Rear Window (Universal Legacy Series) Reviews

• What a Wonderful Window!/ Where's the DVD?

  
  By A22EGHMXFEUPTN on 2000-05-14
  Rear Window is almost too good to be true. It is definitely one of the most perfect movies ever made. To me Rear Window is a perfect movie. Everything in it is extraordinary, from the actors James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and a menacing Raymond Burr, to the writing, editing, and directing by "Hitch", to the beautiful color cinematography by Robert Burks, and even the musical score. Further proof that Rear Window is so incredibly great, is that it is able to completely enthrall both passionate cinema viewers, as well as casual movie viewers. Also, what is amazing is that the entire movie takes place in the apartment of James Stewart's character. I Drove 600 miles about a couple of months to have the opportunity and privelege to be in the presence and view Rear Window at the Stanford Theater, because it is the nearest theater to me that would play this miraculous film on the big screen, and it was worth every mile! Rear Window is a perfect example of what Hitchcock called "pure cinema", and there have been very very few films that are in the same league as Rear Window, and two others are "Psycho" and "Vertigo." All that set aside, when for heaven's sake is the "DVD"! going to be released? It is frustrating as hell to look at all of the garbage that is released on DVD and some even with a load of Bonus feautures, while Rear Window being held back for some reason or another.
  
  

• Hitchcock's Classy Voyeurism Thriller...

  
  By A31I3HXMD5H1EL on 2000-03-17
  One of the joys of Alfred Hitchcock films is his ability to take social taboos, present them in an enticing context, throw in major stars we know and love to perform them, and thus make abhorrent behavior seem attractive! 'Vertigo' is the best-known example of this Hitchcock trait ('Psycho' also comes to mind), but 'Rear Window' is the most fun to watch, because of the appealing combination of James Stewart and Grace Kelly!

  Stewart is a photographer, laid-up while recuperating from an accident (cleverly shown through photographs in his studio), who, out of boredom, begins spying on his neighbors. Jimmy Stewart a 'Peeping Tom'? Only Hitchcock could get away with this!

  Of course, Kelly, as his high fashion model girlfriend, and Thelma Ritter (who is fabulous as his nurse), are appalled by Stewart's behavior, but are drawn into voyeurism by Stewart's devotion to it, particularly after he witnesses an apparent murder (committed by Raymond Burr, in one of the most wonderfully EVIL roles of his career!)

  The film takes on a cat-and-mouse intensity, as Stewart attempts to prove Burr's guilt to his skeptical policeman buddy (nicely played by Wendell Corey). To add a touch of sexual foreplay to the proceedings, Kelly models a variety of '50s evening and nightwear, while teasing the injury-constrained Stewart ("Previews of Coming Attractions", she purrs). All this leads up to a fabulous, claustrophobic finale, with camera flashes, and a twist ending that is pure Hitchcock magic!

  The restoration of the film gives the movie a clarity and modern 'feel' that viewers will love!

  Watch this 'new and improved' edition, and see why 'Rear Window' is one of the most popular Hitchcock films!
  
  

• TERRIFIC HITCHCOCK THRILLER...

  
  By A1L43KWWR05PCS on 2003-04-06
  This is a superlative film of suspense. It is a tribute to the direction of Alfred Hitchcock that one is never bored watching this film, though it entirely takes place within the confines of a claustrophobic New York Greenwich Village apartment, the windows of the neighbors across the way, and a courtyard that separates the buildings.

  Professional photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (Jimmy Stewart) is recovering from an accident that occurred while on assignment. Encased in a cast covering his left leg and hip, Jeff is pretty much immobilized and temporarily confined to a wheel chair. Despite regular visits by his nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), and his beautiful, sophisticated girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), Jeff is chafing at his confinement. Bored stiff, he does what he does best. He peers at those around him from his window. Jeff finds the lives of his neighbors both immensely interesting and amusing. He watches them through their windows and in the courtyard, enhancing his experience with binoculars and the zoom lens of his camera. Jeff draws inferences and conclusions about them, based upon his own experiences with human behavior.

  This interest intensifies and takes a strange turn, when he believes one of them, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), may have committed a grisly murder, killing off his invalid wife, Anna. Though Jeff never actually sees the murder, what he does see is its aftermath and some peculiar behavior that puzzles him. Putting two and two together, he becomes absolutely convinced that his neighbor across the way has done away with his invalid wife. Jeff then informally involves his friend, Lt. Thomas Doyle (Wendell Corey) of the New York City Police Department, who initially scoffs at Jeff's assessment, though he does a cursory check . With Lisa and Stella also becoming fascinated by the strange behavior of Lars Thorwald, their interest and amateur sleuthing propels the film to an exciting climax.

  Jimmy Stewart is terrific as the housebound voyeur, drawing the viewer in with him. One finds oneself peering along with him into the lives of those around him. Grace Kelly is stunningly beautiful as Jeff's girlfriend Lisa, with whom Jeff is finding it difficult to make a commitment. It is interesting that as Jeff gets more intimately engrossed in his neighbors' affairs, his intimacy with Lisa seems to grow, drawing them closer together. Thelma Ritter is funny and sassy as the tough talking, no nonsense nurse. Raymond Burr, looking eerily as he would half a century later, is well cast as the neighbor whose wife got on his nerves. Wendell Corey is very good as the congenial, though jaded, detective.

  All in all, this is a terrific film that clearly shows the mastery and deft direction of the legendary Hitchcock. With a well written script and a stellar cast, this is a film that is well worth having in one's personal collection. Bravo!
  
