"Rear Window" (1954) Review by Marshall Garvey Rating (0 to 5): 5 Grade: A+ Starring James Stewart (L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries), Grace Kelly (Lisa Carol Fremont), Wendell Corey (Lt. Thomas J. Doyle), Thelma Ritter (Stella), Raymond Burr (Lars Thorwald) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Produced by Hitchcock Written by John Michael Hayes (based on the story "It Had to be Murder" by Cornell Woolrich) Original music by Franz Waxman Paramount Pictures 112 minutes Rated PG for mature themes (Fine for any kid interested)
Alfred Hitchcock once said that when he was making "Rear Window", his "batteries were charged". "I was feeling very creative at the time" he said, and while watching the film it shows. He shot all 112 minutes of the film on a single set, and by doing this he created a unique perspective by putting us in the world of the central character, L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart). And while watching all 112 minutes of "Rear Window", we become compelled by the events that surround Jeffries in his apartment, which all lead to a suspenseful ending that not only unsettled my stomach greatly; it also showed that you don't need special effects or haunting music to create suspense, which Hitchcock builds flawlessly with the absence of music or any needless scare tricks. He sets the mood perfectly, and then shatters it. And in the end, Hitchcock once more proves that his title of "the Master of Suspense" isn't phony.
"Rear Window" begins with a shot of three curtains being pulled up as a jazzy tune plays in the background while the credits roll. Next we see a cat walking up a small flight of stairs within an apartment courtyard as the camera pans around to reveal its surroundings. As it moves around we see a series of brick apartments and people going about their daily lives. It's quiet, as another swelteringly hot day is about to unfold. Nothing unusual: that is, at least for now.
After the film introduces us to the surrounding neighborhood, the camera moves in on a sweaty man quietly napping in his wheelchair. His left leg is embraced by a cast that reads, "Here lie the broken bones of L.B. Jeffries". Jeffries is a photographer, as we learn from the shot of his shattered camera on top of a drawer. We also see a wall covered with photos of numerous moments caught by Jeffries (firstly an oncoming car crash on a race track that brought him his broken leg). Once a man constantly traveling around the world, Jeffries is now confined to his apartment with nothing to bide his time except to watch the neighbors. Otherwise the only salvation from his monotony is a daily visit from his sarcastic yet pragmatic caretaker Stella (Thelma Ritter), who gladly informs Jeff that "the state sentence for a peeping tom is six months in the workhouse". The wit and sarcasm of Stella's character fuses perfectly with Stewart's grumpy, practical J.B. Jeffries, and she's never devoid of this sarcasm when reminding Jeff of his habit of spying on everyone else. "I can see you in court now, surrounded by a bunch of lawyers in double-breasted suits" she tells him "You're pleading. You say, 'Judge, it was only a little bit of innocent fun. I love my neighbors like a father' and the judge says 'Well, congratulations. You've just given birth to three years in Dannemora."
Later that night, Jeffries receives a visit from his socialite partner Lisa Carol Fremont (played by the beautiful Grace Kelly), a slick, blonde fashion designer knowledgeable of everything a woman would and wouldn't do. She's got a hopeful eye on Jeff, but he in return has no intention of marriage. "Lisa Fremont is the right girl for any man with half a brain who can get one eye open." Stella quips while massaging him "She's only perfect." To this Jeff responds, "She's too perfect. She's too talented. She's too beautiful. She's too sophisticated. She's too everything but what I want." He feels that she's too much like the Park Avenue crowd, a person whose concerns are nothing more than a new dress or an expensive dinner, while he's just a world traveling camera bum with only a week's salary in the bank. "Lisa, in this job you carry one suitcase, your home is the available transportation; you don't sleep very much, you bath less, and sometimes the food that you eat is made from things you couldn't even look at when they're alive!" he tells her. Lisa, however, is unconvinced by Jeff's persuasion. "There can't be that much difference between people and the way they live. We all eat, talk, drink, laugh, wear clothes" she says "It doesn't make sense; what's so different about it here from over there, or any place you go that one person couldn't live in both places just as easily?" As Fremont, Kelly represents the ideal female protagonist: smart, witty, conclusive, and attractive, her character is one of the things that make the story click. Had the script only used her to stand around and scream, the movie's flow would have been greatly disrupted. Instead, the pairing of her character and Stewart's helps the story move fluently, and their interaction strengthens their characters rather than weakens them.
