Review of Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Ashley C — 29 Dec 2008

I'd seen this two, possibly three times before in my early to mid 20s, and I remember having forgotten about the previous viewing when I saw it the second time around before the plot jogged my memory. Fast forward to a few weeks ago at age 35 where I saw it playing on a TV in a bar and where I recognized it almost immediately, without sound, on seeing just one incidental shot of a traffic cop.

The small-town folksiness can get a little overbearing, but it serves its dual purpose of standing in relief against the darkness that's rolled into town (cf. Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks) and, unlike Lynch's affectionate-if-warped homages to Americana, thoroughly skewering that dream of innocence and simpler times. Hitch keeps the melodrama in check with some characteristic gallows humor; even the obnoxiously cute, precocious kid somehow works thanks to an inspired, deadpan delivery. If I'd change anything, I'd establish the plot point with the garage door earlier. Add two or three more freeze-frames to the Potential Desktop Backgrounds folder.