  

• the ultimate Hitchcock classic

  
  By ABH4G7TVI6G2T on 2001-10-20
  The ultimate Hitchcock classic, REAR WINDOW gives us a glimpse into the mind of Alfred Hitchcock, and in turn Hitchcock turns the mirror on us and forces us to admit our darkest desire...to be voyeurs.

  That is exactly what Jeffries is. Jeffries (James Stewart) is a wheelchair-bound photographer who spends his time cooped up in his apartment, peeping in on the neighbours across the courtyard. He comes up with "names" for them; Miss Torso the ballerina; Miss Lonely-Hearts; The Newly-Weds and so on. His only contact with the outside world is his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and his wisecracking nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter).

  Unknowlingly witnessing the murder of Mrs Thorwald, he, along with Lisa and Stella, set out to expose the truth about Mr Thorwald (Raymond Burr) and uncover the mystery of her quick disapperance.

  A beautifully-restored print by James Katz and Robert Harris (also responsible for the beautiful new renderings of MY FAIR LADY and VERTIGO), is the highlight of this DVD. The original negative was severely faded and turning green when Universal aqquired the entire Paramount film library. Color-correction and shadow detail are now back to their original state, as is the soundtrack featuring Franz Waxman's sparkling score.

  The ULTIMATE Hitchcock thriller, with more than a touch of romance and comedy.
  
  

• Rear Window---Newly Restored DVD!!!!

  
  By A1DF63P46AT5FW on 2001-02-20
  The last few years have seen some classic films that have been given back their old lustre via restoration, including such films as, My Fair Lady, Vertigo, Lawrence Of Arabia to name just a few. These films as well as this film have been restored by the restoration mavericks Robert A. Harris, and James Katz.

  I must say after seeing an advance copy of this film that Rear Window looks incredible, especially compared to the Laser Disc copy I have as well as the poor copies that have been showing up on television and VHS over the years.

  The colors are vibrant, in particular the reds which don't give a hint of bleeding into the frame, and the image looks I imagine as close to the original as possible given the fact that this film is almost fifty years old now.

  The aspect ratio is 1.66:1 which is the proper framing for this film, the sound is the original mono soundtrack and has been scrubbed up to remove any audio imperfections that have built up over the years.

  Also included on this disc is a 55 minute documentary titled, Rear Window Ethics:Remembering a Hitchock Classic which is quite enjoyable.

  There is a still frame gallery, a shorter documentary with the screenwriter John Michael Hayes, as well as the standard fare of biographies, filomgraphies etc.

  All in all a quite impressive package and should be of interest to any Hitchcock fan as well as Cinema fans in general.
  
  

• RELEASE IT! PLEASE!
  By on 1999-08-18
  Here we are, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's birth and, what is perhaps his best movie, is not available to the masses! What can we do to get this released?
  
  
• Hitchcock classic in new 2-disc Special Edition due out October 7th, 2008!
  By A1K94LXX833JTT on 2008-07-10
  Rear Window is considered by many Alfred Hitchcock's best movie. The story suited him well. A man confined to a wheelchair, watching things that may be innocent or murderous, a beautiful woman out of her element, in danger, with gradually building suspense that takes a potentially fatal turn as we watch helplessly with our immobilized protagonist, and a cliffhanger climax. The movie has been analyzed by very smart people looking for much more than that, deeper meanings and allusions, and some of their ideas are true, and some are fun. But it's the basic story elements, sharp dialogue, fine acting and the direction of a master that make it a great movie.
  
  The immobilized man is "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart), a Life Magazine photographer who's laid up in his New York City apartment with a broken leg. Accustomed to an active life of adventure and world traveling, he's reduced to passing his time using binoculars and a telephoto lens to spy on the small world of neighbors across a small courtyard from his rear window. The beautiful woman is his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly), a high society woman whom he is avoiding marrying on the excuse that she isn't cut out for his rambling life of action and danger, and he doesn't want to settle down. As events across the way take a potentially sinister turn, the tables are turned as Lisa shows her grit in risky investigations while Jeff must remain passive. Raymond Burr (of Perry Mason fame) plays the suspect neighbor who may or may not have killed someone. Thelma Ritter is Jeff's house-call nurse who also gets involved.
  
  Most of the film is presented from Jeff's powerless perspective, giving the suspense an extra edge. There are allusions to impotence and, through the lives of the neighbors, a range of romantic and marriage relationships mirroring the fears of many men and women, including our protagonists. Much has been made of the theme of voyeurism, the window as a representation of the movie screen and so on, though I think it's easy to make too much of that. Screenwriter John Michael Hayes and Hitchcock work in the usual Hitchcock cameo and humor, including a dog who "knew too much" (a reference to another Hitchcock film).
  
  The new 2-disc Special Edition DVD looks to be an excellent set. It will include new special features:
  
  -- audio commentary by John Fawell, author of Hitchcock's Rear Window: The Well-Made Film
  -- Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Master
  -- Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts
  -- Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
  -- Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mr. Blanchard's Secret
  -- original theatrical trailer
  
  There will also be features carried over from the 2001 Collector's Edition:
  
  -- Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary (55 minutes)
  -- A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes (13 minutes on the Collector's Edition)
  -- 1983 re-release trailer for Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Trouble With Harry, Rope, and Rear Window, narrated by James Stewart (6 minutes)
  -- production photographs
  -- production notes
  
  There's no mention in the press release of the screenplay feature that was on the older DVD. It allowed you, using a DVD-ROM drive, to read the script while watching the movie, or to print out the script. (The script is available online now.)
  
  The picture will be in the original 1.66:1 widescreen format, anamorphic, with the original mono sound.
  
