Shadow of a Doubt. The Business of Life. (1943) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Transcription

1 The Business of Life Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 2016 Educational Guidance Institute 11

2 Shadow of a Doubt Shadow of a Doubt is Alfred Hitchcock s own personal favorite film according to film commentary featuring his daughter Patricia. The film was made on location in the small northern California city of Santa Rosa. This film gives us charming images of community life in America in the era of World War II. Storyline The heroine finds life boring in the small town of Santa Rosa, but not for long. Young Charlie discovers there are mysterious and ominous questions concerning her Uncle Charlie that demand answers. Young Charlie encounters two police detectives who are engaged in a nationwide search for a serial killer. The man they are looking for has murdered two wealthy widows. Soon Young Charlie must make the moral choices pressed upon her when she finds out her uncle is the murderer the police are looking for Educational Guidance Institute 12

3 Film Facts: Shadow of a Doubt Year: 1943 Featuring: Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright, Henry Travers, Hume Cronyn Director: Alfred Hitchcock Viewing Time: 108 Minutes Setting: Filmed on location in Santa Rosa, California Shadow of Doubt received only one Oscar nomination and that was Gordon McDonell for best writing of an original story. All three of the screen writers were well-known literary figures: Thornton Wilder was the author of Our Town, Sally Benson was the author of Meet Me in St. Louis, and Alma Reville was not only the wife of Alfred Hitchcock but also frequently collaborated with him on several of his most famous films. The Brilliance of the Ensemble Cast in Shadow of a Doubt In the style of film making in the 1940s, the best directors and the studios knew how to make the supporting actors stand out to the audience. Alfred Hitchcock here has Henry Travers, famous as Clarence in It s a Wonderful Life, as Teresa Wright s clueless father and Hume Cronyn as the crime-obsessed neighbor. These two characters provide comic relief that eases the tension of the audience in between the scenes of darkness and suspense Educational Guidance Institute 13

4 Film Critic s Corner Dialogue, Direction and Performance in Shadow of a Doubt Shadow of a Doubt is considered by most film critics to be Hitchcock s first indisputable masterpiece. It was also the first Hollywood movie that Hitchcock made on location. He chose Santa Rosa, California as his typical small town that unknowingly entertains evil in its midst. The master of suspense was once asked to describe the major theme of the film as he saw it. Hitchcock responded: "Love and good order is no defense against evil". We see the evil presence of Uncle Charlie and the audience soon learns he is the merry widow murderer. Charlie is escaping from the police by visiting with his family. Joseph Cotten s character stands on the porch and waits expectantly for his niece to confront him. To an ordinary passer-by in the neighborhood, they would appear to be a niece and her uncle about to have a normal conversation. Hitchcock shows the interwoven nature of good and evil in human affairs through the personality and character of a murderer and his niece. In the character of Uncle Charlie, Hitchcock presents a disturbed and narcissistic man who thinks he is God. In his sick mind, he has the power to judge whether a person should live or die. Young Charlie is the only member of the family that knows her uncle s true character Educational Guidance Institute 14

5 Post-Viewing Discussion: Shadow of a Doubt Charlie is torn between her concern for her family and the knowledge that her uncle is a murderer. Discuss the events and choices that Young Charlie must face. Paying attention to the world around us When Charlie notices the inscription on the ring her uncle has given her, she knows he has something to hide. Taking action when things don t add up Uncle Charlie cuts an article about the murderer from the family newspaper, and Charlie goes to the Santa Rosa Public Library to find out his secret. the right decision Making Concerned for her family, Charlie has to make judgments about what to tell the police. Her situation is complicated by her mutual attraction with the chief detective investigating the whereabouts of the Merry Widow Murderer Educational Guidance Institute 15

6 The Business of Life in Shadow of a Doubt Love and good order is no defense against evil is the major theme of the film as described by its director, Alfred Hitchcock. Experiencing the duality of good and evil in a small town One reason Shadow of a Doubt is considered Alfred Hitchcock s first indisputable masterpiece is the fascinating way that the director lets the audience in on the secret that only young Charlie knows in the story. In a chilling sequence Uncle Charlie discloses to his niece the disturbing truth that he considers himself able to declare people who are not fit to live. Audiences of the day understood that this was no ordinary villain. During a family dinner he reveals his hatred of rich widows, comparing them to fat animals deserving to be slaughtered. An adult watching this film in 1943 during World War II would know this exchange reflected the ideology of Nazi Germany. Hitchcock presents the bar scene to show in clear terms the confrontation between two people who have the same name: the good niece and her evil uncle. Uncle Charlie does not hesitate to appeal to her family loyalty Educational Guidance Institute 16