Based on Cornell Woolrich’s short story It Must be Murder, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 Mystery film is regarded
as one of the Director’s finest. Having broken his leg while away on an
assignment, photographer Jeff Jefferies (James Stewart) whiles away the hours
watching his neighbours from the window of his apartment. One day he wakes up
to discover that a woman across the courtyard is no longer there and her
husband is acting suspiciously. With the help of his girlfriend Lisa Freemont
(Grace Kelly), Jeff investigates his suspected murder case from the confines of
his window side wheelchair.
I’ve only seen around half a dozen of Hitchcock’s films but
I’ve found that my favourites are those which I have heard nothing about. I was
a little bit disappointed by North by Northwest but loved Rope and Shadow of a Doubt. Rear Window falls somewhere in between. I can certainly see why it
is considered so great but there are films in the Director’s extensive cannon
which are just as if not more impressive.