  No announcement for a Blu-ray edition yet.
  
  
• Hitch at his chilling best
  By A2S166WSCFIFP5 on 2002-04-15
  Rear Window is one of the classic Hitchcock films, made in the latter part of his career, where he could almost do no wrong. It ranks up there with Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo, North By Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and in my opinion the only movie of Hitch's that is better than Rear Window is North By Northwest. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly give one of their better performances. The action in this movie takes place in Stewart's apartment or viewed from his apartment. Stewart plays a photographer who has broken his leg and is pretty much immobile (the cast is from the pelvis to foot) and witnesses what he suspects to be a murder. The film can be truly horrifying. Imagine what it would be like to watch a man attack the woman you love (there is only one way a man should be allowed to put his hands on Grace Kelly) from your window and not being able to do anything about it. Or having a hulking man (the size of Raymond Burr) coming to kill you and not being able to flee or adequately defend yourself. It gives a level of creepiness that you won't find outside of Psycho or The Birds. Rear Window is one of Hitch's more chilling works.

  The DVD gives a better picture and sound quality over VHS and it is nice to be able to skip around the movie quickly. Unfortunately there is no commentary, but with Hitch dead and virtually no action who would be the logical choice? Probably better that no one attempts a commentary. In addition to trailers and production stills there are production notes, which give you that little bit of trivia that you can use to impress your friends with. There is also a featurette "conversation with screenwriter John Michael Hayes" which is interesting. And an hour long documentary titled "Rear Window Ethics" which is a commentary on the film (including audio interview excerpts with Hitchcock) and Restoring the Film. The two added featurettes are a definite plus for the DVD. Also, if you have a DVD-ROM on your computer you can get to a copy of the screenplay, which plays the section of the movie (in a little box in the corner) that you are reading. Makes for a nice addition to your DVD collection.
  
  

• Look Out Your Window
  By A1GN8UJIZLCA59 on 2003-01-27
  Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film Rear Window has a simple plot, an injured photographer becomes intrigued and enraptured with the comings and goings of his neighbors across the courtyard in his apartment complex and becomes convinced that one neighbor has murdered his wife. The film takes place exclusively in the photographer's apartment and we merely can see into the neighbor's apartments through their windows. The photographer, Jeff Jeffries, is played by James Stewart and due his broken leg is confined to his apartment and due to the inherent voyeuristic nature of his trade, he trains his eye on the apartments across the courtyard. Grace Kelly plays his girlfriend, Lisa, and she is at first disinterested and disapproving of his actions, but she too is soon drawn into the human drama. Thelma Ritter plays her usual sarcastic role as a visiting nurse who is sucked into Jeff's human drama. Mr. Hitchcock does a brilliant job of making Jeff's voyeurism at first seem comically, a fun way to kill idle time, then slowly building upon a suspicion that grows and grows until it reaches a scary and thrilling conclusion. The fact that he only allows the audience to see things from the perspective of Jeff's apartment and never allows into the apartments across the courtyard is a brilliant piece of direction and adds to the tension. Rear Window was the second of the films that Mr. Hitchcock and Mr. Stewart made together and it was rousing success after the disappointment both felt after their first collaboration, 1948's Rope.
  
  
• A visual marvel.
  By A18BV4O63DOWNH on 2001-02-27
  Key word being "visual". With this movie, Hitchcock, fantastic bully that he was, forces those of us who consider ourselves "decent" (whatever that means) to confront the nasty voyeur within. Of course, those who cheerfully admit being voyeurs will absolutely adore "Rear Window". In case you haven't seen it, it's about a professional photographer (the ever-solid James Stewart) who's laid up with a broken leg. Out of boredom, he begins peering into other people's apartments across the courtyard, using a comically large camera lens (torpedo would be an apter description). Naturally (for this is a Hitchcock picture), he sees something in one of the apartments which leads him to believe that a certain man (Raymond Burr) has done away with his wife.

  The story is top-notch; but what will really impress the movie-lover is the sheer technical brilliance here. Almost the entire film is one long-shot -- and from a first-person point of view, at that. Astonishing. The Master is not known particularly for his visual finesse (I keep thinking of *Suspicion*, with that ridiculous "spider-web" shadow from the window-panes all over the inside of Joan Fontaine's house), but here his concepts are boldly conceived and fortunately executed. Further, the DVD version looks smashing -- obviously supervised by a technical wizard. Indeed, this 46-year-old movie looks sharper and fresher than most movies released last year (think *Gladiator*, with its murky computerized palettes).

  *Rear Window* is a masterpiece, natch. But then, if you love movies, you already own it and I'm speaking to the converted.
  
  

• Great Film. But Why Letterbox?
  By A1S31XLRRB11US on 2004-03-07
  This film was always one of Hitchcock's finest. There is nothing I could add to what has been said before in praise.

  However, I question why the film was letterboxed when the original movie was shot with a ratio of 1.33:1 (or 4:3). Paramount Pictures, in 1954, had not released anything in Vista Vision, their wide screen answer to Cinemascope. "White Christmas" would be the first to be released later that year in the new process.

  After comparing the new DVD to my 1984 VHS tape, I noticed some striking discrepancies. The most obvious were the shots when James Stewart looked through his camera viewfinder. What he, and we, saw was a complete circle, with the image contained within the circle. On the DVD, this circle is cropped at the top and bottom. Why?

  Also, during the DVD documentary on how the film was restored, a technician is seen holding the actual film. It plainly shows the movie was shot in the common ratio of 1.33:1. When before and after comparisons are shown, one can clearly see extra image at the top and bottom of the before shot. Again, why letterbox?

