The Opening Scene - 'Rear Window' | Hitchcock Presents

[@benhuether5474]

The fact that Hitchcock was able to make a full length movie set in just one single location and still have it THIS visually pleasing is amazing (same with ROPE that was originally a stage play). They could have easily just have had the window facing a single brick wall on the other side but he decided to give the courtyard a personality of itself.

[@bighands69]

They were working with a film stock in that era that was the most beautiful in terms of color and presentation. SO it meant they could actual focus the sets and production to take full advantage of that film stock. They could get the most amazing colors and detail between the colors and it was very bright as well without being stark.

[@IrinaAliasUndine-Katelyn69]

True ☄️🧡☄️

[@StoicContrarian]

Die hard has entered the chat

[@Patienthost]

Of course they can't have a movie about a brick wall! He needed to see his neighbors, or he would've never seen, figured out the murder. That's what the whole movie was about.

[@fairamir1]

"They could have easily just have had the window facing a single brick wall on the other side" No they could not...then there would be no story.

[@goodstuff8156]

I saw this movie as a kid and ever since I’ve been obsessed with it, this is my favorite Hitchcock film and one of the best movies ever made.

[@GurpreetSingh-by5ih]

Rear window....my all time favourite Hitchcock movie

[@pamelajordan2890]

Rear window and the bird's.the best

[@robertrobbins5691]

Superb. Especially Thelma Ritter, the BEST supporting actress.

[@Crystalgrace144]

And rope

[@GurpreetSingh-by5ih]

@@Crystalgrace144 rear window is on top. Then vertigo Dial M for murder Rope North by northwest

[@tomgoldsmith5730]

The music is just preparing us to relax our guard reinforced when the curtains rise. Just so we would comply with the voyeurism. Mans a genius

[@Slopmaster]

with that keen understanding of human nature, Hitchcock would have made a pretty good actor.

[@BenjiSzucs]

In the first minute not a single word is said, and we know everything we need to know. A perfect example of "show, don't tell".

[@bighands69]

I dislike modern films having to explain every single detail to the audience like they are a young child.

[@nokaton]

@@bighands69 Modern films try to get the "PG-13" rate for "widening the audience and money", that's why almost every film today looks like it's made for a child rather than for a full grown adult.

[@bighands69]

@@nokaton Even 18 content tries to explain everything today it is not just childrens content.

[@w..j..2605]

The first time I saw this movie was in college in in my Contemporary Literature class. Not gonna lie, I thought it was going to be boring. Needless to say, it’s one of my favorite movies! I gotta watch some more like this.

[@bighands69]

@Pedro Ortega People when they seen that film in cinema when it was released would have been watching it on 8k film resolution. Have you noticed how beautiful the color looks in that film as well. It was an era when people liked films like that and went to seem them in the cinema.

[@annberlin5811]

Me too! Msu

[@BDCTheSloth90]

I just love how the beginning sets the stage for the whole movie, and Jimmy Stewart's character in particular. We know he's bedridden because of an accident, we know he's bored out of his mind, we know he's a photographer, we know of his girlfriend, we know of his voyeuristic traits (possibly a combination of his job and boredom?) without any need for exposition. Just the camera showing us around his apartment and the windows on the courtyard. Also we have some foreshadowing of the event around which the plot will revolve. That, my friends, is visual storytelling done right.

[@Uxoriouswidow]

Shame he couldn't do the same in Vertigo, where all the exposition was amateurishly heavy-handed.

[@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401]

Rear Window it's second time between Alfred Hitchcock & Jimmy Stewart

[@RickTBL]

@@Uxoriouswidow Did someone actually call Hitchcock "amatuerish"? Imagine how ill-informed and out-of-touch one would have to be to say anything so meaningless.

[@alexislorenz2655]

​@@Uxoriouswidow - now I want to see Vertigo!

[@fedr39]

I really like how you can hear the hustle and bustle of a city through Jefferies' apartment and to further note, that he's close to the river (fog horns in the distance). Sounds are just as important as visuals.

[@FedorManiac90]

Love this picture, and will until I'm gone.

[@davidaames1347]

Salute to Alfred Hitchcock!

