tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post8279164477432096..comments2024-03-16T05:27:55.183-04:00Comments on Java's Journey: CMBA Hitchcock Blogathon: Thoughts on Rear Window (1954)JavaBeanRushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-49979561830356485212011-01-19T11:11:18.719-05:002011-01-19T11:11:18.719-05:00R.D.Finch,
You're right - Rear WIndow is inde...R.D.Finch,<br /><br />You're right - Rear WIndow is indeed compelling despite the confined space. I've always felt that ROPE was claustrophobic, however. (Though I get that way when there's a corpse in the room.)<br /><br />Thelma Ritter is certainly the voice of reason, and the voice of the audience at times. As she says,"Lisa Freemont is the right woman for any man with half a brain who can get his eyes open." This is what the audience will be thinking after they meet the Grace Kelly character.<br /><br />Thanks for dropping in. I found your post on THE WRONG MAN most informative.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-81806917046350873572011-01-19T11:01:10.643-05:002011-01-19T11:01:10.643-05:00John,
As I indicated above to Lady Eve, we should ...John,<br />As I indicated above to Lady Eve, we should just declare Hitchcock the king of cinema kisses, the heavyweight champion. Then retire the belt.<br /><br />Thanks.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-31583563132949151922011-01-19T10:57:00.744-05:002011-01-19T10:57:00.744-05:00Laura, Indeed, we're all peeping toms. :) Than...Laura, Indeed, we're all peeping toms. :) Thanks.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-58152939584842953542011-01-19T10:56:10.292-05:002011-01-19T10:56:10.292-05:00ClassicBecky,
Thank you! :)ClassicBecky,<br />Thank you! :)JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-8785650021299127062011-01-19T10:55:47.606-05:002011-01-19T10:55:47.606-05:00Clara,
I love the lush Hitchcock films - the one&#...Clara,<br />I love the lush Hitchcock films - the one's with an endless array of costumes, brilliant color and likeable stars. However, I like the earlier minimalist ones too because they feel more real than the big budget ones.<br /><br />Thanks for dropping in.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-37415529999648188632011-01-19T10:53:30.683-05:002011-01-19T10:53:30.683-05:00Rick,
You've got a great idea there - differen...Rick,<br />You've got a great idea there - different casting for a Hitchcock film would be a great blog topic. As I mentioned on another blog, his casting in The Birds left much to be desired. I'd probably care about the love angle if everyone wasn't so... bland? <br /><br />If the leads in Rear Window weren't likeable, we'd be cheering the murderer. :)<br /><br />About what Hitch wants the audience to feel while watching the kiss - Although some say the director was directing Kelly to kiss Hitch, I think he wants Kelly to kiss the audience for some reason. <br /><br />Thanks for giving me something new to think about. I appreciate your many contributions to this blog.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-18434533879519515572011-01-19T10:47:37.912-05:002011-01-19T10:47:37.912-05:00Caroline,
Thank you. I truly appreciate the compli...Caroline,<br />Thank you. I truly appreciate the compliment.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-31593879853059088572011-01-19T10:46:57.173-05:002011-01-19T10:46:57.173-05:00ClassicFilmBoy, You cannot go wrong with Thelma Ri...ClassicFilmBoy, You cannot go wrong with Thelma Ritter. She's a spark of life even in dull movies.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-31540996357179047452011-01-19T10:45:25.397-05:002011-01-19T10:45:25.397-05:00Ivan,
I wonder why they don't rank Rear Window...Ivan,<br />I wonder why they don't rank Rear Window too highly in the Hitchcock universe. It seems there are Hitchcock fans who lean more towards his horror, some more towards his romance, others towards his more austure earlier films. <br /><br />If they don't rate Rear Window highly something must be wrong. :)<br /><br />You saw it on the big screen? Nice. I've thought about throwing up a sheet and using a projector to get some semblance of how the movie was supposed to be viewed.<br /><br />As always, I appreciate your comments, Ivan.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-76144067827384613222011-01-19T10:40:26.845-05:002011-01-19T10:40:26.845-05:00LadyEve,
Hitchcock's kisses are out of this wo...LadyEve,<br />Hitchcock's kisses are out of this world romantic. When Grant and Saint are just about to kiss on the train in NORTHWEST... some the most romantic, fully-clothed few seconds onscreen ever.<br /><br />About three people kissing, I guess it is a menage a trois between the two leads and Hitchcock. Wow.That puts a new twist on it.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-83352674904379404452011-01-19T10:35:58.738-05:002011-01-19T10:35:58.738-05:00trueclassics,
