Shadow of a Doubt
Directed by:
Alfred HitchcockCinematography:
Joseph A. ValentineCast:
Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, Hume Cronyn, Wallace Ford, Edna May Wonacott, Charles Bates, Clarence Muse (more)VOD (3)
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Young 'Charlie' Newton (Teresa Wright) longs for something exciting to happen to brighten her dull existence in Santa Rosa with parents Joseph (Henry Travers) and Emma (Patricia Collinge). The arrival of her Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) seems to be just what she needs: urbane, witty and charming, the elder Charlie has announced that he wishes to quit New York to spend some time with his family. Uncle Charlie soon makes himself at home, but his suspicious behaviour begins to unsettle his niece. When police detective Macdonald Carey (Jack Graham) tells Charlie that he believes her uncle to be none other than the Merry Widow murderer, she begins to question whether she really knows Uncle Charlie at all. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (4)
Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt is a great, timeless thriller whose formula is still used in the genre today. Brilliant, psychologically precise filmmaking craft.
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This is a much better film than Saboteur. The tension is constantly mounting, the doubts thicken and Hitchcock plays with the viewer like Uncle Charlie with the Newton family. In short, an impeccably written, acted and shot noir with an utterly nerve-wracking ending.
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I know that I should be respectful toward this film because it is old grandpa at this point and I should respect his gray hair, but the thing is that it's a thriller and I should - at least if I want to fulfill the genre - feel tense, but Uncle Charlie is as transparent as a windowpane and it's simply and obvious that it's a product of its time. From today's perspective, it's very predictable, naive, and burdened with elements that were popular at the time, like the overly wise daughter - I would give it three stars only if Uncle Charlie were murdering such children. It's funny how contemporary thrillers that are way better sometimes have a lower percentage of support than this aging classic. I won't be servile towards Hitchcock and I will only give him an overall impression of 40%.
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An idyllic setting in a sleepy town, one very classic American family, one typically noir villain shrouded in mystery and charisma, all with the Alfred Hitchcock-branded suffocation machine that was just becoming internationally famous. Unfortunately, even that machine isn't always flawless, the narrative takes an all-too naive path despite the psychological precision, and when it's about to shift into third gear and the needle on the speedometer should jump from creeping pursuit to deadly turbulence, it just hiccups mutely and arrives at an unchanged speed. As a fan of film-noir, I did enjoy all the funny characters and the tried and tested story equation, but the illogical and unoriginal ending brought the whole film to its knees. Not even Hitch in his prime could have saved this. 70%
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