Rear Window (1954) - 9 stars out of 10

Rear Window (1954) - 9 stars out of 10

“Rear Window” is a Hitchcock classic and a fascinating piece of art.  Jimmy Stewart is in a wheelchair with a broken leg, and his only source of entertainment is watching his neighbors.  But when a suspicious sequence of events lead him to believe that a murder has been committed, he has to sort out the clues from his apartment rear window.  Every shot of this film is recorded from the apartment, placing us alongside of Stewart and allowing us our own opportunity to solve the case.  The script is genius, introducing us to all of the characters through observation.  We never hear them speak, unless it is an outburst that would be heard by the entire complex.  The film soundtrack is produced by the pianist across the courtyard, and only occurs when Stewart would be able to hear him.  The style of the music sometimes changes suddenly because that’s what happened in the apartment.  The “experience” of this film is amazing.  Jimmy Stewart’s acting is calculated and precise, and he is the perfect match for Grace Kelly.  Kelly is extravagant as Lisa, bringing the sweetness, sophistication, and class that the role demands.  Even better is the chemistry that develops between Stewart and Kelly as she begins to help solve the crime.  The film does move at a slow pace, but the pace enhances the suspense as we, just like Stewart, must wait for new developments.  Hitchcock does a great job of letting us believe that it’s all in Stewart’s head until the truth begins to e revealed, and once that revelation begins, the suspense builds to its nearly unbearable ending.  They sure don’t make them like this anymore.  I mean it, just look at “Disturbia”…  Don’t wait to see this one - “Rear Window” should be on everybody’s movie bucket list.