Thoughts on Shadow of a Doubt (1943) · 4:23am Feb 15th, 2019
So I just saw Shadow of a Doubt.
And it was pretty great.
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect here but I was definitely entertained. The movie has a plot that has a lot of twists and turns, and I wasn't always sure what to expect. However, the foreshadowing, especially with the characters' actions and where the camera was focused, was very well done and subtle to where a lot of people might have missed it.
The characterization was very interesting, especially with the protagonist, Charlie. She idolizes her uncle Charlie, who is also her namesake, and I loved how that feeling progresses. Plus, with how relateable it is. There are times when people idolize people they like, even in real life, and I liked how this was done here.
I liked how music and sound in general was incorporated. The soundtrack was good like usual, but the movie that was in the movie's setting, like a radio, was well done. Here's what I mean: there's one scene where one character gets concerned about what he's hearing on the radio (a news report) and goes over and changes the station to music and makes it too loud. There's another scene where two characters are in a shady diner and when something important and shocking is said by one of them, the music stops for a couple of seconds and then switches to the next song. The song had ended, sure, but it was a very deliberate and brilliant touch that made the movie just that much more special.
The only thing I have mixed feelings about are the child actors. There are two of them. I don't usually like kids very much, especially when they are loud. And they could be pretty loud in this film. Sure, they weren't screaming or crying (and thank god for that) but still, it was kind of grating on the ears. The girl had some legitimately funny lines though, and I was pleasantly surprised to be laughing at that.
And yeah, overall, I really enjoyed this film. It was very entertaining and meticulously done, and one of the better ones I've seen thus far, I think. I'm not entirely sure what score I'd give it so far, but it probably deserves an eight or a nine out of ten.
