Week 6: A film from the 50s
Film: Rear Window (1954)
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Watched on: Netflix
I like the idea of watching a film from the 1950s, but whenever I scroll through the catalogs of streaming platforms, I generally don't gravitate towards films from the 1950s.
This is why I decided to embark on this challenge: I'm only willing to do something if it's a structured situation that tests me. I'm only 11.5% through this challenge, but I have learnt a lot about my film taste thus far. You'll have to stick around to find out what that is. Onto the film of the week!
Rear Window is one of those films that is entirely in one setting. It's filmed entirely within the main character, Jeff's, apartment, and his point of view through his window into the lives of his neighbors. brings is recovering from an injury that has left him wheelchair bound; thus, he spends the majority of his time essentially spying on his neighbors. One day, he notices something suspicious about his neighbor, whom he suspects killed his wife.
If you've watched Disturbia (2007) or The Woman in the Window (2020), you get the gist.
Like many good movies, this was an adaptation of a short story titled It Had to Be Murder by Cornell Woolrich. This is my second film by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho being the first. Although critics say that Rear Window is the greatest Hitchcock film, I thought Psycho was a lot more gripping.
Perhaps I've seen modern-day interpretations of Rear Window, which dampen the experience. I imagine that this film was groundbreaking when it was first released.
The star of the show for me was Grace Kelly, who was dressed in the most breathtaking outfits. Every piece of clothing was tailored to perfection, paired with the most exquisite accessories. From the pearl necklaces to her overnight bag, I couldn't take my eyes off every detail.
This was my first film that stars Grace Kelly, to which I say, I get the appeal and understand how she ended up becoming the Princess of Monaco.
Whenever she appears, Miss United States, sung by William Shatner in Miss Congeniality, would come to mind. "She is beauty and she is grace..."
Aside from Grace Kelly, I found the setting of 50s' New York, or more specifically, Greenwich Village, really intriguing. Seeing the layouts of the apartments, the way people moved about in their daily lives, and the quirks of his neighbors was a sight to behold. There was a couple who would sleep on their fire escape, which I'm guessing is one way of beating the heat in the summer. They also had a dog that the wife would lower down in a picnic basket to run around throughout the day.
The cast of characters brings a lot of zest to the otherwise monotonous routine of Jeff.
The male gaze is succinctly depicted through "Miss Torso", a professional ballerina who would twirl around in her apartment primarily in her undergarments. Without fail, Jeff and other male characters would leer at her, which was deeply unsettling.
Surveillance plays a central theme in this film.
In particular, it made me consider whether being in a community means being subject to surveillance. In some cases, such as this, (spoiler alert) Jeff's nosiness correctly identifies a murder of his neighbor by her husband, which brought him to justice. However, to what extent is nosiness acceptable?
There was a storyline in particular that felt heartwarming, in which one of the neighbors whom Jeff calls Miss Lonelyhearts is on the verge of ending her life. She eventually changes her mind when she hears the lovely music of a pianist playing in their compound. I like to think that art is enough to save people, but it also served as a reminder that she isn't alone, which ultimately was enough to change her mind.
As we become increasingly isolated from one another, the irony that technology was supposed to bridge the gap, this film is a reminder of the power of community and the need to look out for one another.
Rear Window has certainly piqued my interest in watching more Hitchcock films. I give it 3.5 stars.