Such kind words. Thank you so much! ...trueclassics,<br />Such kind words. Thank you so much! <br /><br />Your blog post about Hitchcock's endangered females was spot on. It's interesting to contrast Margot giving up power to the males with Lisa's more proactive stance in life. Both fear for thier lives, nonetheless, and are likely to be killed in Hitchcock's world.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-42342780329521109862011-01-19T10:25:48.605-05:002011-01-19T10:25:48.605-05:00Page, thank you. Thanks for commenting.Page, thank you. Thanks for commenting.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-46825195960390325822011-01-19T10:25:16.756-05:002011-01-19T10:25:16.756-05:00Dawn, Hitchcock's humor makes the horror easie...Dawn, Hitchcock's humor makes the horror easier to take. Rear Window is one of his funniest.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-24002876627704669042011-01-18T14:23:31.018-05:002011-01-18T14:23:31.018-05:00I was lucky enough to see "Rear Window" ...I was lucky enough to see "Rear Window" for the first time in a real movie theater during its re-release in the mid-80s, and what a memorable experience it was. But as you point out, it holds up very well on the small screen at home because of that very perceptive observation you made about the use of "size, proportion, and space." It's astounding how cinematic and how compelling this movie is considering that Stewart is confined to a wheelchair, the action takes place largely in one room, and the apartment house courtyard is very much like a stage set. Of all Hitchcock's experiments with filming in confined spaces ("Lifeboat" and "Rope" immediately come to mind), this must surely be the most successful. Even my non-cineaste and non-Hitchcock enthusiast friends love this movie! And this is for me Grace Kelly's most charming performance, and as beautiful a woman as she was, she never looked better than here. I have to tell you how impressed I was with your comparison to the unnamed contemporary movie and the analysis of that extreme close-up, not to mention how perfectly that shot illustrated your point. A great post that did--for me at least--manage to say something new. Oh, and let's not forget the great Thelma Ritter as the nagging conscience and voice of caution, another of her performances that makes her for me the #1 character actress of all time.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-31874318973740950822011-01-18T06:53:37.392-05:002011-01-18T06:53:37.392-05:00Absolutely my favorite Hitchcock film and as a avi...Absolutely my favorite Hitchcock film and as a avid film "watcher" the theme of being a peeping tom is of course a guilty pleasure of sorts that all film lovers must admit to (LoL). I like your comparison to Barbie and Ken. Hitchcock was always good at kissing scenes as he is here and in the five minute NOTORIOUS kissing scene that he managed to get passed the censors of the day.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-85813730827257174492011-01-17T21:39:42.705-05:002011-01-17T21:39:42.705-05:00I loved your comment about the ability we have now...I loved your comment about the ability we have now to pause, rewind, multiple viewings -- it is amazing how perfect most of Hitchcock's work is. Rear Window always made me want the same kind of apartment with a courtyard when I was a kid!<br /><br />Really good take on a very famous movie -- you added to its mystique in your discussion of the two kisses and why Hitchcock's is better. Kudos!ClassicBeckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-45827587552637323502011-01-17T21:27:09.986-05:002011-01-17T21:27:09.986-05:00Like everyone else here I really appreciated your ...Like everyone else here I really appreciated your fresh thoughts on an old favorite. I got a kick out of the idea that we're looking in on Jeff & Lisa just as they're observing everyone else.