Shadow of a Doubt [DVD]

This was Hitchcock's favorite of his own movies. Very rich suspense/romance with mostly lesser known actors. Great story, happy/sad ending.

Shadow of a doubt. Wonderful performance of Cotten and Wright.

Critics and fans agree that Shadow of a Doubt is director Alfred Hitchcock’s finest film. It was nominated for an academy award for Best Story in 1943 and was selected in 1991 by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States national film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Perhaps best of all, it has a 100% rating on the movie website Rotten Tomatoes from critics and fans alike.Shadow of a Doubt is the story of a seemingly charming man, Uncle Charlie, who has a dark and sinister side which is slowly unraveled by his niece. Uncle Charlie’s true character is skillfully revealed through stylized cinematography, intriguing lighting, and an uneasy plot.In the opening scene, cinematography sets the stage for the movie and its focus: Uncle Charlie. As the intro credits fade, we see a sweeping vista of a large bridge and a city’s skyline. The shots fade into a neighborhood, then a street with kids playing ball in the street of that same neighborhood. After the street we see a building, then a window, then Charlie laying on a bed in a formal suit, with a slow movement to his face, and then the camera lingers there. This series of shots sets the stage of the film’s focus on Uncle Charlie. At first, the audience does not know who this man is or what he is doing, but we know that the movie is all about him. The cinematography in the rest of this first scene gives insight and foreshadowing into Uncle Charlie’s true character. After we see him on the bed, we learn that two men are looking for him. This seems to spook Charlie as he makes immediate plans to leave, walking out the door and right past the two men. The scene ends with a bird’s-eye view of the two men running around confused, with Charlie looking down at them from the top of a building. This shows us that Uncle Charlie is elusive, tries to confuse people and may have a few dark secrets that will be explored in this film. Much can be learned about Uncle Charlie from paying attention to the cinematography of the first seven minutes of the movie.From that very first scene in the movie, lighting also plays a key role in establishing Uncle Charlie’s character. As Charlie lies on the bed in the small, darkened room, the camera lingers on his motionless face. The only thing that is illuminated is the bottom-half of his face; his eyes remain in the shadows. This creates a mysterious and eery feeling about Charlie, and the viewer wants to know more. Shortly, as a blind is closed on a window, shadows overtake Charlie from head to toe. When the blind is reopened by Charlie, it creates shadows reminiscent of a jail cell, metaphorically reflecting the nature of Uncle Charlie’s lifestyle because, although he is never incarcerated, his options are so limited, he may as well be in jail. In that first seven minutes of Shadow of a Doubt, the lighting implies an awfully lot about Charlie and his life: he’s not a nice man and his life is full of dark secrets.Shadow of a Doubt’s plot contributes to Uncle Charlie’s story. His essence is a sharp contrast to the world in which his family lives; they are small town people and innocent, while he is a murderer. Despite this difference, Uncle Charlie’s family remains oblivious until his niece discovers the truth about his life, and she chooses to keep his secret hidden. Her reality is altered by the fall of her “hero”. Uncle Charlie’s attitude contrasts greatly with his family; their world is filled with a soft glow of light which shows a dreamy and happy world. This reality is a stark contrast compared to Uncle Charlie’s reality of his life in the shadows. This ignorance is a source of irony, especially with a sub-plot involving Charlie’s brother-in-law, Mr. Newton, and his friend Herbie, who are both obsessed with the so-called "perfect crime”. This subplot occurs regularly; Mr. Newton and Herbie being completely oblivious to the fact that a real life serial killer, the affable Uncle Charlie, lives among them. This sub-plot juxtaposes the innocence of family members as they entertain themselves with “impossible” tales of crime and highlights the inherent evil that exists among them, within Uncle Charlie.All in all, the cinematography, lighting and plot, combined with other movie-making dimensions, contribute to the characterization of Uncle Charlie. From the very first scene, viewers understand that Uncle Charlie is a man with a story, and they are drawn into that story by every dimension of artistic movie-making. These elements combine to make Shadow of a Doubt a masterpiece forever. Way to go Alfred; you really outdid yourself. This is what the cinema is for.

This is probably the finest film Joseph Cotton appeared in that Orson Wells had nothing to do with – and it even holds up in comparison with the ones that Orson did appear in, fitting in aesthetically somewhere between The Third Man and Journey Fear.This is a well known film, and has garnered a reputation since its release on home video as Hitchcock’s favorite of his American films. (It’s my favorite of only his American black-and-whites.) So I don’t think my time is best spent talking about the plot or the merits of the film itself. I’ll just get to talking about the 4K treatment.First, some context; I’m no AV nerd/expert, and my gear is middle of the road stuff, but even so, I’m glad I upgraded to this 4K version. The transfer is luminous and an upgrade in texture and detail. In terms of quality of image, this is probably as close to having seen it on the big screen in 1948 as we will ever get. (I passed on the original Blu-ray release from over 10 years ago, because many claimed it was no upgrade from the DVD. That criticism doesn’t hold true here – not by any stretch of the imagination I am hoping that the Blu-ray included with this package is just a dummied down version from the 4K, and not just another copy of the lackluster prior release!)I could be wrong, but the extras don’t strike me as being any different from what appeared on the DVD release some 20 years ago, but they said pretty much all that really needs to be said, so, no matter. Hitch always made sure that everything you needed to know about the movie was already evident in the movie.I’m fairly broke, but even I thought this upgrade was worth spending my 20 bucks on!

I saw this movie several years ago and taped it because I liked it so much. It is one of my favorite film noires. Joseph Cotton was able to portray a suave, sophisticated man in whatever role he played. He was the personification of the "Southern Gentleman". In this film he was able to switch from the lovable Uncle Charlie to the cold heartless killer that he was. And then switch back in a moment.Naturally his niece could not believe the FBI when they told her about what they believed. She adored him, she loved him. He could never do those horrible murders.You have to wonder though where he got the money to buy such expensive gifts since he didn't seem to have any means of support. But no one seemed to notice that.The acting was great. But then this was Hollywood's golden era and the films were among the best ever made. Actors and actresses were trained well and as a result their performances were usually tops.The viewers interest never lagged and watching Teresa Wright slowly begin to realize that Uncle Charlie wasn't who he seemed to be. Looking at the newspaper in his waste basket and then his realizing that she may see through him and his behavior change got her to thinking more and more that he just could be the man the FBI were looking for.And then there was the kindling romance between her and Macdonald Carey to add to the movie. A break from the grim tone of the story.The only thing I did not like all that much was Hume Cronyn and Henry Travers constant talk about the best way to murder each other.The film seemed darker than I remember. And by that I mean not the tone of the film, but the print itself. It was like watching a film that had been shot using a filter.I would certainly recommend this to any lover of film noire.