Rear Window is a film by Alfred Hitchcock that came out in 1954. This is pretty big since I’m sure you all know of the big kaiju film that came out at the time. The film has an interesting premise since the main character is in a wheelchair and he won’t be able to go and stop the villain(s?) by force. He’s going to need his wit in order to win this round.

The film begins with Jeff in a wheelchair. We learned that he would take any risks for a good shot and that he wouldn’t be able to walk again for a week. Jeff is definitely not the most heroic of characters and he resorts to staring at people through the window. Somehow, they never seem to notice him. Several people try to stop Jeff from looking out of the window, but he’ll have none of that. Eventually, he notices some suspicious behavior and thinks that someone may have been murdered!

You have to admire the fact that Jeff could piece together such loose evidence and then turn it into a murder. I’m not sure that many people of today’s world would come to the same conclusion so quickly, but since Jeff had nothing to do, but stare out of the window, it was easier for him to notice. A subplot is that Jeff is unhappy with the perfect dinners that his friend always brings him. The subplot is not necessarily about the dinners, but that stuck out the most. How do you not like a “perfect” dinner? I couldn’t really sympathize with the fellow in that regard.

Getting a little more into the character, Jeff is an awful protagonist. You really can’t help, but root against him during the film. Jeff is not a hero and he’s really just trying to help to pass the time…maybe even to get a scoop. Staring at your neighbors is hardly polite and Jeff never learns his lesson. Having such a main character can definitely take away from the experience. Of course, I didn’t really like any of the other characters…….

One thing that takes serious points away from the film is the dog scene. It was definitely unneeded and they should have just switched it for a “Paper lands on flowers and someone crumples it” scene. It would accomplish the same purpose and we could avoid the animal violence. The ending is also not great in that regard.

One solid part of the film is the fact that it actually has a climax. Can Jeff defeat his assailant without being able to walk? He definitely gives it his all, but he definitely doesn’t seem like he will be the next Terminator! Of course, he was basically asking for that to happen when he left his door unlocked.

This film was pretty enjoyable, but it did have its flaws. There is some romance in the film, which gets old fast. The dog scene didn’t help and the main character was pretty awful. I did think the police were pretty good at the end. One of them even took out his gun and he looked like he was going to use it! Hopefully the police check out the owner of the building since he seemed a little shady in the film. If not for the romance and the dog scene, the film would definitely have a higher score. As it is, you’ll probably enjoy it if you like the classic mysteries. If you want a really intense mystery, check out Goku’s fight against Frieza in DBZ, The Namek Saga, which only lasts 5 minutes…..

Overall 4/10