Seems to have begun as a cinematic exercise. Robert Burks' photography is easy to underestimate but notice just one shot where camera tracks from dog to Stewart's massage without a tremor (William Schurr was the operator. He worked on a few Hitchcocks and was also camera operator on
The Apartment). The rigidity of the shots is such that when there is an odd overhead or low shot (such as where L.B. and Stella watch helpless as Lisa is caught) they really stand out.
Despite its striking visual nature, John Michael Hayes' script should not be undervalued (e.g. Thelma Ritter predicting the Wall Street crash).
The diegetic soundtrack comprises beautifully put together effects (did Hitch love car horns from
Blackmail on?) plus Franz Waxman's 'Lisa' melody plus some deliberately clashing moments of tension to background music.
It's from his fade to black period.
Contains Hitch's grisliest murder, but there's no corpse nor drop of blood in sight (nor even a murder!)
Love that slow motion kiss, and the varying states of relationships through the windows.
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