Rear Window (Collector's Edition)

Photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is, in fact, a voyeur by trade, a professional photographer sidelined by an accident while on assignment. His immersion in the human drama (and comedy) visible from his window is a by-product of boredom, underlined by the disapproval of his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), and a wisecracking visiting nurse (Thelma Ritter). Yet when the invalid wife of Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) disappears, Jeff enlists the two women to help him to determine whether she's really left town, as Thorwald insists, or been murdered.

Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto convincingly argues that the crime at the center of this mystery is the MacGuffin--a mere pretext--in a film that's more interested in the implications of Jeff's sentinel perspective. We actually learn more about the lives of the other neighbors (given generic names by Jeff, even as he's drawn into their lives) he, and we, watch undetected than we do the putative murderer and his victim. Jeff's evident fear of intimacy and commitment with the elegant, adoring Lisa provides the other vital thread to the script, one woven not only into the couple's own relationship, but reflected and even commented upon through the various neighbors' lives.

At minimum, Hitchcock's skill at making us accomplices to Jeff's spying, coupled with an ingenious escalation of suspense as the teasingly vague evidence coalesces into ominous proof, deliver a superb thriller spiked with droll humor, right up to its nail-biting, nightmarish climax. At deeper levels, however, Rear Window plumbs issues of moral responsibility and emotional honesty, while offering further proof (were any needed) of the director's brilliance as a visual storyteller. --Sam Sutherland

I must say after seeing an advance copy of this film that Rear Window looks incredible, especially compared to the Laser Disc copy I have as well as the poor copies that have been showing up on television and VHS over the years.

The colors are vibrant, in particular the reds which don't give a hint of bleeding into the frame, and the image looks I imagine as close to the original as possible given the fact that this film is almost fifty years old now.

The aspect ratio is 1.66:1 which is the proper framing for this film, the sound is the original mono soundtrack and has been scrubbed up to remove any audio imperfections that have built up over the years.

Also included on this disc is a 55 minute documentary titled, Rear Window Ethics:Remembering a Hitchock Classic which is quite enjoyable.

There is a still frame gallery, a shorter documentary with the screenwriter John Michael Hayes, as well as the standard fare of biographies, filomgraphies etc.

All in all a quite impressive package and should be of interest to any Hitchcock fan as well as Cinema fans in general.


the ultimate Hitchcock classic   October 20, 2001
Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood)
40 out of 44 found this review helpful

The ultimate Hitchcock classic, REAR WINDOW gives us a glimpse into the mind of Alfred Hitchcock, and in turn Hitchcock turns the mirror on us and forces us to admit our darkest desire...to be voyeurs.

That is exactly what Jeffries is. Jeffries (James Stewart) is a wheelchair-bound photographer who spends his time cooped up in his apartment, peeping in on the neighbours across the courtyard. He comes up with "names" for them; Miss Torso the ballerina; Miss Lonely-Hearts; The Newly-Weds and so on. His only contact with the outside world is his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and his wisecracking nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter).

Unknowlingly witnessing the murder of Mrs Thorwald, he, along with Lisa and Stella, set out to expose the truth about Mr Thorwald (Raymond Burr) and uncover the mystery of her quick disapperance.

A beautifully-restored print by James Katz and Robert Harris (also responsible for the beautiful new renderings of MY FAIR LADY and VERTIGO), is the highlight of this DVD. The original negative was severely faded and turning green when Universal aqquired the entire Paramount film library. Color-correction and shadow detail are now back to their original state, as is the soundtrack featuring Franz Waxman's sparkling score.

The ULTIMATE Hitchcock thriller, with more than a touch of romance and comedy.


TERRIFIC HITCHCOCK THRILLER...   April 6, 2003
Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle)
43 out of 49 found this review helpful

This is a superlative film of suspense. It is a tribute to the direction of Alfred Hitchcock that one is never bored watching this film, though it entirely takes place within the confines of a claustrophobic New York Greenwich Village apartment, the windows of the neighbors across the way, and a courtyard that separates the buildings.

Professional photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (Jimmy Stewart) is recovering from an accident that occurred while on assignment. Encased in a cast covering his left leg and hip, Jeff is pretty much immobilized and temporarily confined to a wheel chair. Despite regular visits by his nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), and his beautiful, sophisticated girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), Jeff is chafing at his confinement. Bored stiff, he does what he does best. He peers at those around him from his window. Jeff finds the lives of his neighbors both immensely interesting and amusing. He watches them through their windows and in the courtyard, enhancing his experience with binoculars and the zoom lens of his camera. Jeff draws inferences and conclusions about them, based upon his own experiences with human behavior.

This interest intensifies and takes a strange turn, when he believes one of them, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), may have committed a grisly murder, killing off his invalid wife, Anna. Though Jeff never actually sees the murder, what he does see is its aftermath and some peculiar behavior that puzzles him. Putting two and two together, he becomes absolutely convinced that his neighbor across the way has done away with his invalid wife. Jeff then informally involves his friend, Lt. Thomas Doyle (Wendell Corey) of the New York City Police Department, who initially scoffs at Jeff's assessment, though he does a cursory check . With Lisa and Stella also becoming fascinated by the strange behavior of Lars Thorwald, their interest and amateur sleuthing propels the film to an exciting climax.

