Rating: 
Summary: Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart are perfect for Hitchcock!
Review: Jimmy Stewart is L.B. Jeffries, an action photographer who is laid up with his leg in a cast to his waist after getting too close to an automobile racing accident. From the rear window of his New York apartment "Jeff" can see the going's on of many of his neighbors - "Miss Lonelyhearts", a middle-aged lady who seems unlucky in love, "The Songwriter" who plunks at his studio piano trying to come up with a hit, "Miss Torso" the dancer who entertains many men in between stretching her lithe body across the courtyard from our vantage-point.Jeffries also has a girlfriend, a socialite named Lisa Fremont who is played by Grace Kelly, and the Princess never looked more beautiful or graceful than in this film. Her introduction into the movie is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful "close-up" ever done, and when she kisses Jimmy Stewart how many men have wished that it were them? OH! Did I mention there is a spine-tingling mystery story mixed in with all of the above? One of Jeffries neighbors is Lars Thorwald, played by Raymond Burr, who has an invalid wife who nags and belittles him. One day the wife is gone. Has she just gone on a visit? Or has Mr. Thorwald had enough and done her in? I won't answer that question, but I promise you'll be on the edge of your seat more than once as you find out. There is more than one scene where the suspense is almost unbearable. Thelma Ritter is in several scenes as the home-health nurse who comes to look in after the immobilized Jeffries, and she steals all of her scenes with her witty and morbid sense of curiosity. The restoration and transfer of the film to DVD looks great, and the extras are informative and probably about as much "extra material" as could be put together here 4 decades after the fact. Hitchcock made dozens of films, and many of them are considered among the very best ever made. This is one of those. Only recommended for those who really want to be entertained.
Rating:
Summary: "Turn Out The Light ... He's Seen Us!"
Review: Show of hands please --- Who here loves anything with Jimmy Stewart in it? How about the lovely Grace Kelly? Results --- ** Entire world placing hands skyward. ** :) Well that's not surprising. Put Jimmy and Grace together (in an Alfred Hitchcock flick no less!), and you can't help but to have a classic piece of motion picture entertainment. One of the all-time great suspense films, "Rear Window" (1954) places us (the viewer) squarely in the shoes of L.B. Jefferies (Stewart), as he peers out his "rear window" at his courtyard neighbors. (BTW -- My spelling of "Jefferies" in this review IS correct. I've noticed "Jefferies" almost always being misspelled "Jeffries" (lacking an "E"). The spelling of Jeff's last name can easily be verified at the beginning of the movie, when the camera pans across his leg cast, revealing the words: "Here lie the broken bones of L.B. Jefferies". I assume that the filmmakers didn't deliberately have Jeff's last name misspelled on the cast. Of course, I suppose that's always *possible*; but I fail to see a reason WHY they'd do it.) :-) Hitchcock lets the plot of the movie unfold in sections, building the suspense and drama with his usual superb efficiency and skill. But "Rear Window", when you stop and think about it for a minute, doesn't really follow the same "format" as many (or most) other Hitchcock pictures -- in that we (the audience) are just as much in the dark about this possible "murder" across the courtyard as L.B. Jefferies is. In many of the director's films, "Hitch" lets his viewing audience know, right up front, that there's a "bomb under the table" (to use Hitchcock's own example from his interviews). But in "Window", Mr. H. doesn't give us much up front, and lets us discover things as they happen, right along with Jefferies. There is one particular part of this movie that has always left me scratching my head, wondering why nothing was done about it during the course of the film. .... Near the beginning of the picture, just after Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly) leaves Jeff's apartment, Mr. Jefferies hears a woman scream and hears glass breaking right after the scream. Now -- my question is: WHY didn't Jeff tell his detective friend (Thomas J. Doyle) about having heard this "scream and breaking glass" when he called Doyle into the "case" a short time later? Such evidence would surely have gone a long way toward convincing Jeff's skeptical pal that something HAD indeed occurred across the yard. But this "scream" is never once mentioned in the movie. But, even with this little "hole" in the plot (IMO), "Rear Window" remains near the top of my list of "Best Hitchcock Films". Everything about it is impressive --- The small courtyard (which was actually custom-built right on the movie-studio's soundstage!); the kooky neighbors; the tension-filled storyline; Hitchcock's cameo in the "songwriter's" apartment; the radio playing in the background; the "street sounds"; "Miss Torso"; Jimmy Stewart's performance; Thelma Ritter as the sassy nurse; Grace Kelly for