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />LauraLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09626109831176745957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-27920355858472884292011-01-17T20:55:19.272-05:002011-01-17T20:55:19.272-05:00You did a great job writing a very interesting rev...You did a great job writing a very interesting review of Rear Window despite your caveat about the many times it has been dissected. I enjoyed it very much!ClassicBeckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-5665444030467647262011-01-17T18:09:42.774-05:002011-01-17T18:09:42.774-05:00Good point, very well explained, Java. "Rear ...Good point, very well explained, Java. "Rear Window" is probably in my top 3 Hitchcock movies, I adore it, soo much fun, Stewart + Kelly, such brilliant music and Thelma Ritter!!Clara Fercovichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04247553895885558509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-25171030788347257422011-01-17T16:22:40.900-05:002011-01-17T16:22:40.900-05:00Java, you always add new insight to the films you ...Java, you always add new insight to the films you write about! Hitchcock was meticulous in how he planned each camera shot and movement. So, your analysis of his framing of the kiss says a lot about what Hitchcock wanted to convey and how he wanted the audience to feel as they watched tHe kiss. REAR WINDOW is my second-favorite Hitchcock film, topped only by VERTIGO. As I've read the Blogathon reviews today, I've been reminded of the importance of casting in Hitchcock pictures. If the "peeping toms" in REAR WINDOW had been actors other than the immensely-likable James Stewart and the charming Grace Kelly, would the results have been different?Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-40589821456323336562011-01-17T14:50:30.022-05:002011-01-17T14:50:30.022-05:00Interesting analysis! You managed to take a movie ...Interesting analysis! You managed to take a movie on which so much has been said and say something new.<br /><br />-CarolineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-54691510402483246902011-01-17T14:36:51.404-05:002011-01-17T14:36:51.404-05:00Good for you! You say you can't add something ...Good for you! You say you can't add something new and your observation on the kiss is refreshingly original. Thank you!! And Ivan, you are too funny. Thankfully, I'm not horribly horribly wrong and rank this in my top five. How can you go wrong when you've got Thelma Ritter supporting Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly? :)Classicfilmboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01278928051994100842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-80089879702770897692011-01-17T12:47:32.221-05:002011-01-17T12:47:32.221-05:00You're spot-on when you relate how difficult i...You're spot-on when you relate how difficult it is to write anything new about <b>Rear Window</b> but you succeeded admirably in adding to the conversation. I particularly enjoyed your insights on seeing <b>Window</b> on the big screen because that was how I was introduced to the movie; it was the only one of the five Hitchcock films rescued from legal limbo (the others being <b>Rope</b>, <b>The Trouble with Harry</b>, <b>The Man Who Knew Too Much</b> and <b>Vertigo</b>) that made it to my neck of the woods in 1983-84 and it remains one of the most memorable movie-going experiences of my lifetime.<br /><br />You may find this difficult to believe, but I know a few individuals who don't rank <b>Rear Window</b> too highly in the Hitchcock pantheon (it's personally in my top five). This doesn't make them bad people, just horribly, horribly wrong.Ivan G Shreve Jrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04067177808320053382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-8854624616298323842011-01-17T12:20:11.640-05:002011-01-17T12:20:11.640-05:00Java - One of the great gold nuggets of your piece...Java - One of the great gold nuggets of your piece was your introductory statement about the difficulty in saying anything new about Hitchcock...how true! Very much enjoyed your tour of "Rear Window" and your observations. I've seen the film in a theater, but years ago - have seen it many more times on TV - and I always find "the kiss" scene very romantic and intimate. Hitchcock had a way with a kiss...I'm thinking of "Notorious," "To Catch a Thief," "Vertigo," & "N by NW," too. With the kiss in "Rear Window" one feels so close that it's almost like three people kissing...Hitchcock's camera was nothing if not subjective. Thanks for a great blog - with more than a few gold nuggets...The Lady Evehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963115499930520653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-59294314633894802292011-01-17T11:52:21.230-05:002011-01-17T11:52:21.230-05:00This is such a brilliant film. It IS difficult to ...This is such a brilliant film. It IS difficult to add new "nuggets" to the already-prolific canon of writing about Rear Window, but you make an interesting--and unique to me!--point about the framing of Lisa and Jeff's first kiss. I never really considered it before, but you're absolutely right about the effective way in which it was staged.<br /><br />Great post! Thanks for giving me something new to think about in regards to one of my favorite movies of all time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com