Rear Window (1954)
Hitchcock gives audiences a glimpse of what visual storytelling is capable of.
Presentation:
Alfred Hitchcock utilizes a novel premise that creates the foundation for future voyeuristic films like Disturbia. There is true magic in the simplicity of the cinematography for this plot of a man witnessing a crime through the window. The story was meant to be presented through the use of zoom lenses emulating the curious peeking through binoculars. A film like this could never go out of style because itโs one of the earliest films to truly implement visual storytelling in an age of dialogue motivated cinematography. Captivatingly presented.
Conclusion:
This is one of Hitchcockโs most important films, which I think doesnโt get enough credit. People will cite Vertigo as his masterpiece, which Iโm not emphatically against, but this film has so much influence and you can see its DNA in future thrillers. Itโs impossible not to like this film if you enjoy cinema as itโs a visual narrative in its purest form. Us watching someone else watching is so meta especially for 1954. Itโs why we love cinema, we enjoy watching people and this film unknowingly captures the essence of human curiosity of motion pictures. Even if you dislike the dialogue of older films, itโs the story that will keep you hooked. This will never be old fashioned.
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An entertaining detective film noir mystery even by modern standards.