just being there; the mysterious trips with the suitcase; etc., etc. This DVD comes under Universal's "Collector's Edition" label, and is packed with many first-rate extra features. Let's probe these, shall we? .......... >> "Rear Window Ethics" is a 55-minute original documentary detailing the making of this Hitchcock classic and the restoration process undertaken to bring the film back to visual perfection for this first-ever DVD release. Very good documentary. >> There is also a second featurette about the film, entitled "Screenwriter John Michael Hayes On Rear Window". This bonus lasts 13:10. >> Photo Gallery. -- This gallery of production photos and advertising materials runs all by itself on its own timed track. Music from the film plays as you watch the images go by. The gallery CAN be paused for longer looks at each image. Running time (without pausing) is 3:07. >> Original Theatrical Trailer. >> Re-release Trailers for 5 different Hitchcock films. -- Narrated by James Stewart. Length: 6:15. >> Text features with "Production Notes" and some biography pieces on the Cast & Crew. Another small "mini-bonus" I kind of like is a video montage of Hitchcock movie clips when "Play" is selected from the Main Menu. This, however, can easily be bypassed quickly with an additional remote key stroke. Video and Audio Specifications: This color film is presented in an Anamorphic Widescreen format, and looks mighty fine thanks to the restoration efforts. The image is as clear and clean as we've ever seen it. The 2-channel Mono Dolby Digital soundtrack serves the material on screen adequately. There is some confusion as to the film's aspect ratio. The packaging shows the ratio on this DVD is supposed to be 1.66:1. And evidently it IS that ratio. But, due to something inherent to the "anamorphic" transfer process with regard to this particular ratio (1.66:1), this DVD will display the image on your TV in a wider-looking ratio (closer to 1.85:1). That is, if your TV is a "standard" set (with a 4x3 shaped screen). If you're watching this DVD on a "Widescreen 16x9" set, then the image should fill the entire screen (except for small "pillarboxed" bars on the left and right sides of the screen). But on some 16x9 TVs, these "side bars" aren't visible due to the "overscan". In any event, the anamorphic image on this disc looks quite good, no matter how it's ultimately formatted onto your screen. A four-page booklet is included inside this DVD package, with a chapter listing on the back, plus some Production Notes and reproductions of five "Rear Window" lobby cards/posters. Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" has stood the test of time for many decades, and will no doubt stand erect for many more to come. If you like this movie, there's no better way to re-visit it than by indulging in this picture-perfect "Collector's Edition" DVD.
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Summary: A Timeless Classic!!!!
Review: Rear Window is just as suspenseful today as it was when it was first released back in 1954. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly are perfect in this priceless piece of cinema. The movie is brilliantly shot with only a few sets. Most of the movie takes place in the point of view of Jimmy Stewart's apartment. One would think that a movie with no change in the scenery would be boring, but it's not. This movie incredibly keeps your attention throughout the whole story. The suspense!!! This movie has some great suspense scenes in it that keep you on the edge of your seat (even if you've seen it a hundred times) Some great performances, wonderful writing, and of course, Hitchcock's direction make this a masterpiece that will be cherished always (at least by me). The DVD is great. It's great to watch the movie with crystal clear clarity and in widescreen. Special features are always nice features too, but this DVD would be a deal even without any special features.
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Summary: The power of images
Review: This extremely dense and subtle film is assuredly one of Hitchcock's greatest achievements. Too intrepid for his own good, Jefferies pays dearly for his mistake: confined to a wheelchair in a small apartment, he becomes a prisoner and takes pleasure in the multiple visions that unfold in front of him. He soon lives only through these images, a slave of adventures he wants to understand even as they elude his grasp; he periodically contemplates another kind of spectacle, that of Lisa courting him with the same energy he himself manifests as an amateur detective. He gradually identifies with his neighbours, and Hitchcock frequently equals his viewers with Jefferies, letting us see exactly what he sees. The film has a lot to say on the interpretative reading of works of art, as Jefferies tends to accept events only so far as they confirm his own hypotheses. It is when he seemingly elucidates the Thorwald mystery that he goes too far and commits his hubristic mistake for a second time; the film thus ends as it started, with Jefferies stuck in his wheelchair and Lisa reading a fashion magazine. Both goth too involved in the images...
Rating:
Summary: A Defining Hitchcock Masterpiece
Review: Undoubtedly one of the greatest movies he ever made, Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 masterwork "Rear Window" has certainly stood the test of times, and with good reason. Every little second of the film is to die for, from the opening credits to the long and breathtaking closeup of Grace Kelly to its breakneck conclusion, it's hard not to love it. When photographer J.B. "Jeff" Jeffries, played by Jimmy Stewart in one of his finest roles ever, breaks his leg, he is confined to his Greenwich Village apartment room and becomes fixated with the lives of his neighbors across the way from him. He soon expects that a mysterious salesman (played vigorously by Raymond Burr) may have murdered his annoying wife, he decides to do a little investigating - with the help of his gorgeous girlfriend Lisa Freemont (played by Grace Kelly in her finest role ever). It all leads up to a shocking conclusion that will linger in yout mind long after the end credits. If you're a Hitchcok fan or just love movies, "Rear Window" will surely satisfy. I promise.
Rating: 
Summary: so so
Review: [WARNING: movies spoilers ahead] Recently I watched Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, and The Birds. Out of these four, I only liked Vertigo... the other was not much of anything new, probably due to so many other movies imitating it... but god... even if none did that, can Read WIndow be so highly acclaimed as it is? It feels only like a low budget Hong Kong black and white movie made in two weeks. The plot sucked. Even some re-run of Hitchcock on the TV that is 30 minutes long have more twist and surprise and ending better than The Birds, Psycho, and Rear Window.
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Summary: Full Frontal View From The Rear
Review: This is one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films; one that is confined to only one set (much like his "Lifeboat"). This is a tale about a professional photographer, LB "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart), who is confined to a wheelchair in his two-roomed flat. He passes time by looking out of his window into the courtyard that backs several small apartment buildings. Jeff even give nicknames to some of the neighbours he watches, mostly to keep absolute bordem at bay. But things aren't quite so bad; he has a nurse who comes in daily to take care of him. Her name is Stella (Thelma Ritter). She makes a casual reference to his being a peeping-tom could get him into trouble for seeing things that he shouldn't see. And, even better, Jeff has a lovely girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly), who is a number of years his junior. High-class and beautiful; Lisa doesn't care that Jeff is living from paycheque-to-paycheque. Eventually, Stella's warning comes true. Jeff discovers that a salesman (Lars Thorwald played by Raymond Burr), could very well be a murderer. He calls his friend, who is a policeman, to check out the situation. His friend can't; not without sufficient probable-cause. Many rather nasty things occur that Jeff sees but can't explain. He enlists the help of both Lisa and Stella.
I find that this film is very captivating and quite fast-paced. The ending is nail-biting. A must-see classic!
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Summary: One of Hitchcock's Very Best & Family Friendly
Review: I cannot get enough of this DVD. When I read the storyline of "Rear Window", I thought it would be boring. The main guy never leaves this one room of his house. However, it is pleaseantly surprising. The other residents of the complex made me laugh, cry, hate them, love them, all emotions at once. the plot starts slowly and escalates to a very suspenseful climax and ends with a happily ever after type thing. My eight year old daughter and I rented this. Now, we own it and watch it over and over again. This is a must own DVD.
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Summary: the eye of the beholder
Review: rear window is hitchcock's vouryism film (unless you dont remember in psycho with norman bate's peep hole in cabin 1.)where everyone is shown. the people might not know this but over all we can sense that they are being watched. James Stewart over time has made me love his acting (from vertigo, rope, and other films) where he wants to explore more but is trapped by the accident which lays him in the cast. the movie is not all a myserty in the "murder" but the mystery in james stewarts life (with his job and his dating situation with grace kelly). but this is over commmed by suspicon which creates this film. hitchcock wants us to see only what james stewart sees which causes the audience not to be all knowning but curious at the characters and situtations. We tremble as we see james stewart sitting in the dark in his wheelchair looking out the window trying to direct grace kelly out of the "murders" apartment as he re entered since she was snooping. elements like that are everlasting to films and the audience. hitchcocks film rear window is a tribute to the inner selves on how they wanna know everything and will be willing to reach it by anymeans necessary. one of the top 100 films for your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Alfred Hitchcock at his best!
Review: To my favorite movie of all time! This is a classic. Alfred Hitchcock delivers his best directing in 'Rear Window'.
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