'Shadow of a Doubt' - A Movie Review

Well, now I know evil is on its way whenever a train is pulling into town. You can never trust that thick smoke.

Shadow of a Doubt is a 1943 thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Excited that her Uncle Charlie is coming to visit her family, Charlie discovers that her uncle is not the person who he makes himself out to be.

Alfred Hitchcock has always been one of my favorite directors of suspense. All his movies have a very different meaning. Shadow of a Doubt sets viewers on their toes about their family and friends. How much do we really know? In this riveting film, Charlie stops at nothing, figuring out clues about her uncle who she cherished.

Teresa Wright is fantastic as Charlene ‘Charlie’ Newton. Her transformation from a dreamer into a fighter throughout the course of the film is believable. Wright had incredible enthusiasm. While aloof in the beginning, Wright’s determination and courage is what makes Alfred Hitchcock’s most favorite film memorable.

Playing her Uncle Charlie who shares the same name is his niece, Joseph Cotton won’t stop at anything as he is trying to cover his tracks from the law. Cotton was outstanding, even making viewers question his persona.

While he does a great job, I wish that Cotton’s character could have had more remorseful for his actions instead of trying to play with his niece’s head and, even worse, putting her in harm's way. To me, his actions in the last half of the film felt out of character.

I enjoyed the performances of the rest of the family along with supporting roles of those who played neighbors or policemen. Patrica Collinge, Henry Travers, Hume Cronyn (in his film debut), Wallace Ford, and Macdonald Carey all made spectacular performances.

Edna May Wonacott and Charles Bates were terrific as Charlie’s siblings. I especially got a kick out of Wonacott reading in almost every scene especially as she is taking a long time to answer the phone.

The interactions between Charlie and her uncle were endearing. They created a believable relationship between an uncle and a niece. It’s a shame that it can’t last and even Cotton wishes that it didn’t have to be that way.

One little complaint I have about the film is the sudden relationship between Wright and Carey’s character, a young detective helping out in the case of her uncle. Their romantic subplot didn’t feel necessary and felt awkward in the placement of the film. At times the film steered off from its own plot line, making it drawn out in some places.

Movies are a gift to look back in time at how different societies, people, and technology were. A lot has changed, for better or for worse. I loved scenes with old phones.

Hitchcock knows how to blend in a good measurement of comedy into suspense. I got a crack at Travers and Cronyn making cracks at each other trying to decipher how they’d kill one another in the perfect murder.

The music is suspenseful. The direction in scenes and camera angles created a suspenseful atmosphere that is off-putting to the audience knowing that something doesn’t look right in the midst of a family eating a normal dinner together. One of my favorite scenes is the library scene. That scene in itself makes the movie as Charlie comes to the realization that you can’t trust every face in this big world.

Ending with a gripping climax, add Shadow of a Doubt to your must-see Alfred Hitchcock film list. It’s a very well-directed film that has the right tone and atmosphere, delivering a suspenseful thriller.