Saturday, November 15, 2025

Shadow of a Doubt

Last week, I watched Shadow of a Doubt again.  I noticed that two scenes have shots that bear enough similarity to each other that they seem meant to invite a comparison and yet differ enough to illustrate a contrast.

Early in the movie, Uncle Charlie looks out a window in Philadelphia to see two detectives who are following him:



He's unnerved at their presence and mutters to himself, "What do you know?  You're bluffing!  You've nothing on me."

In an attempt to escape their surveillance, he goes to visit his sister's family in Santa Rosa, California.  Shortly after he arrives, he looks out the window to see two women chatting:



In the frame, he's facing right instead of left (as he was before), and the two women are oblivious to him, unlike the two male detectives who were keenly watching him.  Rather than reacting with anxiety, he's relaxed and even smiles.  The second scene also has a brighter overall palette, especially the clothing:  Uncle Charlie is wearing a lighter colored suit than he was earlier, and the two women are dressed in white.  All of these opposing details demonstrate the completely different natures of the two settings.