Not long after Lisa leaves the apartment, Jeff suddenly hears a woman scream and the sound of something breaking. He surveys the entire complex, but sees nothing but dark, lightless windows. He eventually dozes off, but when he wakes up he sees something suspicious: a man leaving from his apartment and returning three times with a sample case at three in the morning. Stella argues that he was probably selling flashlights, but things get even more suspicious when Jeff and her see the man (played by Raymond Burr of "Perry Mason") looking around warily out his window with a look on his face that indicates his concern of someone watching him. Earlier on this man (known as The Salesman to Jeff) spent each day taking care of his nagging wife, forced to tend to her every whim and trim the rose bushes. Yet now his wife is nowhere in sight, and the man is up to other things, such as wrapping knives and saws in an old newspaper, for one.
By using binoculars and the telescopic lens on his camera, Jeff begins to investigate the mysterious activities of the salesman. He calls a detective (Wendell Corey) on the case, but he concludes that the salesman (whose name turns out to be Lars Thorwald) had taken his wife to a train station at 6:00 AM (right around the time Jeffrey fell asleep), according to the apartment manager. But Jeffrey isn't convinced, and he continues to follow the case with the aid of Lisa, and as they zero in closer the film tightens its grip with the suspense and leads to one of the most tense endings ever featured in a movie.
What gives "Rear Window" its genuine touch is its characterization of Jeff's surrounding neighbors. The main point is that Jeff has focused on his neighbors for so long that he's even created nicknames for them and has a basic idea of their personalities. There's Miss Lonelyheart (Judith Evelyn), who pretends to have dinner with an invisible boyfriend almost every night, although she ends up sobbing uncontrollably. There's Miss Torso (Georgine Darcy), an attractive ballet dancer across the yard whom Jeff likes to observe in the morning when she dances in her underwear with the windows wide open. There's the songwriter (Ross Bagdasarian) who struggles to compose a worthy song. There's a couple that sleeps on a fire escape. There's Miss Hearing Aid (Jesslyn Fax), who has a distinguished and bizarre taste in art. Most importantly, there's the Thorwalds, who seem like any other ordinary couple until murder sets them (or at least Lars) apart from everything else. And by using "subjective treatment" (putting the audience in the perspective of a character), Hitchcock allows us to see all of this the way Jeff sees it. We become interested in what the neighbors do and Jeff's reaction to them, and we can even feel the boredom weighing down on Jeff, with surveying the neighbors the only distraction from being pitted down in a wheelchair. Best of all is that with this characteristic alone, "Rear Window" more than easily represents masterful filmmaking with its elements used to every advantage, and it never overachieves on any level.
The bulk of "Rear Window" comes from John Michael Hayes' fabulous script, which shows utmost perfection in almost every area from characterization to storytelling. The rest of the film is carried by its ideal performances from James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Here Stewart is instantly likeable as Jeffries, for he's given no major advantages or disadvantages, with, of course, the exception of his broken leg. He's simply presented as a realistic character that everyone watching can relate to, and he will more than easily win your affection.
"Rear Window" is a movie that weaves its charms around you unknowingly as you watch it, giving it high replay value. While I've seen it from beginning to end only once, I've found rewinding certain scenes over and over again to capture quotes extremely enjoyable, as the script is rich with many memorable lines. It's also very effective, and builds its mystery and suspense flawlessly. In all its simplicity, it is perhaps the purest example of filmmaking one could possibly view, and it is rightly considered one of the best movies of all time. Why? Because it is.
Note: This review is purely of my doing, and I do not copy off other reviewers.
So, what does this rating system mean anyway? *****-A masterpiece of filmmaking that should be seen at all costs ****1/2-A fabulous movie. An absolute must catch. ****-An excellent show. Be sure to see it. ***1/2-A good film. Recommended. ***-Decent movie that could be a lot better. **1/2-Average movie with a number of flaws. **-Pretty bad with a few saving graces. *1/2-Bad. Don't see it. *-Awful movie. Stay away. 1/2-An atrocious abomination that MUST be avoided. 0-Death may come.
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