There is not much to this standard picture as the film stays isolated within Jimmy Stewart's apartment as he peeps into the lives of neighbors who don't believe in using curtains.
It is certainly not bad, and I do love an atmospheric mystery, but I feel like another viewing would be dampened by the familiar plot as is the nature of mysteries.
The neighbors were interesting, but never rise above being visual delights, especially a hot blonde that dances for Stewart's pleasure, though he has his hands full with Grace Kelly, who is sensational in this picture as a socialite struggling to win Stewart's heart (and eyes).
I do like 'Rear Window', but I personally have often felt like it could have had a better ending. I think it might have been more interesting if at the end it turned out that Lars had not killed his wife (as opposed to the somewhat predictable outcome the film runs with) and all the "clues" had a perfectly mundane explanation. The other angle that I think might have been neat is if it was kept ambiguous, with some evidence pointing toward Stewart being right and others suggesting he might be paranoid and ultimately leaving it up to the viewer to determine for sure (though that might have been harder to get away with in 1950's Hollywood).
ReplyDeleteWatching the special features, I learned of the difficulties they had with shooting in the dark and whatnot, so I suppose a more elaborate plot and ending was beyond the realm of consideration. I would have liked to see those suggestions, though, making the film into a cautionary tale against spying and jumping to conclusions.
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