Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" (1954) is definitely one of his best masterpieces. Hitchcock managed to create a perfect mix between drama, suspense and some comedy, which makes it very enjoyable to watch. The great storyline is brought to life by a wonderful cast who excel in their roles, including James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey, and Raymond Burr.
Stewart portrays Jeff, a photographer bound to a wheelchair who is bored in his apartment and spends his days staring outside his window at his neighbors. He becomes convinced that one of them has killed his wife, and attempts to prove it with the help of his on-and-off girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and his caretaker Stella (Thelma Ritter).
The cast in this film did more than a satisfying job; they were all perfect for their roles. James Stewart is very convincing as the bored photojournalist who has nothing better to do but spy, and his concern when he starts to think Thorwald (Raymond Burr) has killed his wife seems very real. Grace Kelly also does a wonderful job as Lisa, who does not only play the stereotypical role of a girlfriend, but also does a great job at convincing the audience of her daring side when she goes to Thorwald's apartment. As for Raymond Burr, his portrayal of the bad guy in the film was also great; and Thelma Ritter was hilarious as Jeff's caretaker and her humor added to the film's success of mixing drama and murder with comedy.
The story revolves around a theme related to the gaze, or the feeling of being observed. In this case, the "peeping Tom" is portrayed by James Stewart's character, Jeff, who is always taking out his binoculars to watch his neighbors. Throughout the entire film we see Jeff watching outside his window, so the theme is quite evident almost as soon as the film starts. But the film also asks one question: when have you seen TOO much? And when you have, what comes next? Where do you draw the line? Jeff and Lisa's answer was to keep investigating, which creates a turn of events that add to the film's suspense.
Part of the reason why the film succeeded in making its theme evident was the techniques used to shoot and edit the piece. One of Hitchcock's techniques was to shoot as if the audience was seeing from the binoculars. This made it extremely clear that we were watching from Jeff's eyes, and so we were forced in a way to "become" Jeff, and it was easier to see from his point of view. This technique was excellent at helping the audience get immersed in the story. Another technique was the way in which the film was edited. Several times we see Jeff staring outside the window and the next shot we cut to is whatever he is watching the neighbors do. This also helped express that Jeff was spying on his neighbors, and that his point of view is what we were seeing. The music in the film was very subtle and only helped emphasize certain moments of the film, like when Lisa and Jeff kiss, or when Lisa breaks into Thorwald's apartment. It mostly helped create moments of suspense, but also romance and mystery.
Overall, I thought the movie was great and very unique. It was interesting to see things through Jeff's eyes, and throughout the film it is very clear that those are the only eyes we are seeing the story through. The great story combined with a perfect cast makes it one of Hitchcock's best. This is definitely a must-see, fun murder-mystery with a comedic twist, and a great example of what the gaze is all about.
The cast in this film did more than a satisfying job; they were all perfect for their roles. James Stewart is very convincing as the bored photojournalist who has nothing better to do but spy, and his concern when he starts to think Thorwald (Raymond Burr) has killed his wife seems very real. Grace Kelly also does a wonderful job as Lisa, who does not only play the stereotypical role of a girlfriend, but also does a great job at convincing the audience of her daring side when she goes to Thorwald's apartment. As for Raymond Burr, his portrayal of the bad guy in the film was also great; and Thelma Ritter was hilarious as Jeff's caretaker and her humor added to the film's success of mixing drama and murder with comedy.
The story revolves around a theme related to the gaze, or the feeling of being observed. In this case, the "peeping Tom" is portrayed by James Stewart's character, Jeff, who is always taking out his binoculars to watch his neighbors. Throughout the entire film we see Jeff watching outside his window, so the theme is quite evident almost as soon as the film starts. But the film also asks one question: when have you seen TOO much? And when you have, what comes next? Where do you draw the line? Jeff and Lisa's answer was to keep investigating, which creates a turn of events that add to the film's suspense.
Part of the reason why the film succeeded in making its theme evident was the techniques used to shoot and edit the piece. One of Hitchcock's techniques was to shoot as if the audience was seeing from the binoculars. This made it extremely clear that we were watching from Jeff's eyes, and so we were forced in a way to "become" Jeff, and it was easier to see from his point of view. This technique was excellent at helping the audience get immersed in the story. Another technique was the way in which the film was edited. Several times we see Jeff staring outside the window and the next shot we cut to is whatever he is watching the neighbors do. This also helped express that Jeff was spying on his neighbors, and that his point of view is what we were seeing. The music in the film was very subtle and only helped emphasize certain moments of the film, like when Lisa and Jeff kiss, or when Lisa breaks into Thorwald's apartment. It mostly helped create moments of suspense, but also romance and mystery.
Overall, I thought the movie was great and very unique. It was interesting to see things through Jeff's eyes, and throughout the film it is very clear that those are the only eyes we are seeing the story through. The great story combined with a perfect cast makes it one of Hitchcock's best. This is definitely a must-see, fun murder-mystery with a comedic twist, and a great example of what the gaze is all about.
