Rear Window vs Disturbia - The Match-Up

This really will not be a fair comparison. Rear Window is a Hollywood classic, way ahead of it's time and Disturbia was a targeted star vehicle. I guess Dreamworks, the producers of Disturbia, were not interested in going so far as to get the rights to film an official remake to Rear Window. That's what we have here however, with just enough changed to make it a different movie. Disturbia is going to be a prime example in my thesis that most Hollywood remakes are strictly money making ventures. But when you hold it up to the movie it was inspired by, you see just how short it falls.

In both films we have a main character trapped in his own home, Kale (Disturbia's protagonist) isn't very trapped to be honest, but let's not get hung up on the details. As I spoke about it my review of Disturbia, this really takes all the steam out of the situation. Kale is in danger at times but he can always fight, flee or evade in the tense situations. L.B. Jefferies, however, confined to his wheel chair in Rear Window, really puts the viewer smack dab in his shoes.

I was prepared to bring up sexuality as a topic before I even watched these movies, having only seen the previews. With a pool scene where our main character eyes his young female neighbor, I was ready to claim that Disturbia, being a modern movie was more risque than it's 50's counterpart, but I was mistaken. There were relatively little sexual overtones in the modern version, perhaps because it was a teen focused film. While not full of sex, Rear Window did have what would seem to be a good amount of sexual implications, if you account for the era it was made. The main character appreciates, on a regular basis, the dancing ballerina across the way he affectionately names, "Ms. Torso." Also, handled with some 1950's discretion, it is implied that towards the end of the film our male and female leads are intending to take their relationship to a more intimate place. While it didn't make one film better or worse than the other, that was a point I did notice.

Overall, there also was a seeming laziness in the plot structure of Disturbia. They let you know much too early in the movie that the creepy neighbor is, in fact, a serial killer (who by the way, lest I forget, has one of the most extensive and elaborate serial killer lairs you'll ever find beneath a suburban neighborhood.) Keeping us, and L.B. Jefferies guessing right until the last moments, creates a completely different sense of tension in Rear Window. In DisturbiaI felt like they cemented the idea of the neighbor serial killer early, so they could get to the exciting, action packed ending, much sooner. Which is a point in itself.

I'm assuming it is the current convention of Hollywood film making that no audience wants to see the hero of the movie powerless to resolve the situation he is in. In a move that is rarely seen these days, the main character of Rear Window is almost completely powerless when the bad guy comes to confront him. Jefferies does manage to slow down the killer just enough (using elements that are close at hand) to survive, with the help of his friends and the police. Can you imagine if a modern thriller starring Bruce Willis has him narrowly avoiding death thanks to the quick reaction of his wife or girlfriend. Somehow I don't think so.

There is nothing too offensive about Disturbia, it's just average filmmaking. There is a place in the movie world for films that are not culturally relevant or groundbreaking. Most of them are just that, with only a small percentage being original and innovative. Disturbia can be an enjoyable flick to some. Just do yourself a favor, if you watch Disturbia, make time to see Rear Window as well. It will be like having that healthy salad along with the fattening cheeseburger at lunch. Something good to balance out the bad stuff.