[@hebneh]

Audiences of the time would recognize that Jimmy Stewart supposedly works for LIFE, which was the biggest-circulation photo news magazine in the USA then. The distinctive cover design with the red bar across the bottom of the cover is obviously copied at 1:12, at the end of the camera panning over a selection of dramatic photos that he's supposedly taken. This sequence establishes what his job is without it having to be explained in words, although the phone call that follows does that as well.

[@fansofst.maximustheconfess8226]

... and the cheeky negative photo of Grace kelly furthermore preps us for the "complicated" relationship he has with lovely Lisa. 😎

[@ianedwards4400]

Viewing the opening scene of this Hitchcock classic "Rear Window" keeps the viewer spellbound. So just imagine seeing the entire movie. James Stewart, the protagonist, is helpless in a wheelchair with his leg in a cast from the accident he recently suffered. Not wanting to mope about his immobility, he instead begins to enjoy his view across a row of houses from his rear window. One view shows a lovely curvy blonde girl making breakfast while simultaneously practicing her daily calisthenics. Even though a call comes in for Mr. Stewart, his eyes stay riveted on the pretty lass with a wide grin creasing his face now and then. A white-haired man is also shown checking on his wife, who is in bed with a head-ache. Next he is shown tending to his garden and watering the plants. This white haired man is none other than Raymond Burr, our very own Perry Mason.

[@matthewdarcy6859]

My favourite film since I was 15, seen a helluva lotta pictures since then, still the world I most enjoy returning to

[@marutibhagat8527]

This is what I call a masterpiece

[@phonelady61]

Hitchcock was awesome and would love to have a collection of his movies .

[@d3monoidphenomenon102]

I recently bought The Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece collection on Blu Ray for about £13 from Amazon, 100% worth it especially for that price

[@bookeblade]

@@d3monoidphenomenon102 I live in the u.s you bought it for E13?

[@mindakahn9964]

Thank you for the upload. I don’t even mind the commercial breaks. It’s like late night TV. Anyway, you saved my life today.

[@garrison6863]

Can you imagine how expensive that set was? I mean its an entire courtyard all closed in by tall buildings filled with apartments, and it even shows the street behind the one building. I mean the construction and then the set decoration? And no CGI. Only someone as big as Hitchcock at that time could have commanded it.

[@Kindness808]

This was always my favorite Hitchcock.

[@Skittler]

2:19 I feel like if I had a neighbour that did this it would really boost morale.

[@slaphead8835]

Surprisingly risque' for 1954. Actually for any time period.

[@ima90skid]

There's a parody episode of The Simpsons based on this movie. The family gets an above ground pool and Bart decides to jump from his treehouse into it but loses his balance while on the branch. The impact of the fall caused his leg to break and has led him to have a cast, be in a wheelchair and be bored while his bone heals. Now since he can't swim, his summer is ruined, and he has to find some other way to pass the time and amuse himself. He was given a telescope and looks in it. He looks over at Ned Flanders' house and thinks he sees a murder. He freaks out, goes to investigate and one thing leads to another and so on. Classic satire from that show is always epic!

[@lewishorton8353]

Only better Simpsons parody is The Shining.

[@angelwingz892]

This is one of my fav movies and is, imo the best movie performance by James Stewart.

[@bobbyokeefe4285]

Masterclass in directing,today this scene or whole film would be a succession of flashbacks and tedious exposition,in 6 min,with just one guy in a room,we got who this man was,what happened to him,his surrounding and for how long he's gonna remain in this condition.

[@519djw6]

For some reason, this movie, as well as "Vertigo" and "Rope" were not re-released to theaters until the 1980's. In any case, I think this was the best of the three.

[@serifmacit4608]

RIP JAMES STEWART AND ALFRED HİTCHCOCK...

[@dmmchugh3714]

Love this movie. 'North by Northwest' and 'Notorious' . Hitchcock is the suspense master IMHO.

[@FedorManiac90]

Love this picture, and will until I too am gone.

[@marcorossi6271]

That scratching was very ASMR!

[@ssdivizion]

Masterpiece for all times!

