Rear Window (1954) Movie Review

To Stalk or Not To Stalk…

This is one of Alfred Hitchcock‘s classics. Rear Window explores the mystery of a wheelchair bound photographer who may or may not witness his neighbour’s murder. With the help of his girlfriend and home-care nurse, our lead character, Jeff Jeffries, search for clues to connect the dots to the crime. Can he find it?

Do you know that Rear Window is one expensive movie made in 1954? You can clearly noticed the authentic setting from the beginning. The way cinematographer Robert Burks captured each and every neighbor’s apartment is both fantastic and creepy. You can’t believe these actors are actually living actors and not some animatronics made by Hitchcock and team because they clearly looks like a toy in a doll house. The film is shot from one point with the camera going from left to right and back again throughout the film. I like this because the audience gets a chance to feel the setting of urban civilization creeps down under your skin.

For me, Rear Window is the best thriller movie not because “they were lucky to caught a murder in the neighborhood”. The film acquired its status because not do we actually enjoy stalking each of the neighbours, but subconsciously, Hitchcock stray us away from the murder plot theme and turned this movie into a fun thriller. I also realized that Rear Window is one claustrophobic film, none of these characters ever stepped outside the premise, and perhaps that help with the suspense building? For the cast, I became a fan of James Stewart after this movie. He is so good as the wheelchair crusader! Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter brings a certain charm to the movie as well.

Rear Window is such a classic gem that it’s hard not to recommend it to others. Watch it!