation of snooping) create is fueled by a curiosity that must be sated. So Hitchcock gives it to us, letting us in on the life of Jeffries and those around him. As Jeffries spies on his neighbors, we come to know them piecemeal better than most films can do in an hour and a half. This is an even greater achievement considering we never actually meet most of them. The sense of community that Hitchcock has portrayed through sight alone is beautifully rendered by the film's expansive backyard scene.

But these parts are techniques of film alone, and they fail to recognize the entertainment of the film itself. The characters of Rear Window are interesting and multi-faceted (with Grace Kelly harnessing a tantalizing and seductive role), and those surrounding Jeffries are just as easily sucked into observing Thorwarld's (Raymond Burr) potential murder cover-up. Scenes where Jeffries watches Thorwald are well-shot and suspenseful. As the film reaches its inevitable climax, Hitchcock ratchets up the suspense even more by putting two of the main characters in danger. The thrilling sequences are paced so well that it's hard to imagine anyone being able to critique them.

And overall, there's not much to criticize here at all. An engaging plot and unbelievable direction round out this film, making it instantly likable and a movie classic. What could be argued here? Perhaps the thrills are somewhat lost in an era full of pop-out scares; maybe the pacing is a bit slow and the film longer than the normal 90 minute run; but these aren't hindrances in any sense, just added bonuses to a film which succeeds in everything it attempts.

Rear Window on Rotten Tomatoes