Review of Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Mjs M — 06 Aug 2009

It?s been reported that this is Hitchcock?s personal favorite of his films, and I?d certainly place it in his top five. Here is where I think Hitchcock went from being an exceptional maker of thrillers to being the master of suspense.

?Uncle Charlie? is undoubtedly one of the greatest villains of Hollywood cinema and he?s masterfully played by Joseph Cotton. I love how this movie has a real subversive edge about the illusion of safety that small towns provide.

While it is a mere thriller on the surface it?s really about the Teresa Wright character?s coming of age and newly found self awareness. This isn?t the same old ?wrong man? plot that Hitchcock sort of ran into the ground, and one can really see the master going into a creative renaissance in some of the shots here.