Remaking a Hitchcock movie from the great director's golden age is generally an ill-advised idea, but the 1998 REAR WINDOW seems to forget it's even a retelling in the first place. The movie is more concerned with the emotional and physical struggles of those with spinal cord injuries-- and to be honest, the movie is actually at its most engaging when dealing with this subject. Christopher Reeve was always an underappreciated actor, whose face was as expressive as it was matinee idol handsome. Here, he is both touching and funny, and his romance with Daryl Hannah's character is charming and likable. Had the movie just been about these two, it would have been a sweet little TV movie-- maybe not very remembered, but it would have been more enjoyable.
But remember, this is a remake of REAR WINDOW. The film forgets this until about after almost a half hour of set-up: unlike the Hitchcock original, we don't start out with our hero already stationed in his apartment. Like I said before, this movie has extensive set-up showing the accident that paralyzes the protagonist, his emotional struggles and loneliness, and then the tech-wizardry of his disability-friendly apartment.
The thriller elements feel arbitrary and are easily the worst part of the movie. Most significantly, there is no ambiguity or mystery about the villain. In the original, there was some level of doubt as to whether or not he was guilty before it becomes clear he absolutely is-- he came off like a normal man. Here, the villain is beating his wife on-screen even before there is a whiff of murder, and he dresses like a thug on a loan shark's payroll. The original villain was driven to violence through frustration and then terror at being caught-- he wanted to go back to his normal life after ridding himself of his wife. Here, the villain is just a sadist, an approach which is far less interesting in this particular story.
That the film's cinematography and visual storytelling are not up to par with Hitchcock is something I likely don't have to tell you. The subplots which brought the setting to life in the original have all been excised, allowing for a fleeter runtime but a far shallower experience. I can't say this movie is terrible and I was never bored, but it has no business remaking REAR WINDOW or even sharing that title.
But remember, this is a remake of REAR WINDOW. The film forgets this until about after almost a half hour of set-up: unlike the Hitchcock original, we don't start out with our hero already stationed in his apartment. Like I said before, this movie has extensive set-up showing the accident that paralyzes the protagonist, his emotional struggles and loneliness, and then the tech-wizardry of his disability-friendly apartment.
The thriller elements feel arbitrary and are easily the worst part of the movie. Most significantly, there is no ambiguity or mystery about the villain. In the original, there was some level of doubt as to whether or not he was guilty before it becomes clear he absolutely is-- he came off like a normal man. Here, the villain is beating his wife on-screen even before there is a whiff of murder, and he dresses like a thug on a loan shark's payroll. The original villain was driven to violence through frustration and then terror at being caught-- he wanted to go back to his normal life after ridding himself of his wife. Here, the villain is just a sadist, an approach which is far less interesting in this particular story.
That the film's cinematography and visual storytelling are not up to par with Hitchcock is something I likely don't have to tell you. The subplots which brought the setting to life in the original have all been excised, allowing for a fleeter runtime but a far shallower experience. I can't say this movie is terrible and I was never bored, but it has no business remaking REAR WINDOW or even sharing that title.