Friday, October 29, 2010

Classic Movie of the Week: Rear Window (1954)


It’s Halloween this week. And Halloween is amazing, so I thought I’d pick an amazing horror-suspense film for this week. I was originally going to choose Night of the Living Dead and then I watched it… It was not a bad film, but I have to admit that I was pretty bored for a good portion of it (except for the ending, which is terrifying and awesome and definitely worth watching the entire movie for). Maybe it’s better on the big screen?

In any case, I decided that I should go with a different film, one that I can easily recommend to everyone. And that film is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Not only is this film one of Hitchcock’s many masterpieces, but it also stars James Stewart, who, as I might have mentioned, is my future husband. And it involves a possible murder. And creeper-ing (but in a good way?)…


L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries (James Stewart) is a professional photographer and he just broke his legs taking an action shot at an auto race. Now he is stuck in his New York apartment until his legs heal. Out of boredom, he begins to watch his neighbors through his rear window and over time becomes very involved in watching their personal lives. One day, he sees something particularly suspicious and begins to believe that one of his neighbors has murdered his wife. However, no one will believe him until he proves it…


One of my favorite aspects of this film is the relationship between Jeff and his girlfriend Lisa Carol Freemont (Grace Kelly). Grace Kelly is Grace Kelly; she is the gorgeous future Princess of Monaco. And at this point in his career, James Stewart is definitely getting on in years. Yet, throughout the entire film Jeff is constantly trying to avoid Lisa’s attentions. She says something sweet to Jeff; he deflects with sarcasm. She gets the chef of a fancy restaurant to come over and make Jeff dinner; he ruins the evening by trying to convince her that she won’t fit into his life. She decides to spend the night at his place in a sexy nightgown; he is more interested in what his neighbors are up to… I truly hope that this is not what all committed relationships are like. Especially those involving James Stewart…


You can watch the trailer here.


Side Note: Happy Halloween!!!!


Rear Window can be obtained through the Humanities Resource Center and Netflix. It may also be on YouTube. In English…

--Lolita De Palma '14

No comments: