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FILMREVIEW:REARWINDOW(1954)DIRALFREDHITCHCOCK

CAST/CREW

DirectedbyAlfredHitchcock

ProducedbyAlfredHitchcock

ScreenplaybyJohnMichaelHayes

StorybyCornellWoolrich

StarringJamesStewart,GraceKelly,WendellCorey,ThelmaRitter,Raymond

Burr

MusicbyFranzWaxman

CinematographyRobertBurks

EditingbyGeorgeTomasini

SYNOPSIS

RearWindowisa1954AmericansuspensefilmdirectedbyAlfredHitchcock,

writtenbyJohnMichaelHayesandbasedonCornellWoolrich's1942shortstory

"ItHadtoBeMurder".OriginallyreleasedbyParamountPictures,thefilmstarsJamesStewart,GraceKelly,WendellCorey,andThelmaRitter.

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Thefilmisconsideredbymanyfilmgoers,criticsandscholarstobeoneof

Hitchcock'sbest.ThefilmreceivedfourAcademyAwardnominations.[WIKIPEDIA]

Trappedindoorsbyafull-legplastercast,Jeffturnstowatchinghisneighbours

throughthewindow.Thiscommonpastimeisseenasvoyeurismbymostreviewers:CPforTimeOutsuggestswhatthisrelentlessmonomaniacwitnesses

iseveryone'sdirtylinen:suicide,brokendreams,andcheapdeath.However,criticRogerEbertdescribesthefrustration:Theheroistrappedinawheelchair,and

we'retrapped,too--trappedinsidehispointofview,insidehislackoffreedomand

hislimitedoptions.Jeffwantstobeinvolvedinsomething,and(beingbeforesoapoperas)peoplewatchinggiveshimatouchofhumancontactthatweall

crave.

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Jeffcatchesglimpsesofpeopleslives,andbuildsupasnapshotofpersonallives.

Hedoesthisinthesamewayasthemovieisfilmed,parallelingliveswithfootage.EbertsaysJeffsitsinhiswheelchair,holdingacamerawithatelephoto

lens,andlooksfirsthereandthenthere,likeamoviecamerawould.Whathesees,

wesee.Whatconclusionshedraws,wedraw--allwithoutwords,becausethe

picturesadduptoamontageofsuspicion.

ReviewingRearWindowonrelease,NewYorkTimeswriterBosleyCrowther

(1954)drewinterestingconclusions:Whatithastosayaboutpeopleandhumannatureissuperficialandglib.Butitdoesexposemanyfacetsofthelonelinessofcity

lifeandittacitlydemonstratestheimpulseofmorbidcuriosity.

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG1-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rearwindowposter.jpg[accessedon

01/03/12]

FIG2http://movieimage4.tripod.com/rearwindow/rear15.jpg[accessedon

01/03/2012]

FIG3-http://movieimage4.tripod.com/rearwindow/rear24.jpg[accessedon01/03/2012]

REFERENCES

Crowther,B(1954)RearWindowNewYorkTimesonlineathttp://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CE6DD113EE53BBC4D53DF

BE66838F649EDE[accessedon01/03/2012]

EBERT,R(2000)RearWindow

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000220/REVIEWS08/2200301/1023[accessedon01/03/2012]

Pea,C(dateunknown)RearWindow

http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/76472/rear-window.html[accessedon

01/03/2012]