The Genius of Rear Window

"I'm not much on rear window ethics."- Grace Kelly as Lisa

I didn't have to think twice about which classic film to spotlight in my first post- Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 voyeuristic thriller, Rear Window. Like everyone, I have several "favorite movies." But if someone were to hold a gun to my head and ask what my absolute all-time favorite film was, I'd be force to say Rear Window.  

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This movie truly has it all- mystery, romance, comedy, and, of course, suspense. Rear Window has several outstanding elements. These elements individually would make a thoroughly entertaining film; combined together, however, they create a masterpiece:

   

1.        The man behind the camera:

Hitchcock's Rear Window cameo. Via. 

While some may disagree, for me personally, Rear Window is Hitchcock at his best. The camera angles are magnificent, the storytelling profound, and the suspense is never-ending. All the various angles and techniques he uses, effectively turns the audience into a voyeur alongside Jimmy Stewart. 

I particularly love Hitchcock’s first scene; with one steady shot, the audience gets an inside look at Jeff’s apartment, and even more importantly, his story. His life. In my mind, one of the most challenging parts of writing or filming a movie must be introducing your cast of characters to the audience. It needs to be a subtle information dump, without making it obvious to audience that you are scrambling to introduce all the characters to them (voice-over narration is one of the most popular cop-outs). Hitchcock however does this effortlessly by harkening back to the visual storytelling of the silent movie era. It’s a fantastic opening scene, that never fails to impress me.

2.       Grace Kelly

Just as Hitchcock was at his best in Rear Window, so was his stunning leading lady. Grace Kelly as Stewart’s high society girl friend, Lisa Fremont, is incomparable. Hitchcock gave her one of the most stunning character entrances that has ever been captured on film; “The Kiss” scene.

Quickly after her close-up entrance, however, Grace Kelly as Lisa proves to be not just a beautiful face, but a fiercely stubborn, determined woman who is unfortunately in love with an impossible man. One of my favorite “Lisa” scenes is her exit after Jeff (Stewart)’s tells her there's no future for their relationship.

   “Well when am I going to see you again?” - Jeff
            “Not for a long time. That is… at least not until tomorrow night.” – Lisa

It’s so relatable- who of us haven’t been so head over heels for someone that we can’t keep away- even after they tell us flat out there’s no hope for a future. But, in the end Lisa wins Jeff over and thoroughly proves she can keep up with his adventurous globe-trotting lifestyle.

3.       Stella

As a perfect foil to the elegant high-class Lisa, you have Jeff’s nurse, Stella. Played by the remarkable character actor, Thelma Ritter, Stella is the movie’s most entertaining comic relief. Her one-liners are laugh-out-loud funny, due mostly to Ritter’s wry delivery.  Even more impressive than her comedic lines, however, is the witty wisdom that is at the root of what she's saying. My personal favorite:  

“When two people love each other, they come together-WHAM- like two taxis on Broadway.” - Stella

4.       The Neighbors

The Courtyard. Via.

Although, Stewart’s character is primarily concerned with his suspicious neighbor, Lars Thorwald, Hitchcock still allows the supporting cast of neighbors to have fully developed storylines. Miss Torso, Miss Lonely Hearts, the struggling middle-aged songwriter- all of these characters and their subplots add to the film on so many levels. Some act as a catalyst to the story, some add comedic relief, and some add relatable sorrow. They all add to the realism of the film- making the courtyard of neighbors seem like ensemble we could find in our own neighborhood.

5.       The Music

Franz Waxman’s fantastic jazz score sets the scene of Rear Window, reflecting the eccentric group of courtyard residents and the dark secrets hiding behind closed blinds.

As you can see, I am overzealously passionate about this film. No matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old. If you haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend checking it out. And for anyone interested in hearing the behind-the-scenes process of filming Rear Window, I recommend watching Rear Window Ethic: The Making of Rear Window which you can find in the special features on the DVD.  

And just for fun, here are some awesome minimalist Rear Window movie posters I found on Pinterest. I think Hitchcock would have loved these!

Designed by Andrew Millen.

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Designed by James Joyce.

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