[@LezlieTripathyfilms]

I love this film

[@NickJohnCoop]

There’s probably not a lot of directors that would have had the idea to shoot the film in such a way. For a film to hold up 70 years after it was shot marks him as a master filmmaker that has only been equaled few times.

[@jarodcarnarvon5198]

One of his best films. Love it! First saw it when I was 17, loved it then, still do..... Makes me wish I had a ton of $$$ so I could go live in the heart of NYC LOL

[@paulmiller6647]

I love this film!

[@antonioraffa123]

Could this be the best film ever made.

[@bighands69]

Up there with his other masterpiece Vertigo. I seen Vertigo on 70mm and it look astonishing.

[@errwhattheflip]

I would say that Psycho and Vertigo are better, but this is just brilliant as well

[@thomasmagnum3588]

I rank this with North by Northwest as his best.

[@delrey874]

masterpiece film 👌

[@thelastjohnwayne]

Great neighborhood

[@FRANKIESIXTOES]

When NYC was great.

[@julianp2283]

It was shot in studios.

[@AlonsoRules]

Rear Window = NYC before Vietnam Taxi Driver = NYC after Vietnam

[@indomiepanggang4258]

@@AlonsoRules wdym vietnam?

[@kermv.7830]

Wonderful, just wonderful

[@damienlong3009]

I love 1950s

[@truthbetold6011]

Hitchcock was ahead of his time. By him sitting there watching thru people windows and seeing their business. It's like social media. And the old lady who's trying to bothering Raymond Burr's character is acting like a Karen. 🤭

[@SarahRenz59]

The pianist's apartment looks just like the outside of Monica Geller's apartment in Friends. It's decades apart, but is it possible it's the same set piece? Or at least modeled after this one?

[@jamestyler7697]

3:02 - Dave Seville from Alvin and the Chipmunks

[@elstongunn4277]

I always wondered why his neighbors couldn’t / didn’t see as much of his activities as he apparently did of them. Did they not notice him at all staring at and studying each of them?He had backlights illuminating him as much as they did. Yet they never seemed to glance out their windows across the courtyard at him.

[@thomasmagnum3588]

His neighbors were busy, preoccupied, with their lives: composing, dancing, drinking, etc. He was the one lonely and bored.

[@grzegorzaaa]

W tych scenach podglądanie innych jest coś mistycznego. W naszej rzeczywistości jest ukryty inny wymiar który tutaj Hitchcockowi udało się uchwycić na taśmie filmowej. To metafizyka większą niż chodzenie na puste msze.

[@godard17]

shots are missing from this opening scene.

[@thomasreghi7052]

The question "do you really think it'll (American English?) work has yet to my knowledge collected enough informational statistical components to 4-mulate and integrate a valid reply as an answer to determine if a scholarship proposal application to Cornell (pending college~university is valid).

[@annberlin5811]

My favorite movie

[@aniedaniel7525]

Can I have the full movie please?

[@daisyq3418]

Perfecto! 🎉

[@faisalraja6607]

At 2:24 did he say Kashmir or cashmere? Would like to know the reference as I am from Kashmir.

[@justinford5811]

Definitely Kashmir - they're talking about 'a place' - 'The place is about to go up in smoke.' 'Didn't I tell you that was the next place to watch.' Lots of political events there in the time leading up to this film (1954).

[@skyeslaton3435]

While i do love rear window it's in my top 15 favorite all time but vertigo is my favorite from hitchcock plus vertigo is in my top 10

[@bighands69]

Vertigo is amazing but not as much fun as Rear Window.

[@thomasmagnum3588]

Vertigo is terribly overrated, not even in Hitchcock top five.

[@leemorrison7113]

Why do i feel Hitchcock was such a master of voyeurism as he was a voyeur himself.... He really seemed to understand peoples drives and motivations..

[@drchunkybiscuit9973]

Imagine being 1 of the 18 people that doesn't like this. 🤔

[@johnnyjensen8805]

Shades were sold out when the film was made😊

[@knightshining]

Green Day. Rear Window. Good Year. Quite the scene there, bruv.

[@stuartlee6622]

Dated. Now with Air Conditioning this couldn't be made. Sad.

