Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954): USA

Reviewed by Yuichi K. Viewed at Mann’s Chinese 6, AFI Film Festival 2010, Hollywood

What is the difference between before and after things thats happen? It’s the mystery.  When we talk about various of possibilities, they awake stereotypes. When I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, I found it showed the blind spot to audiences.

“Rear Window” is one of remarkable thriller films. The director is one of maestros, Alfred Hitchcock. He suggested that peaceful daily scenes gradually changed to a cold suspense.

The movie starts with a peaceful daily rear window sight. Jeff (James Stewart) is injured by an accident and cannot help living with a wheelchair for a while. His only pleasure is to watch dwellers of the opposite apartment from rear window of his room. One day, he notices suspicious behaviors of one dweller, and it changes his tedious life curious. He involves Lisa(Grace Kelly), his girlfriend, and Stella(Thelma Ritter), housemaid. More and more Jeff watches, things are more and more mysterious.

“Rear Window” has many beautiful scenes. For the beginning, the scene starts with a long dolly shot from right side of the back yard building to his wheelchair. It shows every dweller’s completely optimistic and separated lives. In addition, Hitchcock beautifully indicates Jeff’s life around his wheelchair and the intimate relationship with Lisa and Stella.

This story was directed by Alfred Hitchcock who is well-known as an expert of motion picture. His works were not only film but also television. “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” was aired in many countries. The writer, John Michael Hayes, was also related to many film and television such as “Peyton Place” He had nominated Academy Award twice.

In the ending of the story, Hitchcock showed Jeff’s unfortunate scene. When I was just out from the auditorium, an elder guest indicated about it and said, “It’s still a masterpiece” I for the first time have completely watched this movie. However, I agreed his opinion. “Rear Window” has become one of my favorite works. Hitchcock might indicate, “It’s important to make audience happy until the last scene.”