Summary
When asked “What’s your favoriteAlfred Hitchcockfilm?
“, there are several answers one may give.
Yet if you pose this question to the Master of Suspense himself, his answer might surprise you.
Custom Image by Annamaria Ward
So why did Hitchcock loveShadow of a Doubtso much?
What Is ‘Shadow of a Doubt’ About?
Shadow of a Doubttells the story of two Charlies.
A teenage girl, overjoyed when her favorite uncle comes to visit the family in their quiet California town, slowly begins to suspect that he is in fact the “Merry Widow” killer sought by the authorities.
Being followed by two detectives, he decides to take a trip to Santa Rosa, California.
A telegram arrives to tell her that her favorite Uncle Charlie is visiting.
The two relatives reunite joyfully, but suspicious clues soon reveal that something’s afoot with Uncle Charlie.
Contemporary reappraisal is even kinder; David Kehr ofChicago Readercalls it"Hitchcock’s first indisputable masterpiece.
Hitchcock starts the film with him; he is creepy as hell upon our first glimpse.
That truly has the power to drive anyone insane.
While women protagonists are common in Hitchcock’s filmography, a teenage girl is rare.
This means young Charlie isn’t characterized by Hitchcock’ssexualizing male gaze and fetishistic obsession with blondes.
The ending is morally ambiguous in this nasty and heartbreaking way that only conjures respect for Hitchcock’s mastery.
Image Via Universal
“That perfectly sums up the greatness of this film.
Instead, it helplessly falls prey to Uncle Charlie’s charms.
As Hitchcock told Truffaut, the villain “even has the public’s sympathy.
Hitchcock had a mean streak; he had an obsession with exposing the perverse underbelly of human psychology.
Shadow of a Doubtis available to rent in the U.S. on Amazon.