Master of the macabre, innovator of cinema and owner of the most iconic side profile in the entire entertainment industry. Alfred Hitchcock helped shape the modern horror and thriller genres by pushing boundaries in both content and innovation. His influence has been felt far and wide, extending to one of the most innovative filmmakers of the modern era, the ever-eccentric and beloved David Lynch.
David Lynch is not just a filmmaker, however, but an avid fan of the craft. He’s always quick to discuss the evolution of the medium, his favorite filmmakers, and specific projects he holds in high regard, and just as quick to condemn artistic degradation; cue the pseudo-phone ad, in which Lynch angrily rants, “If you play the movie on a phone, you’ll never experience the movie in a trillion years. You’ll think you’ve experienced it, but you’ll be cheated. It’s so sad that you’ll think you’ve seen a movie on your damn phone. Be realistic.”
Of course, fans have accepted his irreverent personality and listen to him when the director emphatically praises another. This includes the aforementioned Alfred Hitchcock, whom Lynch praised, or more specifically, a particular film in the pioneer’s extensive filmography. We’ll look at why rear window is one of Lynch’s favorite films and therefore probably yours too.
Plot and cast of “Rear Window”
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 mystery thriller is about photographer LB Jefferies (James Stewart), who is confined to his apartment and a wheelchair due to a broken leg. To pass the time between visits from his girlfriend Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly) and his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter), Jeffries observes the lives of his neighbors through the back window of his house. Here he develops an obsession with Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), whose sudden disappearance seems suspicious to his wife Jeffries.Together with Lisa, the two begin to investigate Lars.
“The two yellow zinnias at the end are smaller now. Since when do flowers get smaller over the course of two weeks? There’s something buried there.” LB Jefferies (James Stewart) in Rear Window
In the run-up to the release of Rear window,James Stewart was already considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. It was also the second time that Stewart worked with Hitchcock after he had worked in 1948 in Rope. Grace Kelley was a goddess of the screen who, although her career was short and she retired after her marriage to the Prince of Monaco, appeared in notable films such as Murder on call, To catch a thiefAnd The upper society. Thelma Ritter, who played Jeffries’ nurse, was a radio star turned movie star who appeared in over 40 films. Raymond Burr, who played the neighbor who is expected to commit a crime, became the face of one of the most famous criminal defense attorneys, Perry Mason.
Alfred Hitchcock hardly needs an introduction. rear window is his 48th feature film and follows a long history of bringing suspense and horror to American audiences. The film was written by John Michael Hayes and is based on a short story by Cornell Woolrich, a Hitchcock favorite who adapted many of the author’s works.
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Why Rear Window is David Lynch’s favorite Alfred Hitchcock film
In his book Catching the big fish: meditation, awareness and creativityPublished in 2006 by ArcherPerigee, David Lynch offers a reflective look at his career and in particular how the act of mediation influences his artistic approach. Throughout the book he also mentions certain influential films and movies that he holds in high esteem. Here he sings the praises of rear window and Alfred Hitchcock’s approach:
“James Stewart does not leave his wheelchair throughout the entire film, and yet we follow a very complex murder plan from his perspective. In the film
Hitchcock manages to take something big and condense it into something really small
. And he achieves this through a comprehensive mastery of film technology.”
Other books mentioned are Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) and Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ (1963), but this is the only Hitchcock work mentioned. including rear window In a novel of such a personal and introspective nature, Lynch’s reverence for the work over other works lends credibility to the cinema icon.
Praise for “The Courtyard Window”
rear window is not only Lynch’s favorite Alfred Hitchcock thriller, but It is also considered one of his best, if not the best of his career as a famous provocateur. A masterful blend of suspense, exploration of paranoia and voyeurism and innovative cinematography rear window as a fan favorite. As Lynch mentioned, It’s hard to underestimate how inventive the work was in taking the story of a great concept and telling it so effectively within the narrow confines of the home and idle mind of James Stewart’s LB Jefferies.. The film’s manipulation of scale and perspective remains impressive decades after its release and represents a master class in visual ingenuity and creativity.
rear window also receives overwhelming praise from critics and is often considered one of the best films of all time, with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and only two negative reviews out of 130; only two of Hitchcock’s films reach 100%. For comparison, the audience rating is 95% with over 100,000 reviews; IMDb is 8.5 with over 500,000.
rear window was also selected for preservation and added to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1997, as it was recognized as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The legacy of the Hitchcock classic can also be seen in countless tributes, with television series such as The Simpsons, The wild seventies, Rocko’s Modern LifeAnd Looney Tunes all offer a comedic interpretation of the film.
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Hitchcock has created countless remarkable masterpieces full of suspense, such as Psycho (1960) and dizziness (1958) there is a very good chance that rear window is not only Lynch’s favorite, but yours too.
Where can you see the window to the courtyard?
If you have not seen rear window but are a fan of Lynch, The film is worth watching to understand how it was inspired by. On the other hand, if you want to see a great suspense/drama with a great cast, strong visual direction and a wonderful surprise ending and rear windowyou should change that. Although the film is not streaming, you can rent it on Apple TV, Prime or YouTube.
