REAR WINDOW -a review by Bill Chambers *** (out of four)
Just days before the death of Jimmy Stewart, inspired by a half-baked A & E Biography of Alfred Hitchcock, I decided to give Rear Window a second glance. History has been kind to Hitch's fifties pictures: just look at the resurgence of Vertigo, which was a box office and critical bomb in 1958. But unlike that film, repeated viewings of Rear Window reveal it to be somewhat shallow and lacking the stylistic flourishes that have helped some of his other beloved pictures stand the test of time.
Stewart stars as Jeff, a photographer with a broken leg who has one week left before release from his "plaster cocoon". With nothing but the view from his window to wile away the hours, he begins to follow the stories of his neighbours' lives: there's the sexy woman who likes to dance in her underwear; the elderly lady who seems lonely and lost; the happy Newleyweds; and the husband and wife who always argue. Jeff sees nothing wrong with his preoccupation: voyeurism as time-killer. Then the real excitement kicks in: the angry husband's wife suddenly disappears, and he may or may not be disposing of her body piece by piece using suitcases and trunks.
Grace Kelly costars as Jeff's glamourpuss girlfriend; their bickering is dated, but Kelly's first appearance in the film--she plants a kiss on Stewart's forehead in slow motion-- remains one of the most sensual, memorable entrances in movie history.
Rear Window is a talky film, not unlike Hitchcock's experimental, underpraised Rope. Characters chew endlessly over motives, hash out theories, and generally blather on like so many egomaniacs, though the dialogue is more often than not engaging. Hitchcock really triumphs in two areas: a setpiece involving Kelly's character sneaking into the apartment across the street, which is essentially the climax, is wholly suspenseful. And he somehow manages to tie up every single sub-sub-plot in a satisfying manner.
Mixed emotions, to be sure, but definitely worthy of your attention.
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