Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

 Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt"

Often considered by Hitchcock to be his best film, "Shadow of a Doubt" takes the same principles as his 1941 hit "Suspicion" and utilizes them for a much darker story. The film centers on a 'typical' American family in Santa Rosa, California. Hitchcock liked the idea of bringing evil to an unsuspecting small town and he felt Santa Rosa was the perfect town for an idealized typical America. During the time of the film's production, World War II was in full effect as German forces were battering Hitchcock's home of Great Britain. During filming, Hitchcock was feeling nostalgic and homesick. He could not even go visit his dying mother in London due to wartime travel restrictions. In filming "Shadow of a Doubt," Hitchcock was able to explore his current sentiment and express the sentiment of America at the time.

The film's protagonist, Charlotte "Charlie" Newton, lives with her parents in Santa Rosa. She is named after her uncle Charlie, who comes to visit one day on short notice. Slowly over time, Charlotte begins to suspect that her uncle is up to something. Eventually, she is contacted by private investigators who warn her that her uncle is suspected to be the "Merry Widow murderer," believed to have killed widows and gotten away with all her money. When she begins to change her attitude around her uncle, she begins having 'accidents' that almost lead to her death. She falls down the stairs due to a loose step as well as getting trapped in the garage with the car running (and no key). She warns her uncle to flee, but instead he tries to kill her one last time. He tries to throw her in front of a train, only for himself to fall in her stead accidentally.

In this idyllic small town that Charlotte resides in, everyone knows her name. Everything is an 'idealized' version of what domestic life in America looks like. However, Charlotte feels bored of it. At the beginning of the film, she is down in the dumps, waxing about how all they ever do is 'eat, sleep, and go to work." She wants some adventure in her life. Well, she certainly got in the form of Uncle Charlie. This invasion of an evil force into an idyllic American small time seems to represent the sentiment of American life at the time. While war was raging in Europe, the average American was safe and sound in their domestic life. The horror and evil of the war was a creeping notion seated just under the surface of the public consciousness.

Despite the title of the film, we the viewer certainly have no shadow of a doubt that Uncle Charlie is dangerous. We are essentially told this from the very beginning when we see him being followed by the investigators and stashing a load of cash to escape. For the rest of the film, it is Hitchcock's direction that allows the viewers' hairs to stand up as we anticipate the safety of our protagonist. His slow zooms when a character draws recognition or fear, his tilting shots that make us feel a sense of unease, the contrast between light and shadow demonstrating moral perspectives, and the perspective shot demonstrating how oppressive or powerful a force is. For example, in the shot below, the staging of Uncle Charlie in the doorway at the top of the stairs creates in inherently creepy visual image. Hitchcock tends to use stairways to express a power hierarchy. Characters standing at the top tend to visually express a sense of power and/or menace over characters standing at the bottom. For example, in the second image below, Charlotte's visage at the bottom of the stairway makes us "look down" on her, as she is in a position of weakness. "Shadow of a Doubt" is perhaps Hitchcock's most subtle work, allowing the film to breathe, while also allowing for a subtle undercurrent of tension and unease. 

The film was as massive success and was often hailed as Hitchcock's best. However, having watched the film before writing this assessment, I felt it was not one of Hitchcock's best. I did enjoy the film, however. It was a solid viewing experience. But, I felt the script was incredible lacking. Some of the plot elements seem to have been lazily done. This was no fault on Hitchcock, as it was written by three other writers. As far as Hitchcock's contribution, he did masterfully. However, on the whole, "Shadow of a Doubt" is a film with the aesthetic of suspense, fully enjoyable, but not much to sink your teeth into.