Shadow Of A Doubt Analysis
In Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Alfred Hitchcock creates many moments of suspense and mystery. Throughout the entire film the audience is taken through a ride of high moments of suspense and filled with a large impact of mystery. Personally this is one of my favorite films and I really liked the film imagery that Hitchcock used throughout the film. There were many moments where Hitchcock used a variety of his infamous techniques of cutting between scenes. In fact, Shadow of a Doubt was one of his favorite films to direct. In one of his interviews with Peter Bogdanovich, Hitchcock compared the cutting of scenes as music notes. He even once compared himself to an Orchestra Conductor, who is in charge of making sure each scene heightens the audience’s
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As I watched this film for the first time I was really hooked from beginning to end. By the second time I started to notice some subtle focuses where Hitchcock shot a frame through close-ups. This made me think that he wanted the audience to pay attention to that. The majority of the close-ups Hitchcock focused on can all be referred through cinematic symbolism. Some examples of the cinematic symbolism that Hitchcock used throughout Shadow of a Doubt can be seen in the following scenes:
• Scene 1: In the opening scene, dancers are waltz dancing to the “Merry Widow” waltz.
• Scene 2: Camera moves in sequence from Uncle Charlie holding a cigar in the bed, to the money on top of the stand, and then to the money on the ground.
• Scene 3: The dark smoke of the train fills up the entire sky as a shadow casts over the cement.
• Scene 4: Uncle Charlie puts a ring on young Charlies finger and camera closes in uncle Charlie’s action.
• Scene 5: The transition of the waltz scene that appears to be on Uncle Charlie’s mind and then young Charlie appears to have a tune in her head.
• Scene 6: The camera zooms into Uncle Charlie’s hand and purposefully throws the glass on the
As I watched this film for the first time I was really hooked from beginning to end. By the second time I started to notice some subtle focuses where Hitchcock shot a frame through close-ups. This made me think that he wanted the audience to pay attention to that. The majority of the close-ups Hitchcock focused on can all be referred through cinematic symbolism. Some examples of the cinematic symbolism that Hitchcock used throughout Shadow of a Doubt can be seen in the following scenes:
• Scene 1: In the opening scene, dancers are waltz dancing to the “Merry Widow” waltz.
• Scene 2: Camera moves in sequence from Uncle Charlie holding a cigar in the bed, to the money on top of the stand, and then to the money on the ground.
• Scene 3: The dark smoke of the train fills up the entire sky as a shadow casts over the cement.
• Scene 4: Uncle Charlie puts a ring on young Charlies finger and camera closes in uncle Charlie’s action.
• Scene 5: The transition of the waltz scene that appears to be on Uncle Charlie’s mind and then young Charlie appears to have a tune in her head.
• Scene 6: The camera zooms into Uncle Charlie’s hand and purposefully throws the glass on the