  For such a great film, my criticisms may seem of low importance. I would just rather not see cropping like this happen to other restorations of great classics in the future.
  
  

• Why Not Rear Window?
  By A104FM2A9M1G4R on 2000-08-03
  Rear Window ranks up there with Psycho, The Birds, and North By Northwest as some of the greatest movies Alfred Hitchcock ever made. I don't understand why the fully restored version is not making its way to DVD. It is a drastic oversight by the company who owns the rights to this film. I see bootlegs of this film sell for more than the price of a DVD, so the demand is definitley there. Please release it on DVD. This beautiful achievement by Hitch should not go unseen by the evergrowing digital audience.
  
  
• At last! Fit for a collector!
  By A2HI0VW335YX4L on 2000-12-03
  Finally, "Rear Window" has made it onto DVD! The 1954 suspense classic, shot almost entirely in one room, and starring a cast with panache and style to spare, has long remained on Amazon's list of Most Requested DVDs, as well as the "most wanted" list of many film lovers, after a long stay in the "out-of-print" category. But Universal comes through!

  "Rear Window", to a certain degree, moves at a languid pace, not unlike the steamy weather conditions in which it takes place. However, the witty and concise dialogue, matched with the murder that occurs across the courtyard (the evidence of which is pieced together by Stewart, Kelly, and Thelma Ritter...and what's a Hitchcock movie without somebody getting whacked?), and interesting supporting characters like Wendell Corey as the skeptical Lt. Doyle; a pre-Perry-Mason Raymond Burr; and Ross Bagdasarian, the voice behind Alvin and the Chipmunks(!)--it all comes together in a fascinating hybrid that has remained a landmark classic for almost 50 years.

  Like "North By Northwest", "Vertigo", and "Psycho", all of which have preceded this movie on DVD, "Rear Window" appears to have some intriguing special features--a nice touch, especially considering the movie's age, and that none of the stars are with us any longer. The archival and historical additions make the DVD not only a pleasurable viewing experience, but also a study and an insight into Hitchcock's brilliance.

  Prepare to be re-immersed (at long last!) in a Hitchcock masterpiece. Pretty much....perfect. Don't miss this one.
  
  

• Boring
  By on 2001-08-02
  I feel stupid writing the only 1-star review for this movie, but what the heck. I thought Rear Window was boring. It starts off agonizingly slow and I thought it was annoying how all the action takes place in one setting (ala 12 Angry Men). The acting isn't half bad but the film is so slow...I can't imagine anyone wanting to sit through this film more than once. There's my 2 cents. Buy it if you like Hitchcock.
  
  
• Hitchcock's most entertaining
  By A3H6MNSBAZDRJF on 2005-11-04
  Strangers on the Train is creepier, Notorious is more romantic, North by Northwest more exciting, Psycho more sensationalistic, Vertigo more profound, but Rear Window is perhaps Hitchcock's most purely entertaining film.
  Only Hitch could make the story of a man who witnessed (???) a murder entertaining and suspenseful at the same time. Jeff (Jimmy Stewart) is a gritty photojournalist who's now trapped in his apartment with a broken leg. He's tended to by a nurse (Thelma Ritter). He's become a nosy voyeur, peering into the apartments of his neighbors. There's "Miss Lonelyheart", a woman who makes dinner for two every night - without a date. There's Miss Torso, a ballerina who entertains a virtual harem of guys every night. There's a composer, and a newlywed couple. But one night, Jeff hears a scream, and then some suspicious behavior from a neighbor across the courtyard named Thorwald (Raymond Burr). Jeff begins to suspect that Thorwald has killed his wife.
  As a parallel storyline, Jeff is in a relationship with a glamorous model Lisa (the ravishing Grace Kelly). Despite the fact that Lisa seems to be the dream girl, the relationship is not particularly happy. Jeff is mean to Lisa: he tells her to "shut up" and mocks her high-class upbringing. He won't commit to her either.
  Hitchcock was often accused of misogyny, but this movie refutes that to a degree. Ultimately, it's Lisa who's smarter, braver, and a better sleuth than Jeff. Grace Kelly is a huge part of this movie's success: she looks like the perfectly coiffed blond ice queen, but underneath the glamour lurks a vivacious, fun-loving, sassy girl. At one point, Lisa has to enter Thorwald's apartment. It's a terribly tense moment, but Grace Kelly also makes it funny, in a twisted sort of way. James Stewart still has the folksy drawl, but Hitchcock twists his wholesome image a bit. Jeff isn't a very nice guy -- he's mean to Lisa, and snotty about his profession. The mini-storylines about Miss Torso, Miss Lonelyheart, the Newlyweds, and the Composer are all handled with grace and humor. Of course this being a Hitchcock film there's a tense climax, but the movie is also enormously fun. As Thorwald's behavior becomes stranger and stranger, we realize that we, along with Jeff and Lisa, are becoming amateur sleuths. It's tense and scary, but also fun and exciting.
  Tense and scary, but also fun and exciting. That's the perfect description of Rear Window.
  
  
• One of Hitchcocks' Best
  By A23YOBHAYP92ZQ on 2007-01-12
  I recently saw Rear Window on cable, unfortunately I only saw the first half hour. So I decided to buy it because I HAD to see how this movie unfolded, and I'm glad I did. Only Hitchcock can pull off a mystery like this and I couldn't imagine anyone else but Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly in the roles of the two main characters. It's unfortunate that Grace left acting to become royalty in Monaco because the world missed out on a great actress. Long story short....don't miss out on this film because it's truly a classic.
  
