Rear Window (1954) - "What's a logical explanation for a woman taking a trip with no luggage?"

dedicatedguy (74)in #movies • 5 years ago

I was lucky to catch this movie on TV last night before it started. I recently discovered this classic and was planning to watch it one of these days. I believe this is the original movie where the plot revolves around a person spying on the neighbors through the window and discovering what he believes is a crime.

This idea has been reproduced a number of times, and I think there is even a more recent version of this plot where the "spy" is a kid. The idea is so popular that even this year there is a major movie being released called The Woman in the Window with Amy Adams as the main character. I read its premise and it is very similar to the one in Rear Window.

In Rear Window we have a photographer with a broken leg, he cannot leave his house due to the injury so he spends his time watching his neighbors through his window. One day, the sick wife of the man who leaves in front of him is no longer in the apartment. The night before, he heard a scream, and soon after he saw the man leaving his house multiple times with a briefcase even though there were heavy rain and a thunderstorm. Finally, the next day he saw the man cleaning a big knife. From that moment he is sure this man murdered his wife.

The movie was slower than what I was expecting. It wasn't suspenseful but this must be because I am used to more modern versions of the genre that leverage proper sounds and better camera angles to induce suspense. I noticed how this movie didn't have a proper soundtrack and at times it felt weird. I am looking forward to the " The Woman in the Window" movie and see how it compares to this one.

What I did expect was a different type of acting something a bit more theatrical, and this was indeed the case. It didn't help when it comes to immersing oneself in the movie but this is understandable thanks to the film's era.

This a certainly a classic, however, there are a few things that reduced my enjoyment of the film. If you are interested in seeing one of the best thriller/mystery classic movies make sure to check this one. Have in mind it will probably not intrigue you very much and its pace was also very slow compared to modern standards. For a more twisted and modern version of the same premise, here is the trailer for The Woman in the Window.