Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Premise: L.B., a photographer confined to a
wheelchair (Jimmy Stewart), begins to observe the neighbors in his apartment
complex through their windows in a shared courtyard and he begins to believe one
of them may be a murderer.
What Works: Rear Window is one of
Hitchcock’s best films. The story balances between the main narrative (the
murder mystery) and its various subplots including the protagonist’s strained
romance with Lisa (Grace Kelly) and the various dramas going on in the other
apartments. The result is a strongly unified collection of narratives that add
up to an exploration of how disconnected people are from one another, even those
living next to each other, and how many relationships are largely conducted from
a distance. Although murder mysteries are a popular genre, Rear Window is
able to stand out from others with its complex level of ambiguity. The entire
film takes place within L.B.’s apartment and outside events are seen from his
vantage point looking out the window. Rear Window is able to use this
limitation to maintain a fairly impenetrable mystery by telling the story
entirely from L.B.’s point of view and taking the audience on the journey of
discovery with him, encountering doubt, suspicion, and paranoia. Told from this subjective point of view, the story regulates how much
information he and the audience are given and successfully manipulates our
understanding and expectation of what we are seeing.
What Doesn’t: Contemporary audiences may find the
film slow moving in parts. Also, some of editing, particularly the fades
signaling gaps in time, appear clumsy compared to the slicker editing techniques
used today.
DVD extras: Documentary on the restoration,
featurette with the screenwriter, photographs, trailer, DVD-ROM features.
Bottom Line: With the release of films like Zodiac, Red Eye, Vacancy,
and Disturbia,
Hitchcock’s continued influence of filmmakers is as apparent as ever, and Rear
Window is a great example of a production making use of self-imposed
limitations that yield greater creative opportunities.