Rear Window : The Best Film of the 1950's?

The Best Film of the 1950's?

Other films might jump to mind more readily...

Sunset Blvd
Wages of Fear
Night of the Hunter

...maybe even Hitchcock's own Vertigo.

But when it gets down to it, no film speaks to the time-period and captures the decade fueled by Prosperity and Paranoia more than Rear Window. And, man, does this film hold up like gangbusters - it's relentlessly entertaining.

What do you all think?

Check out the latest Spin on Rear Window @
http://theschleicherspin.com/2011/08/08/revisiting-rear-window-the-bes t-film-of-the-1950s/

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

WriterDave, I totally AGREE.

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Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

My vote goes to Vertigo.

Don't forget The Searchers, Tokyo Story, The Seven Samurai, Touch of Evil, and my personal favorite 50's classic Singing in the Rain.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Rear Window is one of the best, but two of my absolute favorites (and certainly two of the best of the 50s) are mentioned here- namely Vertigo and The Searchers.

Another favorite of mine that has been very well-received by critics and fans but generally isn't seen as being on quite the same level as those films mentioned is 12 Angry Men. Great flick.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

It's one of the best I'n 1950's.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

To me, it isn't.

Here's my personal favorites.

10/10
1. Limelight (1952)
2. The Seventh Seal (1957)
3. Fear (1954)
4. Journey to Italy (1954)
5. Wild Strawberries (1957)
6. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
7. Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950)
8. Second Chance (1953)
9. Suddenly (1954)
10. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
11. The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955)
12. Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954)
13. Europe '51 (1952)
14. Alfred Hitchcock Dial M for Murder (1954)
15. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
16. Walter Wanger's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
17. Halls of Montezuma (1950)
18. Stromboli (1950)
19. Diabolique (1955)
20. House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Volker Flenske: (While torturing David) I don't know why you're doing this to yourself!

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Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Ben-Hur or Rio Bravo gets my vote.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

I think the best film of the 1950's (and, IMO, of the 20th century) is Seven Samurai (1954).

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The darker the shadow, the more radiant the light it beams.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

North By Northwest.


Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

a few of my favorites

Forbidden Games
Roman Holiday
North by Northwest

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Forgot about North by Northwest ...... what a gem!

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Not the best the 1950s had to offer, but it is my number one of 1954. No wait... I think that goes to On The Waterfront.



Hey there, Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

That one definetely is a contender (pun inevitable) for best film of the 1950s.

You may cross-examine.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?


Not the best the 1950s had to offer, but it is my number one of 1954. No wait... I think that goes to On The Waterfront.


I prefer Rear Window to On the Waterfront. Even though the latter is more cutting edge in the sense of location shooting and 'psychologically realistic' acting, it also may suffer slightly from borderline trite romantic sentimentality and cinematic techniques that, while, powerful, are also a little mechanical or heavy-handed. Hitchcock's film, on the other hand, is smoother artistically, subversive on multiple levels, and more ambiguous, while also being just plain 'fun.' On the Waterfront is a very good, striking, and memorable film, don't get me wrong, and certain scenes should rank among the greatest of all-time. However, the film's rhythms are more jagged than those of Rear Window.

But I don't believe that Rear Window is the decade's best film. Actually, I I'd say that it's only Hitchcock's third-best film of the decade, after Vertigo and North by Northwest.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

It's right up there. One thing that makes this such a great 50's film is, that was the decade that TV was destroying the movies. So what Hitchcock did was create a set that's essentially a bunch of little TV screens. Interesting comment on the times.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Night of the Hunter is a underrated classic. I'm surprised only one person even mentioned my pick for best film of the 1950's, 12 Angry Men.

_______
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?


One thing that makes this such a great 50's film is, that was the decade that TV was destroying the movies. So what Hitchcock did was create a set that's essentially a bunch of little TV screens. Interesting comment on the times.


... great way of looking at it, I'd never thought of that metaphor before.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Vertigo for me. I absolutely love it and it happens to be my 5th favourite film of all time. After that would be 12 Angry Men, which is in my top 20 favourite films.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

BBC Culture's deeply-flawed new list of the top 100 American films of all time (July 2015) doesn't include either Rear Window or 12 Angry Men... yet Marnie inexplicably charts at No.47 and North by Northwest is as high as 13th!

http://www.hitfix.com/awards-campaign/scratching-our-heads-at-the-bbcs-top-100-american-movies-of-all-time

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(I'm quite happy with Vertigo's placing at No. 3 though!)

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

The African Queen, has them all beat!

Limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief: directly proportional to its awesomeness.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

The 50s was a great decade for movies.

Paths of Glory? African Queen? Shane? Bridge on the River Kwai? Touch of Evil?

And yes, Hitchcock made in my opinion some of his best films in that decade. Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, North by Northwest, and one of my favourite movies of all time , Vertigo

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Rear window is the best 1950s movie by far to me.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Singin' in the rain is the best film of the '50s












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I did sixty in five minutes once...

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

50s was great. best decade in history of cinema along with 90s and 70s.i think best movies of the decade are:
Rear Window
Dial M for Murder
Seven Samurai
12 Angry Men
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Some Like It Hot
The Nights of Cabiria
Witness for the Prosecution
Touch of Evil
Paths of Glory
All About Eve
The Killing

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

In order of release.
Alice In Wonderland
Rear Window
The Searchers
Ikiru
Seven Samurai
La Strada
Touch of Evil
Vertigo
The Wild Strawberries
North By Northwest

My favorites of the 50s at this moment.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Sunset Blvd.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's??

I liked Rear Window the first time I saw it, but I haven't been able to get through it since that time.

Lots of terrific films came out in the 1950s. One of Hitchcock's best (Dial M For Murder) is from that decade.

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen 🎇

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Ben-hur gets my vote. It's groundbreaking for epic cinema.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Rear Window is certainly one of the greatest films of all time and it's Hitch's personal favorite. It's used in Film courses around the globe.

Re: The Best Film of the 1950's?

Of the 16 i've seen, Paths of Glory blows everything out of the water.
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