  
• Hichcock's Greatest Suspense!
  By A13KPPJHXVKTDL on 2000-10-24
  While many say Hitch's greatest films are Psycho, Vertigo, & North by Northwest I have to say that 'Rear Window' is more suspenseful than all of his works. Grace Kelly, is of course beautiful & perfect in every way, while James Stewart pulls off his best role ever as a wheelchair bound photographer. But the real star of the show was Thelma Ritter as Stella, the insurance company nurse.

  The movie takes place the whole time in the two bedroom appartment of L.B. Jeffries, a wheelchair bound photographer, who broke his leg in a auto accident. Jeff (Stewart) is so bored he takes to rear window watching & sees the salesman (Raymond Burr)go out three time on a rainy night carrying a suitcase. The next morning the salesman's wife dissapears, which arouse questions in the mind of Jeff. With his policeman friend, Doyle saying everything that happened has a reasonable explination, Jeff, along with his girlfriend Lisa (Kelly), & nurse Stella (Ritter) decide to solve the case by themselves.

  The film was considered to provocative by critics, but at the same time they praised Hitch for his classic masterpiece
  
  

• Checking Out a Murder with Hitchcock
  By A35J4XGRWXVZ00 on 2001-04-19
  A daredevil confined to a wheelchair is the concept of Alfred Hitchcock's comedy-mystery "Rear Window", a man of action so bored with his confinement that he begins spying on the neighbors he can see across his Greenwich Village courtyard: the frustrated composer,the "interpretative dancer", the newlyweds, the desperately lonely spinster ... and the bickering couple. The wife suddenly disappears. Has she been murdered? L.B. Jeffries thinks so, and he convinces his fiancée Lisa (Grace Kelly) and the insurance company nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) who visits him every day. (Jeffries, a professional photographer, has been temporarily disabled in an accident.) This set-up is perfect for Hitchcock, who loved tense situations in close quarters ("Life Boat", "Rope"), and who was in top form when he directed this masterpiece of entertainment in 1954. (There was a made-for-TV remake a few years back; according to... reviewers, it's pretty awful.) James Stewart was one of Hollywood's most popular personalities, but he was often mis-cast. He was pushing fifty when he played the 25-year old Lindbergh in"The Spirit of St Louis". Similarly, in "Rear Window" he's too mature for the lead. The part just weeps for William Holden. Stewart even takes his shirt off in a couple of scenes, revealing a pale, thin physique. The idea that Grace Kelly would travel all the way down from the East Sixties to Greenwich Village to spend the evening with him is a little ... well,unbelievable. Miss Kelly is almost as seductive here as she was in her next Hitchcock "To Catch a Thief".The Master was obviously infatuated -- but, then, who wasn't? She also had a droll sense of humor: the way she pronounces "weird" is priceless. Thelma Ritter and Wendell Corey give witty support. Raymond Burr, just a couple of years away from playing the most famous of fictional lawyers, is quite creepy as the killer Thorwald. The sound track is a mixed marvel of car traffic, distant voices, and snatches of music; it sounds great with stereophonic ear phones. About the only real complaint in John Michael Hayes' screenplay that the pragmatic might bring up: Doesn't Jeffries ever LOCK his door?
  
  
• A race of Peeping Toms
  By AEM0D3OFOR9RQ on 2001-10-01
  Mounting suspense, witty dialogue, great performances and so much to watch. Four reasons to see this movie immediately. If it's your first time watching Hitchcock, this might be a good place to start. The story centers around photographer L.B. Jefferies (played by Jimmy Steweart), who is confined to his apartment because of his broken leg. He is visited regularly by his nurse Stella (played by Thelma Ritter) and his socialite girlfriend Lisa (played by the luminous Grace Kelly). As for that, he really has nothing more to pass the time with. So he begins to spy on his neighbors. From this, several miny story-lines enfold but the most interesting by far is that of a man who appears to have murdered his wife. As the evidence becomes more clear, the suspense mounts and leads to a gripping conclusion that is much better than any in a modern day horror movie. A movie like 'Rear Window' is so interesting to watch because there is so much for us to watch. There's Jeff's story line, the possibility of a murder and all of the other things going on around him that gives the viewer something interesting and new. In a way, 'Rear Window' is like an homage to movies themselves. What is Jefferies doing? He's a voyeur. What are we when we watch movies? Getting the idea? Maybe that's what makes this movie so interesting to watch. As Stella quoted, we've become a race of peeping toms. So watch 'Rear Window', you won't regret it.
  
  
• "Turn Out The Light ... He's Seen Us!"
  By A1FDW1SPYKB354 on 2004-05-18
  Show of hands please --- Who here loves anything with Jimmy Stewart in it? How about the lovely Grace Kelly?
  
  Results --- [Entire world placing hands skyward.] :)
  
  Well that's not surprising. Put Jimmy and Grace together (in an Alfred Hitchcock flick no less!), and you can't help but to have a classic piece of motion picture entertainment.
  
