Movie Minx

Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Plot: A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

But is it any good?

So according to imdb voters, Rear Window is the best Hitchcock movie, beating even Psycho. I disagree. I just feel that Psycho leaves a more indelible impression in terms of its flouting of cinematic conventions, its clever dialogue and its imagery (the superimposing of the skeleton over Norman’s face at the end, for example).

So what’s good about Rear Window? Well, its suspense, of course. Is Jeff onto something with his murder suspicions or has he just been cooped up with a broken leg for too long? Also the film’s exploration of ‘ethical’ voyeurism. Most of us are voyeurs to a certain extent (this argument is strengthened by the popularity of reality TV now - we don’t need to binoculars to get an eyeful of people’s pain and misfortune and ugly behaviour). Here we are forced, as viewers, to watch along with Jeff and so see things as he does. The disappearance of the wife, the cleaning of the knife, the oddly-timed comings and goings. Bit by bit we are fed details, as is Jeff, leading us right to the excellent climax.

All this to the background activities of other characters who we get to know as Jeff snoops on them from his apartment window. The newlyweds, Miss Lonely Hearts, the couple who sleep on the balcony, the piano player and the blonde ballet teacher who likes to dance in her knickers. Not even the beauty of Grace Kelly can distract him - or us - for long as we become addicted to the happenings across the way. Reality TV before reality TV.

IMDb’s rating: 9.4/10
My rating: 9.8/10

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