39. Shadow of a Doubt

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39. Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - Alfred HitchcockA young woman thinks her uncle may be a serial killer It's a well known fact that Shadow of a Doubt was Alfred Hitchcock's favourite of all his films. Strangely it doesn't get mentioned alongside the likes of Vertigo, Psycho and Rear Window but I really can't understand why. Maybe it's because the film's genius isn't as obvious as those above. The movie follows Uncle Charlie (the great Joseph Cotton) who is being chased by the cops, as he is suspected of being the "Merry Widow Murderer", who is murdering old ladies to inherit their fortune. He goes on the run to the small town of Santa Rosa, but when the town's nosy cop and his own niece (also named Charlie) begin questioning and investigating him, he may just have to murder again. Joseph Cotton's character is such a great villain because of the aura of mystery that surrounds him. We know absolutely nothing about this character and importantly we don't even see his crimes on screen. Cotton plays the character with a sinister edge. He is charming and intelligent but behind that handsome face, is a murdering psychopath with no redeeming qualities. He is truly frightening. Shadow of a Doubt is about the image of the "All American Family" and the juxtaposition between the large and small town communities. When the rest of Hollywood were depicting movies that were meant to uplift the country during the horrors of WWII, it's to Hitchcock's credit that he showed a ironic and pessimistic view of American life. Shadow of a Doubt showed that Hitchcock was more than just a genre director, releasing capable films to please audiences of a particular nature. Shadow of a Doubt showed that Hitchcock was the master of not just suspense, but social commentaries on humanity and all our universal fears.
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Matt Holmes is the co-founder of What Culture, formerly known as Obsessed With Film. He has been blogging about pop culture and entertainment since 2006 and has written over 10,000 articles.