What's the AFI project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here: http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx
Rear Window is on the following AFI lists:
The Original Top 100 (#42)
100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies (#14)
The Revised Top 100 (#48)
10 Top 10's (#3 Mystery)
At the same time that I purchased North by Northwest on DVD, I also purchased this film, though the situation was the same. I've owned it on videocassette for quite some time, so the test has equally passed here. This is my other favorite Hitchcock film (so far) and, unlike North by Northwest, I, at least, still get chills from this one. It's not that I don't know what happens, as I've also seen this one more than a few times; it's that this movie's mystery is more compelling and engaging because it's told from the perspective of a guy sitting in a wheelchair over the course of two hours who sees much but is unable to really do anything, except make trouble for himself in the end.
LB "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) injured himself on one of his dangerous, globetrotting photography assignments for his national newsmagazine, and has been confined to his Manhattan courtyard apartment, in the sweltering summer heat, for some weeks. He has nothing to do except wait for daily visits from his nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), and his fashion model girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly), who is trying to talk him into marriage and settling down, when all Jeff wants is to get back out on the front lines. Though Lisa wants to try her hand at danger, Jeff thinks she's only made for cotillions and fancy soirees and high heels and is considering calling the whole thing off, provided that Lisa is not willing to keep things "status quo." To take his mind off his boredom and the impending conversations over nuptials he does not want, Jeff passes the time watching his courtyard neighbors through his (wait for it) rear window, to whom he assigns colorful nicknames, such as "Miss Torso" for a prima ballerina and "Miss Lonelyhearts" for an older woman who lives by herself and entertains imaginary gentleman callers. As Jeff watches through his binoculars, he notes one neighbor, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), a traveling salesman with what looks to be a whining invalid wife. One day, Thorwald's shade closes, and his wife disappears, and Jeff begins to notice certain goings-on that cause him to theorize that Thorwald may actually have disposed of his wife in a more gruesome fashion. Whether he's serious or not, no one believes Jeff, until Lisa begins to piece together details that also don't make sense, and as they watch, they discover that Jeff may actually be right.
Rear Window is a simply ingenius film and deserves its many entries on the AFI lists. As I indicated previously, not only is it a remarkably taut and intense little mystery/thriller, given the fact that the main character is confined to a wheelchair for the duration of the film, but with its sardonic undertones and cause-and-effect consequences, it actually becomes a sly satire and commentary about voyeurism in general. The reason why Jeff's propensity for nicknaming his neighbors is so funny is because it rings so true to life, and there is an indisputably timeless quality about this film, given the present-day voracity and mass production of reality television. Let's face it: Americans (at least) are nosy nellies at large, and this film transcends its thriller moniker by becoming a witty little jab at the public's need to invade others' privacy.
The performances were pretty much perfection. In my mind, Jimmy Stewart was the perfect Jeff. Others I'm sure could have played this character, but Stewart was the quintessential everyman, and despite Jeff's character history, he represented the everyman in this sneaky social commentary. Stewart's performance was nothing short of his usual excellence, displaying the gamut from wryly sincere to downright fearful in a role that pre-dated the surreal Vertigo (which is upcoming on the AFI Project). Grace Kelly was the perfect choice to play the doting fashion model girlfriend, and Thelma Ritter's Stella is an absolute hoot, as she adopts the no-nonsense approach to commenting on Jeff's particular predicament and hobby from a moral and ethical standpoint. Grace and Jimmy also had adorable chemistry; not necessarily smoldering, but the viewer, at least this one, could believe without question that they care for each other quite intensely.
Hitchcock's direction in this film was also brilliant (as pretty much always) and nuanced because he could only employ subtlety and restraint in a fixed settting such as this cozy set of Manhattan apartments. The attention to detail is the hallmark of this film. My favorite shot of the entire film was when (for reasons I won't explain), Thorwald sits in his dark apartment, listening to the events outside in the courtyard, but clearly smoking a cigarette. That's how the viewer (and Jeff and Lisa and Stella) know he's there: the cigarette flares and dims in nothing but darkness, while hubbub ensues amidst light and noise everywhere else. It was just awesome! Also, the entire film until almost the end is shot almost entirely from Jeff's perspective, immersing the viewer into his world and his viewpoint.
Other notable elements include the stunning ensembles Grace Kelly sported as a model showcasing her couture and the art direction. For example, studying all of the props and pieces in Jeff's apartment (I tell you, I've seen this movie a kajillion times) is fun because, since he's a photographer for an important newsmagazine, the apartment contains various photographs of his journeys and artifacts from destinations worldwide, seemingly. Also, what is laid out in the apartments of his neighbors is also interesting, since whatever is there has to be visible only from Jeff's perspective.
All in all, I think Rear Window is another masterpiece of filmmaking, by Hitchock or anyone else, because Hitch made something so rich and textured from a relatively simple concept, and he did so by keeping the film cheeky and socially relevant while remaining true to the intensity and mystery of the story. Rear Window is a perfect 10 in my book and a perfect 10 in the American film library.