![]() ![]() In the scene there is a light shining on young Charlie and Uncle Charlie is bathed in Darkness. In the scene, the two Charlies are on the porch and and Uncle Charlie is basically threatening young Charlie, saying that she can't make him leave because of what it would to her mother to find out the truth. As Young Charlie learns her Uncle's secret she is tortured by having to keep it to protect her family so she becomes submissive to her uncle and puts up with his shit. Uncle Charlie explains his view on the world to her, spewing hatred and young Charlie just can't handle seeing what was always there.Īnother genius scene shows Hitchcock's mastery of lighting and how it can be used to reflect the story. The waitress there is one of Charlie's friends from school who appears to be stoned and it seems that she has lost her innocence long before Charlie has. It shows that her perfect town even has an element of evil to it. One of the most brilliant scenes is when Uncle Charlie drags young Charlie into a seedy bar, the kind of place she would never go into. He is extremely charming and likable (and fools everyone) but deep down he is filled with intense hatred and disgust which he can't help letting out every once in a while. Jospeph Cotton is absolutely perfect in this role as a man who is hiding his evil nature. She finds out more and more about her Uncle Charlie and comes to realize that this man who she loves in such a pure and naive way is actually a sociopathic murderer. ![]() It makes the darkness in the film that much more powerful.īasically, throughout the film young Charlie learns that the world is not such a perfect place and that there is evil even within her own family. Hitchcock does an excellent job of setting up her small town life with her caring parents, cute little brother and sister, and people in town who all know her name. When Uncle Charlie comes to town, she feels that her family is perfect. She has a strong and perhaps even sexual connection with her uncle Charlie who she completely idolizes. Young Charlie lives in a perfect little town and is very jaded (and naive) in the beginning, wishing there was more excitement in her life and family. There are hundreds of films about this topic but none do it as well except for David Lynch (who was definitely very influenced by this film). I think the main theme of Shadow of a Doubt is the loss of innocence. So much has been written about Vertigo's themes of obsession, loss, regret, illusions, power, and delusions but I don't see Shadow of a Doubt analyzed on the level it deserves. His other masterpieces Psycho and Rear Window go a little further in developing meaning and complex characters (and Marnie but I think that was a bit of a failure) but Vertigo and Shadow of a Doubt are on another level. I also think these 2 films have a much deeper meaning and subtext than the rest of his work. His characters are usually cool and have fun dialogue but only in Vertigo and Shadow of a Doubt does he put the importance of the characters above the plot itself. Hitchcock is one of the greatest directors ever but my main problem with him is that he usually puts suspense and an intricate plot above characters. Personally, I would only put Vertigo above it. As the movie came out during WWII, it seems to have a direct parallel to the evil leaders loose in the world, particularly in the film's final scene.In my opinion, Shadow of a Doubt is one of Hitchcock's greatest films. The second half, including the increasing revelation of Uncle Charlie's dark views of humanity and the lengths to which he will go to protect himself, is what make the film so sinister. On the other hand, there is a real small town feeling to this setting, helped in no doubt by Thornton Wilder being one of the screenwriters, and the characters of Charlie's father (Henry Travers) and his friend (Hume Cronyn) passing the time by talking about the perfect murder are absolutely priceless. Some of the tension is also missing because we're pretty darn sure Uncle Charlie is guilty. I considered a slightly higher rating, but thought the pace in the first half of the movie was a little slow. Trouble is just behind him though, and it gets worse when his niece (also 'Charlie', named after him, and played by Teresa Wright) begins to suspect him of being the "Merry Widow Murderer". Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) is on the run from the law on the East Coast, and he settles in with his sister and her family in Santa Rosa. Hitchcock said this was his favorite film, and there is a quiet evil about it that makes it truly horrifying.
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