[@albaclerd]

NYC ❤️

[@bodycount00]

1:46 WTF?

[@donandygore6690]

.. SMiTteN 💯... Lol.. that itch , thO'.. Its healing.. 😂

[@Zelda-t1n]

Did they save the set?

[@fngmatteo7761]

00:00

[@natashak.foreman912]

What is the middle aged woman wearing attached to her tank top - it looks like an Iphone...?

[@alleycat616]

Maybe a little battery fan since it was hot? I don’t think they had those back then though not sure?

[@LeonHuang-nj2nr]

Yes sir it has to be that way 😉😂😉😁😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉

[@Original-Juice]

OK. So is it worth watching the rest of this movie?

[@paulchristman2456]

Brian Depalma shamelessly aped the character of the young dancing woman and sexed the character up considerably in his 1984 film "Body Double", which, like " Rear Window ", also features voyeurism in its plot.

[@darkwitnesslxx]

Yes, played by Melanie Griffith, who is the daughter of Tippi Hedren one of Hitchcock's blondes.

[@tchadroote8584]

Funny that James Stewart and the cop were supposed to be in the war for 3 years together!

[@bighands69]

Why is that funny?

[@ParDiss-e4i]

The pink bikini was fun/comfy.

[@stephaniecollins6052]

Dang, I'd be watching that blonde too

[@shishiranair4095]

Why do these people open their windows and do things for everyone to see ?

[@plasticweapon]

i wonder.

[@truthbetold6011]

That's the point they want people to see. It's like old version of what social media is today. Hitchcock was ahead of his time.

[@mohammedashian8094]

@@truthbetold6011 well that and it’s hot as hell outside

[@SJHFoto]

This is before many people had air conditioning. Watch "12 Angry Men". The jurors in the courtroom didn't have it even

[@Ruzanna.Adrienn]

This is just like Shia labeouff in Disturbia, except he wasn’t schizophrenic… or was he?

[@IrinaAliasUndine-Katelyn69]

☄️💖💎💓💎💖☄️

[@raafat_reema]

why he's keeping this creepy photograph?

[@Howyaduing]

Art?

[@dguy0386]

it's a negative

[@misspearltaylor]

I can watch this movie and The Birds anytime they’re on TV. Actually most any Hitchcock, except Marnie. Of the oldies, Strangers on a train and Shadow of a doubt are faves. BTW where is Hitch in this piece? I thought he walked by of the back street near the beginning of the film...

[@bazstrutt8247]

claudia taylor Hitch is seen in the musicians apartment

[@misspearltaylor]

Baz Strutt thank you!

[@mizofan]

Oh Marnie is fascinating

[@sh230968]

Into 26th minute of the movie, you can see a man winding a clock in songwriter's apartment. That's him.

[@debbieking5171]

Hey Toni Tony you are right Rope is a masterpiece an so is Stage Fright.

[@PYRAMIDHEAD1051]

When men were men. I envy our forefathers generation.

[@yourstruly7086]

Back when 30 year old men looked 50

[@marlajacques6947]

So many in the closet lol

[@tapaspal1140]

The man who murdered his wife played by Grace Kelly. Alfred Hitchcocks greatest mistake in his film career. ☺

[@saktigong1645]

What ?

[@schwarz8614]

Sure buddy

[@ayushsrivastava1672]

Huh?

[@mrsplosh999]

I do not understand why this is a classic. Don't get me wrong, the set design, mood, lighting etc is great. But the actual pacing/story is so dull.

[@fansofst.maximustheconfess8226]

Nope, not at all. You just presuppose that today's frenzy audience expectations are the standard for movies from the past. Thank god they're not!

[@truthbetold6011]

It's nothing full about this movie. One of the best movies ever made. 🙄

[@paacer]

Great fan of Hitchcock but this is very far from reality . You just won't get this clear view into so many flats or have all these scenarios develop in front of your eyes .

[@Jomor44]

This movie was on two times last week, watched it both times. Still don’t care for it.

[@kylemajerczyk8160]

Why are you here then...?

[@mrdinklepuss9375]

lol

[@josephine1465]

what a loser

[@truthbetold6011]

Then why in the hell u still watching it? 🤡