Sadly, I think the cultural consciousness of this film has resulted in what seems like a low rating. Hitchcock is nothing short of amazing, but with all the references to Rear Window in TV and other movies, it just didn’t hold me like it was supposed to.
Perhaps I need to watch it again, but knowing the ending without ever seeing the film really kills the momentum it tries to build throughout. Jimmy Stewart is terrific as always, playing a wheelchair bound photographer stuck in his apartment until he has his leg cast removed. It’s an interesting setup that allows him to spy on his neighbors for lack of anything better to do. Without the injury, he’d simply seem nosey and rude.
Most of the suspense and intrigue comes from what we see through Stewart’s telephoto lens. We can only really see what’s going on, leaving us as clueless as Stewart himself. His paranoid ponderings ask our questions for us and his suspicions launch us into a furor. At least they were meant to. Like I said, the cultural consciousness of the film has all but hampered its intention to thrill us.
Sadly, I think the cultural consciousness of this film has resulted in what seems like a low rating. Hitchcock is nothing short of amazing, but with all the references to Rear Window in TV and other movies, it just didn’t hold me like it was supposed to.
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