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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 79.71%
Worth A Look: 10.14%
Average: 4.35%
Pretty Bad: 0%
Total Crap: 5.8%
3 reviews, 51 user ratings
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| Rear Window (1954) |
by Filmnet
"Purely classic Hitchcock Entertainment."
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The idea for 'Rear Window' stemmed from several real life murders cases of the time that interested Hitchcock, and the short story "It had to be murder', by Cornell Woolrich. Shot in its entirety on Stage 18 at Paramount Studios, the set rose to a mammoth 6 stories high and consisted of 31 apartments, with most of the action unfolding in 8 furnished rooms.Acting in pantomime much of the time, the actors portraying Jeffries (Stewart) neighbours were given their cues by means of short wave radio and hidden microphones - which in effect meant Hitchcock found himself shooting two films at once, one sound and one silent.
Restoration on the film began in 1997 and took just on two years - leading to an excellent print that is now back in distribution for cinephiles to savour.
For the few who haven't seen this classic by "the Master", this movie is a definite must see. It typifies Hitchcock's style and was made at the height of his long, very successful career. Although compared to modern equivalents in its genre it may seem a little twee or dated, the essential ingredients of good direction, writing, acting and cinematography are indisputable in terms of them being of the highest quality.
Hitchcock's direction is strong and clear - he has a very particular tale to tell, pure and simple - that of murder...and yet weaves around this the lives of a group of people whose apartments all face onto the same courtyard. He has chosen his actors well, most of which he had already worked with and would work with again. Without exception, from Stewart's role as Jeffries, the wheelchair bound, inquisitive photographer/voyeur, to the smaller roles such as 'Miss Hearing Aids' (Fax), 'Miss Torso' (Darcy) and 'Miss Lonely Hearts' (Evelyn), all take to their assigned roles well...and allow us to see how little we know of those around us - of the lives that we touch on the edge of every day but really have no idea about. Ritter as Stella is a particular highlight - she is essentially the comic element, and yet her performance is down to earth, easy going and a pleasure to watch.
Visually the film is excellent. The attention to detail is superb and although the sets look somewhat less than realistic (like a big doll's house!), this actually adds to the film's style. The lighting is used to best effect, illuminating scenes with a brooding suspense and the cinematography is precise in its capture of the action.Do yourself a favour - go see it on the big screen. The slightly out-dated scripting and sometime melodramatic acting when watched in the context of when the movie was made merely augment the drama and tension that ensues from it, and ensure one leaves the cinema having seen a damn good thriller.--(Paul Bugeja)
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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=3050&reviewer=169
originally posted: 11/04/00 14:45:18
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USA
02-Sep-1954 (NR)
UK
N/A
Australia
30-Nov-2000 (M)
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