Was there a plot here?

Personally, I thought the beginning was a bit hokey, and the rest of the film was only average by Hitchcock's standards. Even though that admittedly still makes it rather good, I just think Hitchcock did his best work later.

Great suspense, great acting, but... in the end I thought that the script went a little ... well let's just say, that it wasn't AS FANTASTIC (to say the least) as the rest of the film.

A very well made, engaging suspense flick. The suspense doesn't come from the question of who the killer is but instead from the interplay between Charlie and Charlie as we watch them both grow suspicious of one another. It's highly entertaining stuff and the two leads are great, though it is let down by an obnoxious child performer and the ending, by which I mean both the final showdown which felt disappointing and the follow up to this which was far too fleeting for my liking.

Shadow of a Doubt is quite unique among the Hitchcock films I've seen in that it has no major mystery to it. The ending on the train was a bit awkward, and I really found myself wishing they'd gone with something less dramatic. I'm thinking something like the ending of The Birds, only instead of vaguely frightening birds it'd just fade out on an image of uncle Charlie smiling as he leaves on the train, making it clear that he hasn't changed at all. But I quibble; I enjoyed the film a lot.

Cotten is a great villian and he interacts perfectly with Wright, though honestly I wasn't crazy about Hitchcock taking the whole family angle, which at times became quite abnoxious (see Ann). Herb is the greatest neighbour in the history of cinema though.

This is one of Hitchcock's most straight-forward and least mysterious films. No matter, the story, save for the sections involving the detectives, is compelling enough to carry it. On the whole, most of the acting isn't strong, but Joseph Cotten is great, and his speeches alone are worth the price of admission.

One of Hitch's less potent thrillers, "Shadow Of A Doubt" is definitely worth seeing but it lacks the artistic touch of most of his films and is not a directorial achievement for the master. It is about the co-existence of good and evil (in society but also in the very same person), a theme used in many of his films. Here, though, it ends up being a fight of good and evil and, inevitably, sails towards conventionalities. It's good. Fullstop.

By all means this is a very well done movie. Like the main villain it changes its face and pace second by second. The suspense thermometer starts from the cold point getting temperature until it cracks. I guess Shadow of a Doubt was a turning point for Hitchcock.

A well-enacted, tightly scripted thriller. Teresa Wright holds the film with her excellent acting. The rest of characters just support her. She shows the turmoil of the mind torn between love and justice superbly. I wish Joseph Cotten's character had equal depth and expression. Would have loved to see his character's dilemma between love for his niece and self-protection. Would love to see more of his paranoid world-hating self that made him commit the crimes. Nevertheless, a good thriller.

my personal favorite hitchcock movie.

It may pale in comparison to other of the master's classics, but the elegant, slow-burn "Shadow of a Doubt" nevertheless remains an entertaining, well-acted noir with a superb, witty script. Although it may not rank among Hitchcock's finest directorial works, he still manages to create his trademark aura of suspense and constant menace, aided by a well-formed mystery in the core of the story. However, the ending is definitely disappointing and clichéd.

91.125

337

Almost perfect, except for a rushed ending. This is Hitchcock's first mature exploration of the dark heart of America, and it is one of his finest films. Cotton and Wright are both very good.

poderia ser bom, mas é bobo.

Early Hitchcock, Hitchcock at hsi best

Blue Velvet was born out of this movie. Great depiction of small town evil. Movie is really well focused on Charlotte and Charlie.

They say this is the favorite movie of Hitchcock. I allow myself to disagree. Not the same level of its great classics, although it is a nice movie.