Hey folks... I just want to say that I hate Moriarty. He sucks. I wanna see restored print of REAR WINDOW now! Now now now now! Sigh. Grace is a goddess in this film. The most desirable woman on film... save for Ingrid Bergman in CASABLANCA. She's just... too cool. Sigh...
Hey, Head Geek...
"Moriarty" here.
God bless USA Films. Over the past half a year, they've turned into one of my favorite of the "stindies," companies that look and feel like indies, but that have studio support. With films like BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, RIDE WITH THE DEVIL, TOPSY-TURVY, and the upcoming PITCH BLACK, they have proven that they can put together smart, eclectic films either as original productions or as pick-ups. They're a great team, and this weekend, they've got another treat for filmgoers. It's the new restored release of Alfred Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW. I had a chance to see the film at the Harmony Gold screening rooms last week, and it's breathtaking.
For those of you who haven't seen REAR WINDOW, and I'm willing to bet it's more of you who are willing to admit it, you now officially have no excuse for waiting. Robert Harris and James Katz, who have restored such previous treasures as LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and VERTIGO, have worked real magic here, returing a rich Technicolor luster to this film, one of the most imaginatively designed films in history. The set that REAR WINDOW was shot on, built in Stage 12 of the Paramount lot, is a marvel, fascinating and alive and beautiful. It's also never looked this good.
Seeing Grace Kelly up on that 50 foot screen is a reminder of what real movie stars are like. These days, people slap the label "star" on every Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt to have a minor hit, but they can't begin to project the sheer bonecrunching charisma that Kelly had. The woman seemed to glow from within, and Hitchcock has never had a better example of his blonde ideal to shoot. Paired with Jimmy Stewart, my favorite Hitchcock collaborator, she manages to be funny, sexy, moving, and graceful in equal measure. The two of them have a great chemistry, prickly and difficult, but believable.
The thing that really struck me as I lost myself in the sumptuous visuals of the restoration is just how economically Hitch manages to tell not just the main story of the film, but the stories of all those neighbors. We never really hear from most of them, but we get a sense of who they are, of how they are, and it's all done with minor strokes, quick moments. It's one of the most nimble suspense films ever made, still a textbook for anyone who plans to make a thriller of any kind. Those moments as Jimmy sits in the dark, listening to someone come up the stairs, helpless to move, unable to run, unable even to stand and defend himself... that's one of the most elemental moments of dread I've ever seen onscreen, and it was delicious to share it with a crowd again. You owe to yourself as film fans to get out and see REAR WINDOW while you can.
I'll talk to you in a few days. Until then...
"Moriarty" out.
