Monday 25 July 2016

Rear Window (1954 AH)

Well, only about half of it in fact (we were done in). Cornell Woolrich's short story 'It Had to be Murder' was first published in 1942 under the pseudonym William Irish. When John Michael Hayes started the screenplay he knew the leads would be Stewart and Grace Kelly and Hitch asked him to write Kelly's character to 'bring something out of her'. In fact with Hayes specialising in 'dialogue', all the scenes, characters and plot points (and 'every camera move') were worked out by Hitch himself.

It's a beautifully produced film, so subtle e.g. in the way the soundtrack is put together. The wonderful set was designed by Joseph MacMillan Johnson who had worked on GWTW and shared an Oscar for special photography for Portrait of Jennie.

Stewart is absolutely wonderful. Strongly though I've grown towards Vertigo, this I think remains my favourite Hitchcock (and that of Q).

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