Often simply known as the ‘Master of Suspense’ – Alfred Hitchcock stands as one of the most important and influential directors that ever lived. At the end of his illustrious career, Alfred Hitchcock, had directed over 50 feature films. To pick out just one Hitchcock film as his greatest is problematic at best. It often depends upon the mood you are in. Whether you are looking for an espionage thriller, a twisted love story or a mystery murder, anyone of Hitchcock’s most celebrated films like Notorious, Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, Psycho and North By Northwest seem to fit the bill as the perfect Hitchcock film. Then again what about Sight and Sound’s former reigning champion Vertigo? There are enough critics and filmmakers who believe Hitchcock’s psychological mystery Vertigo is the greatest film of all time and I guess by default makes it his best. But just maybe, the sense of mystery, suspense and voyeuristic pleasure of Rear Window is proof of Hitchcock’s dark genius.
There is something about Rear Window that keeps me coming back to it over and over. Like a peeping tom I’ve studied every single frame wondering if I’ve missed all of Hitchcock’s visual cues as the mystery unfolds. I even still gasped in horror at the sight of news photographer L. B. Jeff Jefferies (James Stewart) and his socialite girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly) up to no good, repeatedly putting themselves in harms way all for the sake of proving a murder. Moreover the complex love story that permeates our screen between Jeff and Lisa is just as interesting as the murder mystery. These few points are just some of the reasons why Rear Window is my favourite Hitchcock and arguably one of the greatest films of all time.
Anyway, the scene in question for this latest instalment in my series, finds Jeff, Lisa and Jeff’s nurse aide, Stella (Thelma Ritter) recoiling in anticipation and dread as a nosy little snoop is about to go all wrong. But first to understand what is going on, we must backtrack a little.
While recovering from an accident we first meet professional photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jerreries in his apartment. He is stuck in a wheelchair with seemingly little to do. So he takes up a new hobby innocently spying on his neighbours in the courtyard from his rear window often in the shadows. He does so because he is bored to death. Interestingly, the use of his long-focus lens camera becomes a symbol of his male passive gaze. Then one night alone in his apartment after hearing a scream, and seeing a series of unusual comings and goings, and he begins to suspect that his courtyard neighbour Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) may have killed his wife. When he asks his war buddy Doyle, now a police detective, to investigate, he turns up nothing remotely suspicious. But Jeff isn’t satisfied and on a crusade to discover the truth he enlists his girlfriend Lisa and nurse aide to investigate.
The idea of privacy, civic responsibility and even moral dilemma all bumble beneath the surface of Hitchcock’s plot, especially when Jeff suggests they should snoop around Thorwald’s flowerbed because he believes his neighbour buried something damning there. After luring Thorwald away with a phone call, Lisa and Stella dig up a small section of the flowerbed and find nothing that would incriminate Thorwald.
It is here Lisa with something seemingly to prove, maybe her affection and loyalty to Jeff, climbs the fire escape ladder up to Thorwald’s balcony and through the window. Jeff is horrified and starts to fret with worry. There is of course nothing he can do to stop her. He reluctantly accepts the situation as Lisa searches the apartment, while he and Stella (now back up in Jeff’s apartment) keep an eye out for Thorwald’s return. They are soon sidetracked by the seemingly suicidal Miss Lonelyhearts, who lives down stairs. But it is a false alarm. The distraction is enough for them to miss Thorwald’s return and their ability to warn Lisa. When Thorwald discovers Lisa in his apartment, he confronts her aggressively pulling and tugging her at will. Meanwhile, Jeff has called the police, paralysed with his inability to save Lisa.
The genius of the entire scene is how Hitchcock’s shot it, primarily from Jeff’s point of view. The low-key lighting here, as one of Hitchcock’s most potent tools for drama and tension, also helps to draw us (the audience) into the action and in a way we end up feeling complicit in Jeff’s impotence to save Lisa. Thankfully the police turn up to diffuse the tension. But while we assume Lisa’s search of the apartment has been in vain, she manages to secretly prompt Jeff that she has found Thorwald’s wife’s wedding ring, proof that something is definitely amiss with Mrs Thorwald’s disappearance. As she points to it with her hands behind her back, Thorwald spots the signal, which in turn draws Thorwald to look out the window across the courtyard at Jeff cowering in his apartment. “Turn off the light he’s seen us!”
Here Thorwald’s seething face tells us everything we need to know about what is going to happen next. “How long do you think he’ll stay there?” Jeff cautions Stella.
“Well, unless he’s dumber than I think he is, he won’t wait until his lease is up,” Stella half-jokingly replies.
The climatic confrontation between Jeff and Thorwald (which is still to come) serves as one of Hitchcock’s most suspenseful cinematic moments. But for now this scene described here above is reason enough to watch this masterpiece from beginning to end. But if I can leave you with just one thought by saying…. Rear Window is a cautionary tale which says, if you are gonna snoop into other people’s affair, there are consequences if you get caught. But in Jeff’s case, is his pursuit of justice a step too far?
Rearview Mirror 
I love this film so much! Everything about it, every single scene, is superb. From the story line, the amazing sets, the acting performances of everyone concerned, the cinematography, the music – all are simply the best. Hitchcock was a genius, and for me, his finest work was his repertoire of films he made in the 50s and early 60s, from Strangers On a Train to The Birds. James Steward and Thelma Ritter were outstanding as always, and Grace Kelly was absolutely radiant. Great write-up Robert.
I enjoy working on this series. And I’m thrilled you’re a big fan of Hitchcock and Rear Window. I feel exactly the same. No doubt Hitchcock was a master.
It’s a tribute to the master’s work that although we know that there has to be a murder, that does not diminish the tension one jot!
Is it just me, or was Jimmy Stewart punching above his weight with Grace Kelly as his love interest?
The troublesome age gap is hard not to miss. Stewart was in his mid 40s and Kelly was 25 at the time. But both are terrific and Grace Kelly certainly holds her own. But I do like Stewart in the lead as Jeff. He plays an ordinary man in extraordinary situations very well as an actor. I think Hitchcock values experience over inexperience, which is something Hitchcock thought younger actors lacked.