  One of the all-time great suspense films, "Rear Window" (1954) places us (the viewer) squarely in the shoes of L.B. Jefferies (Stewart), as he peers out his "rear window" at his courtyard neighbors. (BTW -- My spelling of "Jefferies" in this review IS correct. I've noticed "Jefferies" almost always being misspelled "Jeffries" (lacking an "E"). The spelling of Jeff's last name can easily be verified at the beginning of the movie, when the camera pans across his leg cast, revealing the words: "Here lie the broken bones of L.B. Jefferies". I assume that the filmmakers didn't deliberately have Jeff's last name misspelled on the plaster cast. Of course, I suppose that's always *possible*; but I fail to see a reason WHY they'd do it.) :-)
  
  Hitchcock lets the plot of the movie unfold in sections, building the suspense and drama with his usual superb efficiency and skill. But "Rear Window", when you stop and think about it for a minute, doesn't really follow the same "format" as many (or most) other Hitchcock pictures -- in that we (the audience) are just as much in the dark about this possible "murder" across the courtyard as L.B. Jefferies is. In many of the director's films, "Hitch" lets his viewing audience know, right up front, that there's a "bomb under the table" (to use Hitchcock's own example from his interviews). But in "Window", Mr. H. doesn't give us much up front, and lets us discover things as they happen, right along with Jefferies.
  
  There is one particular part of this movie that has always left me scratching my head, wondering why nothing was done about it during the course of the film. .... Near the beginning of the picture, just after Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly) leaves Jeff's apartment, Mr. Jefferies hears a woman scream and hears glass breaking right after the scream. Now -- my question is: WHY didn't Jeff tell his detective friend (Thomas J. Doyle) about having heard this "scream and breaking glass" when he called Doyle into the "case" a short time later? Such evidence would surely have gone a long way toward convincing Jeff's skeptical pal that something HAD indeed occurred across the yard. But this "scream" is never once mentioned in the movie.
  
  But, even with this little "hole" in the plot (IMO), "Rear Window" remains near the top of my list of "Best Hitchcock Films". Everything about it is impressive --- The small courtyard (which was actually custom-built right on the movie-studio's soundstage!); the kooky neighbors; the tension-filled storyline; Hitchcock's cameo in the "songwriter's" apartment; the radio playing in the background; the "street sounds"; "Miss Torso"; Jimmy Stewart's performance; Thelma Ritter as the sassy nurse; Grace Kelly for just being there; the mysterious trips with the suitcase; etc., etc.
  
  This DVD comes under Universal's "Collector's Edition" label, and is packed with many first-rate extra features. Let's probe these, shall we? ..........
  
  >> "Rear Window Ethics" is a 55-minute original documentary detailing the making of this Hitchcock classic and the restoration process undertaken to bring the film back to visual perfection for this first-ever DVD release. Very good documentary.
  
  >> There is also a second featurette about the film, entitled "Screenwriter John Michael Hayes On Rear Window". This bonus lasts 13:10.
  
  >> Photo Gallery. -- This gallery of production photos and advertising materials runs all by itself on its own timed track. Music from the film plays as you watch the images go by. The gallery CAN be paused for longer looks at each image. Running time (without pausing) is 3:07.
  
  >> Original Theatrical Trailer.
  
  >> Re-release Trailers for 5 different Hitchcock films. -- Narrated by James Stewart. Length: 6:15.
  
  >> Text features with "Production Notes" and some biography pieces on the Cast & Crew.
  
  Another small "mini-bonus" I kind of like is a video montage of Hitchcock movie clips when "Play" is selected from the Main Menu. This, however, can easily be bypassed quickly with an additional remote key stroke.
  
  Video and Audio Specifications:
  
  This color film is presented in an Anamorphic Widescreen format, and looks mighty fine thanks to the restoration efforts. The image is as clear and clean as we've ever seen it. The 2-channel Mono Dolby Digital soundtrack serves the material on screen adequately.
  
  Ratio Talk .... The packaging says this DVD's Widescreen aspect ratio is 1.66:1. But, due to the inherent nature of the "anamorphic" transfer process (i.e.: the requirement of placing all anamorphically-enhanced DVD material inside a 16x9-shaped [1.78:1] area of the screen), the ratio of this movie (1.66:1) will be displayed on your TV in a somewhat wider-looking ratio (closer to the more commonly-utilized ratio for movies of 1.85:1).*
  
  * = That is, if your TV is a "standard" set, with a 4x3-shaped screen, that also has the ability to perform the "Anamorphic Squeeze" function. But, if you watch this DVD on a "Widescreen 16x9" set, then the image should fill the entire screen (except for small "pillarboxed" bars on the left and right sides of the screen). But on some 16x9 TVs, these "side bars" aren't visible due to the "overscan".
  
  In any event, the anamorphic image on this disc looks quite good, no matter how it's ultimately formatted onto your screen.
  
  Also -- If you have a "standard" (4x3) TV with the "16x9 Anamorphic Squeeze" or "Compression" feature, and you decide you want to watch the film in its true ratio of 1.66:1, you can always turn off the "compression" feature on your TV and switch your DVD Player's settings to "4x3 Letterbox" mode. This combination of settings will allow the 1.66:1 aspect ratio to take shape on your TV screen (albeit with slightly less image clarity due to the "Anamorphic" feature being turned off).
  
  A four-page booklet is included inside this DVD package, with a chapter listing on the back, plus some Production Notes and reproductions of five "Rear Window" lobby cards/posters.
  
  Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" has stood the test of time for many decades, and will no doubt stand erect for many more to come. If you like this movie, there's no better way to re-visit it than by indulging in this picture-perfect "Collector's Edition" DVD.
  
  
• A Great Film
  By ABX7SEE84DMLU on 2005-06-13
  Given that Hitchcock's greatest strength lies in broad visual imagery, why would a film confined almost entirely to a little apartment and its courtyard be one of his all-time best?
  
  This is proof that the sheer size of a subject does not dictate the effectiveness of the image itself. This movie is sort of like macrophotography. Its enlargement of small spaces make us look deeper.
  
