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Rear Window
Studio executives summary / pitch
A week in the life of everyone's favorite peeping James.
Short plot summary

A man, with a broken leg in plaster, watches a murder unfolding in an apartment over the courtyard.

What our panel of critics thought

"Thank goodness the script for this movie is half decent or it would be absolute shite."

"Grace Kelly is perfect, although why did they blur her close ups so?"

"All that tension and then the dog gets killed just after they close the drapes for the one and only time in the whole movie. Bad luck guys."

"Rarely has a small yappy type dog been murdered so violently in a Hollywood movie."

"If you look closely, the dead dog is actually a small piece of carpet cut out in the shape of a small yappy type dog with a cherry for its nose, otherwise the movie was sensational."

"I knew he dunit all along."

"Not a whodunnit, but rather a howdedoit? or perhaps a willhegedawaywidit? Brilliant!"

"A movie you could watch with your grandmother."

Please tell me the ending or plot details if necessary
James Stewart's character cannot run when the murderer realizes what he, and his friends, are up to and beats him up, breaking his other leg in the process.
Quotable quotes

About love: When two people meet it's like wham, two taxi's hitting.

Girlfriend to Stewart's character: "Start from the beginning: Tell me what you saw and tell me exactly what it means."

Justify this movie's existence in the classic strand. From theVoiceof Reason.com's Veritable Cornucopia

Oh, Hitchcock, you master of doing it your way. We all heartily take the piss out of you for doing it like that now, but in your time you were unique.

This is one of your better movies, and what a triumph. Hardly any action, dealing with a disabled man in a wheel chair... It has all of the ingredients of the most boring movie in history. However, it is one of the best, thanks to a witty script and a pacing so rarely bettered.

Don't miss this movie if you have lived to date without seeing it, but do not watch it too many times.

What snack should I eat while watching this movie?

Any fish paste sandwich on white bread.

If I were to watch this at home how best should I sit?

Ensure all the doors are unlocked in your house, so that anyone can come in at any time to startle the living crap out of you.

What should I wear while watching this movie at home?

Late 1930's gentlemen's light suit and hat.

Could this be made into a children's cartoon show?

No, there is not enough violence. Children will be bored.

Could this movie be improved with more singing/dancing?

Yes. A nice duet would relieve the dark, frosty, non-sexiness of the withheld passion.

Incidentally: A dance could have broken many taboos of its time, dealing with disabled leading men in wheelchairs. Unfortunately, this opportunity was missed, setting back dancing disabled leading men in wheelchairs for decades to come.

Is there enough licky love in this film?

No. A few moments of lips togetherness and blurry shots but nothing much.

How funny is this film?

A nicely scripted effort with superb tension towards the end. The banter between Stewart's character and the nurse is pleasing in a low purring kind of way.

Does this film stand up to rigorous reality testing?

Seems reasonable.

Could you make out while watching this movie?

Yes. The movie has a delicious 1950's lustiness which can be enjoyed from many positions.

What can I take from this movie to make me a better person?

Always interfere when something seems strange. Never care about being annoying to others.

Estimate number of deaths in this movie.

1 D-list female actor, one very small yappy type dog.

Would your cat enjoy this movie? Would your dog like it? Other pets?

It is said that dogs make pilgrimages to James Stewart's grave every night. He is one of the most dog-like humans to ever have made it to the big screen. (Loyal, honest, stupid, eats straight from the bowl etc)

Cats love Grace Kelly who they will attempt to worship on tall cushions; ensure anything breakable is stored elsewhere when they do this.

Geese will be able to watch this movie time and time again, and still honk in terror at the end.

How much would you pay for a copy of this movie in goods?

A magnum of the finest lemonade.

Does the film attempt technobabble? If so, does this succeed?

The movie is peppered with moments of 'photographers philosophy', but no drawings are attempted.

The break-in of the murderer's apartment is delightfully off the cuff and, when it inevitably falls apart, there is no evidence to burn afterwards. Bravo!

Other comments

One of those fantastic movies to watch the first couple of times, but you might end up watching it too many times; after about the 10th time it loses something (as opposed to Blade Runner, say, or the Godfather series.)

The dialogue is sensational and, whilst there are a few trademark Hitchcock moments, generally the movie is not pretentious at all. James Stewart was an interesting choice for this role: he was always difficult to date, never more so in this movie.

Apparently the set was one of the most expensive and complicated of its time in Hollywood history.

Date of review

September 10 , 2002

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