Shadow of a Doubt

Rating:
Summary: Uncle Charley Has A Dark Side
Review: Nowadays, most people have not heard much about this film compared to some of Hitchcock's other more famous works. The fact that this was one of his favourites alone makes it worth a look. But the film itself is outstanding and should be seen by more people. Teresa Wright, one of the best actresses of the Forties, delivers another terrific performance as the adoring niece of Joseph Cotten who discovers that her Uncle may have a secret that would destroy her whole family. Her developing suspicion is credibly presented as clues are dropped like only Hitchcock can, and the viewer is able to completely sympathize with her as she must shoulder the burden of her knowledge alone. Cotten quietly makes a menacing villain in one of his best performances. The two stars are well supported by Patricia Collinge as Cotten's loving sister and Wright's mother, and by a very quirky Hume Cronyn as the next door neighbour whose hobby is (appropriately) murder. The screenplay builds the suspense slowly but steadily, and there are a number of trademark Hitchcock shots. I may be biased because Wright, Cotten, and Hitchcock are among my favourites from the Forties, but I think everyone will agree that Shadow of a Doubt is an excellent suspense film.

Rating:
Summary: Underrated and superb
Review: I've actually sometimes felt Hitchcock to be overrated. I've enjoyed films like "Vertigo" up to a point but fail to see what makes them "masterpieces". This film, however, is truly outstanding, though. What makes it particularly powerful is its brilliantly simple idea--what if the relative you love and trust the most is actually a serial killer? Would anyone else in your family believe you if you found that to be true? The acting here is top-notch and the direction is the best I've ever seen from Hitchcock. This is one time he proved to be all that his biggest fans say he was.

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Summary: EXTREMELY SCARY! EVERYONE WILL LOVE IT!
Review: i have to say this is one of the best mysteries ever! I havenever before seen a movie that is about an uncle trying to kill hisniece. Anyone who likes alfred hitchcock will like this movie. it is almost as good as rebecca and dial m for murder.(that is very good! )Teresa wright and joseph cotten are wonderful in this movie. This is the type of movie that you watch with the lights out and get very scared when watching. If you haven't seen an alfred hitchcock movie yet this is the one to start with! Everyone has got to watch this movie. it is so cool!

Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's best
Review: I love all Hitchcock but this is by far Hitchcock at his finest. I have heard it was his favorite as well. Teresa Wright and Jospeh Cotten are wonderful. I can watch this video again and again and never tire of it. A must see!

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Summary: HITCHCOCK MEETS CAPRA
Review: In a most unusual setting of a small community terror rules in a big way. As in most of Hitchcock's best works (REAR WINDOW, my personal favorite, PSYCHO, VERTIGO, ect.) this film starts out telling one story then takes an abrupt turn and leads the viewer down a totally different path. You are in the master's hand as a piece of putty from then on. A great cast really makes you believe they are part of that little town that looks as though it could have been a blue print for the one in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Outside of his work with Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten has his finest hour in this film, particularly in the climax on the train. Some great Hitch moments take place on a moving locomotive (THE LADY VANISHES, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN and others) and this film is no exception. Truly suspenseful and a definite classic but I really don't think it qualifies as a horror film!!!

Rating:
Summary: Possibly his best
Review: I've seen 'em all, and, with the possible exception of Vertigo, this is Hitchcock's best. Certainly Joseph Cotton's performance is the creepiest in a Hitchcock film until Anthony Perkins' in Psycho. And the film's pace is perfect. The audience slowly learns of Uncle Charlie's past and his prejudices, but are blinded by his amiable demeanor. Slowly, young Charlie discovers her uncle's secret, and the movie becomes Hitchcock's scariest.

Rating:
Summary: Essential film for any Hitchcock fan worth a damn
Review: Shadow of a Doubt is one of those few movies that are perfect in their simplicity. It is one of Hitchcock's favourites and Wright's and Cotten's performances are flawless. I love the family scenes and the sheer realism of the film. There are some great standout scenes and in conclusion I'm going to state that this is Hitchcock's best film of the forties.

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Summary: No Doubt About It--A Classic
Review: There are any number of things to recommend this film: the beautifully executed "Doppelganger" realtionship between Charlie and Uncle Charlie; the manner in which dank, claustrophobic Philadelphia gives way to the assuring middle-class comfort of Santa Rosa; the confident, stately pace in which Hitchcock unravels the secrets of Uncle Charlie. But, on repeated viewings, the beauty of Teresa Wright's performance as "young" Charlie emerges as the film's most winning quality. At the start, she's a dewy-eyed, highly emotional young lady awaiting Uncle Charlie as a white knight who'll dispel the mundane boredom of Santa Rosa. As the real Uncle Charlie emerges, Wright darkens and deepens her character until, in the final confrontation with Joseph Cotten, there's a righteous ferocity that's almost chilling. One of the best performances in the Hitchcock canon--which is high praise indeed!

Rating:
Summary: Shadow Of A Doubt is Hitchcock's first artistic masterpiece
Review: Shadow Of A Doubt truly is the first Hitchcock film where the viewer can first witness how well this great director uses sounds and sets to evoke emotion from the viewer. Cotton and Wright are perfectly cast, with Cotton particularly eerie as the "perfect" uncle. Hitchcock takes the viewer from a comfortable position and throws them into a horrible "what if" situation. What if that favorite relative of yours was capable of something evil? I think that the way Hitchcock used sound and setting in this movie only heightened the suspense. The quiet town...the perfect family is the backdrop for murder and secrets. His use of sound during the dinner party (cups clanking, etc.) are eerie and cheery all at the same time. The scene where Charlie discovers the horrible past of her Uncle...and then watches him merrily jump up the porch steps to play with her brother....is bloodchilling.

Rating:
Summary: Worthy of Hitchcock's estimation of it
Review: Like all of Hitchcock's best work, this film is really much more about the subtle complexities of human relationships and the violence people can wreak upon one another than it is about actual murder or physical violence. The film's dreamy, peaceful setting of Santa Rosa is ideal for pursuing these issues, and Hitchcock assembled the best cast of his career for this film: Teresa Wright, giving the performance of her life, as the terrified niece, Joseph Cotten as the charming psychopathic uncle, and perhaps most memorable of all, Patricia Collinge as the foolish, adoring mother. The attacks on young Charlie's life are terrifically suspensful, but the most nailbiting scene is actually the great sequence when Charlie has to race through town to get the newspaper before the library closes, to discover just what her uncle has tried to hide in the evening newspaper...