For R in the Alphabet Challenge, we head over to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

The classic 1950’s crime thriller directed by the great man himself, stars James Stewart in the lead role of L.B. Jeffries. Jeffries is, 6 weeks into a broken left leg, wheelchair bound and stuck in his apartment in a very hot New York summer.

His girlfriend Lisa Fremont, is played by Grace Kelly in one of her 3 films with Hitchcock.

The story follows Jeffries who sat at the window of his apartment is becoming somewhat of a voyeur of other’s lives from the lonely spinster, to the ballet teacher, to the young married couple.

All of this is until one evening Jeffries sees what he believes may be a crime in a window in the opposite apartments and finds himself drawn into a thrilling tale about what he actually saw, and whether anyone will believe him.

This may well be the definitive Hitchcock film for me. It may not have the now famous shock of Psycho, and my favourite remains Rebecca, but this film feels like the ones that captures his ability to create tension in seemingly very simple settings.

It’s now a famous set up but has aged well and Grace Kelly brings a charm and charisma to balance the powerful performance of Stewart – who carries the film for large parts from his wheelchair.