77. Rear Window

Rear Window (1954)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

The second Hitchcock film on the list and its one of the few Hitchcock films that's able to makeme not only make gasp in suspense, but also shed a few tears (The Man Who Knew Too Much only brings tears). Although its a slow moving film (which Hitchcock films isn't?), this films has lots of payoffs along the way.

Several aspects of this film immediately jump to mind; the incredible voyeuristic curiosity, the grand art direction and cinematography, the increasing paranoia about your neighbors, and the great performances from Thelma Ritter and Jimmy Stewart. There are three other things that stand out even greater in this film however.

There is an incredible moment of suspense when Grace Kelly enters a neighbor's apartment and we, like Stewart, are forced to watch the scene completely from the window. It's an incredibly suspenseful and frustrating sequence, one of Hitchcock's best. Second is the moment of humanity (maybe even sentimentality) with the Miss Lonely Hearts storyline. It feels a bit odd in a Hitchcock film, in a suspense film nonetheless, but it never fails to tug on my heartstrings.

Lastly, is the incredibly sexy and lovely performance from Grace Kelly. I'm not sure if anyone feels the same, but I feel that Grace Kelly gives one of the most attractive and appealing bombshell performances in all of cinema in this film. For Grace Kelly alone I wouldn't want to live without this film.

Here is taste of what I am talking about