  Many have cited the film's ethical challenge, and I couldn't top that. But what we learned about human nature 50 years ago holds up to be just as true today: Ms. Diamond tells us that more people ought to go outside their own windows and look back in. In our celebrity- and gossip-obsessed time, it's more true than ever before. So, take the Hitchcock challenge: look deeply into your own windows, and figure out if you like what you see...
  
  
• Necessity is the Mother of Invention
  By AR2T3NOGFNIUH on 2006-05-13
  For a director who once described his actors as cattle and who said the best way to direct them is to treat them as cattle (he said this as a joke by way); Alfred Hitchcock sure got the best out of his actors.
  
  Mr. Hitchcock never really got the credit he deserved for most of his acting performances in his films: especially with his work with leading and supporting female actresses. Part of the reasoning may be due to the fact that he did work with the best talent in Hollywood. But look at his past films and you will see characters that come alive, heartfelt, and feel lived in. There's extreme depth, realism, and complexity to most of his movie characters.
  
  In his 1954 classic, Rear Window, Hitchcock gets career performances from Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. Both actors carry this film to heights that would not have occurred with lesser talent. The gold nugget is that Stewart and Kelly both do something that is extremely difficult for an actor/actress to achieve on screen.
  
  They don't act, they re-act.
  
  It's very difficult for an actor/actress to achieve this effect for a sustained period of time. There's always that motor or inner instinct telling the actor that they have to do something, say something, or show the motivation of the character. It basically takes trust. Trust in the story and directing.
  
  I see a lot of this reactionary acting in Asian cinema. In particular Japanese films. The effect is still the same, but in Asian cinema we get the reactionary shots via conversation(more so than American cinema). For example, when we see a shot of the person listening and not the character talking it creates a very compelling shot. A surprise element comes into play.
  
  In Rear Window the effect is different as we see Kelly and Stewart reacting to off screen stimuli. By using subtle gestures and reactions we get inside the heads of the two characters. We feel thier confusion, anxiety, and bewilderment. The subtlety of the acting is so precise in its realism that the audience feels that they are a 3rd person voyeur. It's this talent that the actors bring to the table and the set up of the story that makes this film work.
  
  Mr. Hitchcock was the inventor of the POV shot as we know of it today and here he creates breathtaking POV shots, wonderful pacing, and unique camera angles to create "pure cinema", but believe me it's the strong acting and compelling story that makes this film an endearing classic.
  
  
• It doesn't get any better than this!
  By A28XVFW1TZJ2K on 2007-01-11
  Alfred Hitchcock is "the master", & Rear Window a shining jewel in the crown of his career! Jiimy Stewart & Grace Kelly are perfect pairing. He's your every guy, she's the very defination of class & style. Thelma Ritter rounds out the outstanding trio of "peeping toms", with Raymond "Perry Mason" "Ironside" Burr like you've never seen him in the courtroom. When watching Rear Window you're there, looking out the window with them. Involving, suspensful, and also insightflul in the way we learn, along with the characters, lessons from looking in the private windows of others. Well-written, great set, and oh those gorgeous outfits Grace Kelly wears! No movie collection is complete with out Hitchcock, and no Hitchcock collection is complete with Rear Window. Recommend DVD Widescreen Collector's Edition from Universal.
  
  
• Fun and Entertaining Except For the DVD!
  By A2C7BOQVFH1HLE on 2008-05-08
  This movie is a great one to encapsulate what makes Hitchcock films great. His brand of storytelling is unique and for me very enjoyable. He always shows us the story from the subjective viewpoint of the actor and in this case, Jimmy Stewart, as the temporarily invalid photographer who out of boredom decides to take an interest in his neighbour's activities. In effect, he is watching many television screens aka windows outside his apartment that happen to be screening real-life soap operas.
  
  I disagree that what he does amounts to voyeurism because he doesn't really watch continuously just to get gratuitous pleasure out of it but he really appears to be concerned about his neighbour's well-being. He tries to prevent the lonely one from committing suicide in addition to the main part of the story about his concern for the invalid woman who was killed by her husband. I thought the beautiful irony was that while everyone was critical of Stewart's character spying or peeping at his neighbours and yet his concern for them and his willingness to even put his life on the line to help them contrasts with that of the other neighbours who just didn't give a damn and who are supposed to be doing the right thing. The scene with the dead dog perfectly illustrates this as at one apartment, the party simply resumes as if nothing happened after the distraught owner's emotional outburst. I just loved the dramatic irony of how Stewart's character was really the good neighbour despite his peeping while the others were really bad neighbours minding their own business just like in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
  
  The screenplay was very well written and the witty and comical dialogue especially between Stewart's character and the masseuse was very amusing indeed. The acting wasn't brilliant but was good enough and I enjoyed the theme about the differences between man and woman and how their motivations are driven by different things and yet both are really trying to arrive at the same thing: happiness in a life together. The final scene with Grace Kelly and the magazine was especially telling and amusing for me.
  
  The special features are quite good and I especially like the documentary "Rear Window Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic." The only problem is with the dvd which sound quality wise isn't great and the picture quality despite being restored is quite poor with many imperfections on too many frames. This suggests to me that the original master must be very poorly preserved if this is the best that they could do. Here's hoping that with the advent of Blu-ray they will take the opportunity to have another try at improving both the picture and sound quality. For the latter a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround restored sound option would be much appreciated.
  
  Not one of Hitchcock's absolute best but still a very good film; recommended but you may want to wait for a better restored version to be made available and to give this dvd version a miss.
  
