20 Movie Scenes That Are Totally Flawless

Alfred Hitchcock has directed numerous scenes worthy of this list, from Psycho's shock twist to the rooftop chase in Vertigo, but for this writer's money nothing quite beats the opening of his suspenseful masterpiece Rear Window.

Opening on the wheelchair-bound photographer Jeff Jeffries (James Stewart), Hitchcock's prologue masterfully sets up the entire tone and backstory of the movie without any dialogue.

We get a look at Jeff's life since he was confined to his room, then take a scanning look around his Manhattan neighbourhood, meeting the various locals through their windows and spotting their various eccentricities.

In only a five-minute stretch, Hitchcock introduces Jeff, explains his injury and occupation, and sets up a rogues gallery of potential suspects and victims for the film's upcoming murder mystery. There's a reason Hitchcock is referred to as the Master of Suspense, and watching Rear Window's opening makes it abundantly clear why.