Jimmy Stewart is terrific as the housebound voyeur, drawing the viewer in with him. One finds oneself peering along with him into the lives of those around him. Grace Kelly is stunningly beautiful as Jeff's girlfriend Lisa, with whom Jeff is finding it difficult to make a commitment. It is interesting that as Jeff gets more intimately engrossed in his neighbors' affairs, his intimacy with Lisa seems to grow, drawing them closer together. Thelma Ritter is funny and sassy as the tough talking, no nonsense nurse. Raymond Burr, looking eerily as he would half a century later, is well cast as the neighbor whose wife got on his nerves. Wendell Corey is very good as the congenial, though jaded, detective.

All in all, this is a terrific film that clearly shows the mastery and deft direction of the legendary Hitchcock. With a well written script and a stellar cast, this is a film that is well worth having in one's personal collection. Bravo!


What a Wonderful Window!/ Where's the DVD?   May 14, 2000
63 out of 75 found this review helpful

Rear Window is almost too good to be true. It is definitely one of the most perfect movies ever made. To me Rear Window is a perfect movie. Everything in it is extraordinary, from the actors James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and a menacing Raymond Burr, to the writing, editing, and directing by "Hitch", to the beautiful color cinematography by Robert Burks, and even the musical score. Further proof that Rear Window is so incredibly great, is that it is able to completely enthrall both passionate cinema viewers, as well as casual movie viewers. Also, what is amazing is that the entire movie takes place in the apartment of James Stewart's character. I Drove 600 miles about a couple of months to have the opportunity and privelege to be in the presence and view Rear Window at the Stanford Theater, because it is the nearest theater to me that would play this miraculous film on the big screen, and it was worth every mile! Rear Window is a perfect example of what Hitchcock called "pure cinema", and there have been very very few films that are in the same league as Rear Window, and two others are "Psycho" and "Vertigo." All that set aside, when for heaven's sake is the "DVD"! going to be released? It is frustrating as hell to look at all of the garbage that is released on DVD and some even with a load of Bonus feautures, while Rear Window being held back for some reason or another.


Hitchcock classic in new 2-disc Special Edition due out October 7th, 2008!   July 10, 2008
Sanpete (in Utah)
20 out of 22 found this review helpful

Rear Window is considered by many Alfred Hitchcock's best movie. The story suited him well. A man confined to a wheelchair, watching things that may be innocent or murderous, a beautiful woman out of her element, in danger, with gradually building suspense that takes a potentially fatal turn as we watch helplessly with our immobilized protagonist, and a cliffhanger climax. The movie has been analyzed by very smart people looking for much more than that, deeper meanings and allusions, and some of their ideas are true, and some are fun. But it's the basic story elements, sharp dialogue, fine acting and the direction of a master that make it a great movie.

The immobilized man is "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart), a Life Magazine photographer who's laid up in his New York City apartment with a broken leg. Accustomed to an active life of adventure and world traveling, he's reduced to passing his time using binoculars and a telephoto lens to spy on the small world of neighbors across a small courtyard from his rear window. The beautiful woman is his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly), a high society woman whom he is avoiding marrying on the excuse that she isn't cut out for his rambling life of action and danger, and he doesn't want to settle down. As events across the way take a potentially sinister turn, the tables are turned as Lisa shows her grit in risky investigations while Jeff must remain passive. Raymond Burr (of Perry Mason fame) plays the suspect neighbor who may or may not have killed someone. Thelma Ritter is Jeff's house-call nurse who also gets involved.

Most of the film is presented from Jeff's powerless perspective, giving the suspense an extra edge. There are allusions to impotence and, through the lives of the neighbors, a range of romantic and marriage relationships mirroring the fears of many men and women, including our protagonists. Much has been made of the theme of voyeurism, the window as a representation of the movie screen and so on, though I think it's easy to make too much of that. Screenwriter John Michael Hayes and Hitchcock work in the usual Hitchcock cameo and humor, including a dog who "knew too much" (a reference to another Hitchcock film).

The new 2-disc Special Edition DVD looks to be an excellent set. It will include new special features:

-- audio commentary by John Fawell, author of Hitchcock's Rear Window: The Well-Made Film
-- Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Master
-- Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts
-- Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
-- Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mr. Blanchard's Secret
-- original theatrical trailer

There will also be features carried over from the 2001 Collector's Edition:

-- Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary (55 minutes)
-- A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes (13 minutes on the Collector's Edition)
-- 1983 re-release trailer for Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Trouble With Harry, Rope, and Rear Window, narrated by James Stewart (6 minutes)
-- production photographs
-- production notes

There's no mention in the press release of the screenplay feature that was on the older DVD. It allowed you, using a DVD-ROM drive, to read the script while watching the movie, or to print out the script. (The script is available online now.)

The picture will be in the original 1.66:1 widescreen format, anamorphic, with the original mono sound.

No announcement for a Blu-ray edition yet.