  
• REAR WINDOW being restored
  By A2M8AY9VXUU4AV on 1999-07-24
  The reason "REAR WINDOW" isn't available on video/DVD/laser is because it is being restored by the team who restored "My Fair Lady," "Lawrence of Arabia," and others. The new print should out either in the Fall of 1999 or early 2000. Therefore, MCA probably doesn't want to repress the old version but no doubt will do the restored one.
  
  
• The Perfect movie by the Perfect director!
  By on 1999-08-11
  This is a great film and this is the only Hitchcock film that I don't have. I have at least 40 Hitchcock films and this is the only one! PLEASE release it!
  
  
• Voyeurism Revisited
  By AQT98WKAOD1RA on 2001-01-15
  Splendid, Engrossing, and a Hell of a ride, are three terms that could describe Alfred Hitchcock's one of if not his best film out of his 54 masterpieces. James Stewart (L.B. Jeffries) is the voyeur, a photograher in a wheelchair after an on the job mishap. He spys out of the rear window of his small two bedroom apartment through a pair of binoculars. After many sleepless nights and help from his model girlfriend (Grace Kelly) he begins to suspect that a neighbor may have murdered his invalid wife. Throughout the film, his binoculars and close up camera lens act as the audiences' eyes, letting us be the voyeur too. Only Hitch could seamlessly weave romance, tongue and cheek comedy (courtesy of Jeff's insurance company nurse, Stella), suspense, and a crime drama together to make a wonderful film about one of the most common of human acts-spying. Classic Hitchcock camera work, edge of your seat suspense, and a particularly creepy scene involving Raymond Burr (the suspected neighbor) looking directly into the cmaera, catching us, the audience in the act of spying are all apparent in the AMAZING Hitchcock classic, Rear Window.
  
  
• Angy Reviewer Needs a Slap in the Face
  By on 2003-01-29
  Hey, Angry Reviewer, do you know why Halle Berry isn't in the film? Because it was made in the 1940s. And do you even know what overrated means? Of course not! So shut your face and learn how to give a good review because Halle Berry won't be in every film.
  
  
• Grace and Jimmy
  By A1G5Q9HBN0EGDV on 2005-04-10
  This terrific thriller from Alfred Hitchcock about our fear of intimacy and tendency toward voyeurism starring Jimmy Stewart and the lovely Grace Kelly is one of his most entertaining films. There are no crop dusters or other devices to provide the tension this time and it works in the film's favor. Rear Window is a more character driven film and the suspense builds slowly to a fever pitch, a bonafide grab the edge of your seat nail biter. Hitchcock understood that most people are more comfortable looking at the lives of others from a distance and explores this area of our personalities in a very enjoyable fashion.
  
  Jeff (Jimmy Stewart) is a professional photographer laid up in a cast due to an accident while on assignment and Grace Kelly is his doting girlfriend. We should all be so lucky. But Jeff is feeling claustrophobic, not only about his situation but about his relationship with Lisa (Kelly), whose patience and elegant charm as she tends to his needs and waits for him to ask her to marry him are put to the test. The no nonsense practicality of his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) makes for great entertainment as Jeff is bored and begins watching his neighbors across the courtyard through the lens of his camera.
  
  Jeff becomes involved in their lives like he is watching a daily soap opera, much to the disapproval of Lisa. He takes to heart their loneliness and finds pleasure in their finer moments. But something darker begins to take shape when Jeff begins to piece together what he has seen in one apartment and fears he may be spying on a killer. Both Lisa and his cop pal Lt. Doyle (Wendell Corey) think someone is letting their imagination run wild, at least in the beginning.
  
  His own disbelief and Lisa's early scorn turns into an obsession that becomes evermore dangerous for all of them as Lisa begins to believe him and becomes his legs. But the man who may have murdered his wife may believe Jeff has seen too much, putting all their lives in danger. Hitchcock uses his own lens to show the voyeuristic climate Jeff has become comfortable with dangerously changing to a one on one confrontation.
  
  This is wonderful entertainment. It moves deftly from a light and breezy beginning to a more concerned tone, graduating to heart pounding suspense. This is a teriffic and enjoyable film and one of Hitchcock's best. Raymond Burr as the possible murderer creates terror just by his glance across the courtyard at the spying Stewart. Kelly and Ritter give this film its footing, making the events completely believable.
  
  But it is Jimmy Stewart who hits this one out of the park to dead center. He gives one of his finest performances, conveying the irritation of being in a cast and the emotional helplessness when he may not be able to escape the consequences of his own voyeurism because of it. You'll watch this one many times over. A great film to pop in the vcr late on a rainy night. Don't miss it.
  
  
• Actually, a 25 star film!
  By A3BLK88R8PV1SE on 2005-04-20
  This is a wonderful film, brilliantly cast, top to bottom! It works so marvelously well, in so many ways!
  
  First, it conveys SUMMER! The heat is palpable.
  
  It is a beautiful portrayal of a functional neighborhood. The courtyard of Jimmy Stewart's building circumscribes the lives of its inhabitants, as Stewart's own apartment circumscribes his own life.
  
  Ths film is tense and suspenseful. The plot is easy going until---wham!!!---there you are in incredibly tight suspense.
  
  The film is serious, and it is comic! May we particularly commend Raymond Burr (a BADDDD villain), Thelma Ritter (the quintessential comic housekeeper), Gracy Kelly (the stylish, hot, but human heroine), and Jimmy Stewart (easy going, but persistent).
  
  This is absolutely Hitchcock at his very best! Get it now!!!
  
  

• Vertigo (Universal Legacy Series)
• North By Northwest
• To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
• Dial M for Murder
• The Birds (Collector's Edition)