L'ombre d'un doute

Often overlooked for his later masterpieces, "Shadow of a Doubt," penned in part by Alma Reville (Hitchcock), is a brilliant, character-driven thriller that stars one of the great, also under-heralded, actresses of the time, Teresa Wright, paired fantastically with Joseph Cotton. The characters are full-bodied. The performances are subtle and affected in all the right places. The exchanges between Henry Travers and Hume Cronyn are spectacular, black comedy gold. One of the few from Hitchcock that might rightfully fall under the category of film noir. Set in filming location Santa Rosa, in the northern part of California that Hitchcock so loved, "Shadow of a Doubt" deftly captures both the innocence and dark crimes and deceptions of mid-twentieth century America. True suspense. This gem is not to be missed.

The story of Shadow of a Doubt kept me on the edge of my seat, but I had a hard time accepting some of the actions (and reactions) of the characters. It also seemed to play its hand a little too early, and the big reveal didn't feel as shocking. Teresa Wright makes a wonderful protagonist, though, and I may never trust Joseph Cotten in any other role now.

It's no little known fact that Hitchcock was among the pioneers of the suspense thriller genre. With 'Shadow of a Doubt' he creates another suspensefilled chilling drama. I must be very careful with what I reveal of the story for it is important for the viewer to be'deceived' when they first 'meet' the characters.

Starting with the look of the film, well things definitely aren't what they seem. I liked the setting of the town. It really captured that small-town feel. The music was a little over the top at times but then again it does add to the Hitchockian feel. Camera-work is exceptionally good.

The screenplay is solid. I especially liked the dialogues and how toned they were. The comic relief is very well placed and it certainly had me laughing. The performances are remarkable. Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten are superb. Their on screen interaction is intriguing and brilliantly executed. Patricia Collinge is outstanding as the mother and sister. Hume Cronyn is very funny.

I only thought that the portrayal of the two detectives was a little odd. They were quite stupid. In addition, the romance between the detective and young Charley felt rushed.

So there are a couple of little flaws but 'Shadow of a Doubt' still is among Hitchcock's awesome pictures. Hitchock himself said that it's his favourite film and I can see why.

A young woman (Teresa Wright) discovers her visiting "Uncle Charlie" (Joseph Cotten) may not be the man he seems to be.

This is classic Hitchcock, and one of Joseph Cotten's finest roles, which is quite a compliment considering how great Cotten is/was. He is dark, misanthropic, misogynistic, and keeps you guessing. That is the beauty of this film: you will debate with yourself Charlie's true identity (maybe he really is who he says he is).

The film has a good deal of suspense, and solid performances from everyone involved. I do not think this is one of Hitchcock's most well-known films, and I am sorry about that. For me, it ranks above "Rebecca" in his catalog. Really a fine film and worth seeing again.

I own the Hitchcock collection (14 films in toto), and while this isn't my favourite of the bunch ('Psycho' is one of my favourite movies of all time, and 'Birds' never gets old), I like to watch it every now and again to remind myself what it means to make a "suspense film", and why Hitchcock was and always will be the master of this craft.

To give away even the slightest story detail would ruin it for new viewers, because it is essential that everyone begin with the wrong impressions of the major characters. This allows Hitch to pull off his famous 'twists' throughout the course of the movie, hitting you every now and then with something you simply weren't expecting.

One of my favourite elements in the movie is the ongoing dialogue between Henry Travers and Hume Cronyn, avid mystery readers who are constantly discussing the best ways to murder each other. Apart from being a bit of comic relief in an otherwise very dark film, it also demonstrates how lightly people think of murder and murderers...until they encounter them face-to-face.

My advice then, if you want to see this movie, is not to learn anything about it beforehand. Going in with no knowledge will increase the movie's initial impact, and will help you to appreciate why Hitchcock was the 'Master of Suspense'. This is a taut thriller with no gratuitous violence, foul language, or mature situations.

(Hitch considered it 'a family film'.)

Enjoy!