Rear Window [1954] (DVD)

In his book "Hollywood Babylon II" Kenneth Anger claims that Alfred Hitchcock had a powerful telescope set up in his Hollywood home, focussed in on Grace Kelly's bedroom, in order that he could watch her undress. Believe that if you will, but what is a fact is that voyeurism featured heavily in Hitchcock's films: Anthony Perkins watched Janet Leigh take a shower in "Psycho"; James Stewart observed Kim Novak's daily life in "Vertigo"; Ronald Coleman, handcuffed to Madeleine Carrol, watched her as she undressed in "The Thirty Nine Steps". The same can be said of "Rear Window", except here the camera is on our ...  Read the complete review

I've been watching a few films by "the master of suspense" recently, and this is another one. Rear Window was made in 1954, and it's hailed as one of his finest achievements, even being voted number 14 on IMDb's top 250 films! That's above Citizen Kane and Lawrence of Arabia! Plus it was nominated for 4 Oscars, including Best Screenplay and Best Director! It stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly as a couple who become sure that there's something suspicious going on in the flat opposite... Stewart plays Mr Jeffries, a newspaper photographer who has been confined to his apartment for six weeks with a broken leg, after a car accident. With nothing else to ...  Read the complete review

This classic 1954 film is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most celebrated and enduringly popular films and when you watch it, it is easy to see why. Basically the film centres around a photographer called L.B Jeffries, played by the superb James Stewart, who is confined to his apartment due to having a broken leg. He spends a great deal of time looking out of his window out of boredom and intrigue and one day grows suspicious that a woman in an opposite building may have been murdered by her husband. This is an incredibly suspenseful, atmospheric and well acted film, with the vast majority of the film taking place in one room looking out into a ...  Read the complete review

My Hitchcock voyage has been going on for some weeks now and it's clear to see that he was a visionary director - or at least a director with a good eye. However, having watched about seven of his films I had yet to see one that I truly found fantastic. I felt the likes of 'North by Northwest' and 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' were actually not as good as I hoped they would be. On the flip side, more obscure work like 'Rope' and 'Shadow of Doubt' has really impressed me, without them being 5 stars. Where was the magic that I have often heard about? So far it was near, but not yet there. This was until I watched 'Rear Window'. L.B. 'Jeff' Jeffries is a ...  Read the complete review

Rear Window, a film so good they remade it once, and countless other films have tried to parallel the story and the success of the original. This film is considered amongst many critics and movie buffs to be Hitchcock's best film, perfectly illustrating his skill as a director and his flair for creating an atmospheric suspense drama. Despite it being over 50 years old, Rear Window is still fresh and captivating today and definitely a film that should be seen by anyone who appreciates good cinema. The film tells the story of a photographer, LB Jeffries, played by James Stewart. With his leg in a plaster, he is confined within his small apartment during a ...  Read the complete review