Rear Window
released 1954
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“Rear Window” is an American classic, thriller, mystery produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with the screenplay written by John Michael Hayes and based on the short story written by Cornell Woolrich. It stars James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Judith Evelyn, Ross Bagdasarian, Georgine Darcy, Sara Berner, Frank Cady, Jesslyn Fax, Rand Harper, Irene Winston, Havis Davenport, a cameo by Alfred Hitchcock and many others.

Rear Window IMDb webpage

“Rear Window” is the story of photographer L.B. Jeffries, `Jeff´, played by James Stewart, who is stuck in a wheelchair with little to do and his girlfriend named Lisa Carol Fremont, played by Grace Kelly, is right there beside him. She is a member of 1950s high society and has a knack for finding trouble. The two are opposites who complement each other very well. They both have exciting lives that are put on hold, Lisa´s much less so but still slowed down. I need to say that this is classic James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Jeff is a photographer who loves the adventure from his job and is stuck in a wheelchair and condemned to boredom while he recovers . His girlfriend Lisa raises his spirits, brings him good food and eventually spots suspicious activity across the alleyway.

This is a fun movie with mass appeal, not just from the great talent but the themes dealt with in the story. Everybody has been bed ridden and bored at one time in their life and can relate to Jeff. There is only so much ice cream you can eat, so much TV you can watch, before you start climbing the walls. Everybody has wondered at one time or another about their neighbors, What they are up to? This is especially true when our life slows down from being bed ridden. All those thoughts and ideas become more active in our minds and that is what things look like.

The fact that Jeff is a photographer makes his impulse to peep on his neighbors even stronger and might even seem more justified to us, the audience. This film appeals to guilty pleasures. The idea of peeping on people on the other side of the alleyway is wrong. On the one hand we know that what Jeff´s neighbors do in their private lives is none of his business but on the other hand we are curious to see what he discovers. We are right over his shoulder shaking our heads in disapproval but captivated at what he will see.

This script is brilliant and what a fun watch. So check out “Rear Window”.

John

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