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Review: Rear Window

I have often said that if I could change voices with anyone I would go with (in no specific order): Orson Welles, the RZA, or Jimmy Stewart. Let us focus on that last one because I just watched ‘Rear Window’ with Mr. Stewart and it was great (segue). Rear Window

The movie is about a man, L.B. Jefferies (Stewart), who is all cooped up inside his apartment with a broken leg. His only contact with the outside world comes in the forms of his nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), his girlfriend, Lisa Carol Freemont (Grace Kelly), and Lt. Thomas Doyle (Wendell Corey). During his recovery time he spends the majority of his day doing the only thing he can do: observing others from his window. He begins to involve himself in the lives of others and infers stories about the neighbors through his obsrevations. Upon noticing a strange series of events, L.B. begins to delve deeper into this neighbors affairs.

I was very intrigued with the story and the moral question of watching someone in their own private world. If you were to witness an event that was not meant for your eyes, do you have the right to capitalize on that? The example in the movie was an extreme, but we deal with this question all the time in our society. We have countless shows and entertainment sources that rely on the use of rear window viewing. Is this moral? In the context of the movie, it seems like the ends justify the means, but to continue talking about this would be to give away too much.

I highly recommend this movie even for those who are not particularly fond of Hitchcock. I think if you watch this movie you will (1) adore it just as I do, and (2) understand why I would take Jimmy Stewarts voice.

-Brandin

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