Muse of crime American writer Cornell Woolrich (1903-1968) is better known to readers under the pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley. Particularly popular are his works in the genres of detective, thriller, noir. Many of his works were filmed, and more than once. The story “Window to the Backyard” (1942) also “did not escape” the attention of the directors. In 1954, Alfred Hitchcock shot a film of the same name on it, which claimed 4 Oscars at once. Almost 40 years later, Eduard Dmitriev returned to one of Woolrich’s later stories. In order not to claim the laurels of Hitchcock, Dmitriev gave his painting two names: “Window opposite” and “Parrot for the detective”.
It is impossible to compare these two pictures, because they are in completely different “weight categories”: Hitchcock’s film became one of the highest-grossing films of that period, and Dmitriev shot in the literal sense “on the ashes” of Soviet cinema; Hitchcock very freely treated the source, turning it into a multifaceted thriller, and Dmitriev shot a purely “chamber” “cozy” movie, which focused not on the “picture”, but on mental work. As a result, we have what we have - a stylish, well-made movie, in which the intrigue - as befits a good detective - grows gradually, from episode to episode, leading to a bright explosive climax.
The main merit in this is not only the director, as a screenwriter who successfully “adapted” the plot, but also the artists who made the characters “live”. The main character in the film is the detective Jeff (Valentinas Masalskis), but the palm of the championship of the audience sympathies belongs to Albert Filozov. Servant Sam in his performance is courteous, executive, but far from being servile. Given the forced immobility of his employer, Sam has to move for two. This Filozov turned out really well. Special mention deserves the parrot girl Molly, who diluted the "dull grayness of bed existence" Jeff with snarky words from the lexicon of brothel visitors.
Intelligent, but at the same time easy and fun movie.