Traditionally she would be enamored by his misogyny, and would not persevere to find out his deadly secret. Uncle Charlie’s sexism supports Charlie’s role as strong female protagonist. In my opinion, Shadow of a Doubt is a slightly progressive film. He continues to say all women are fools, and belittles Charlie once he knows she’s suspicious of him, stating “you think you’re the clever little girl who knows something.” As the suspected “Merry Widow Murderer,” it is painful for Charlie to listen to her Uncle’s rant at the dinner table in which he describes widows as “fat, wheezing animals.” an eerie close up of Uncle Charlie after his rant about “horrible,faded, greedy, women” When asked to speak at his sister’s Woman’s Club he scoffs and laughs, from Uncle Charlie’s perspective an organized group of intellectual women is absurd. His masculine essence practically defines him as a character, and his sexist comments are endless. Uncle Charlie’s overtly sexist and misogynistic language and actions are hard to ignore. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Uncle Charlie. An attractive, charming, and devious man: the archetypal homme fatale. She voices her opinion quite freely for such a young girl, and even plays a game with two older male detectives in which they ask her questions and she answers them all for fun. She reads reads two books weekly (including Ivanhoe), and is a lot more outspoken than her quiet younger brother, who is easily forgotten throughout the film. Traditionally in Hollywood films from the 1940’s, the Mother figure is either constantly sporting an apron to cook and clean, or lounging around chain smoking while spending her husband’s money.Ĭharlie’s sister Ann is a literary and intelligent young girl. Charlie’s Mother is apart of the workforce, “working like a dog,” even though her husband works too. Charlie and her immediate family lead a simple and boring life in Northern California until her adored Uncle Charlie pays a visit. Charlie’s Mother is always out and about instead of tending to her domestic duties at home. Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943), is a murder thriller centered on the dysfunctional relationship between a young woman and her uncle. There is a framed photograph of her and a few female colleagues in graduation caps and gowns on her wall, as opposed to a grand vanity set loaded with makeup and perfumes as you would usually see in a young woman’s room in film.Ĭharlie’s Mother and younger sister Ann also display the shift in gender roles. She is not overly sexualized, or psychologically damaged- the exact opposite of the archetypal femme fatale so often seen in film noirs. Hints of Charlie’s humble and intellectual persona are seen through the film’s symbolic mise-en-scene. Her room decor is fairly simple and resembles a guest room. Charlie is an educated, innocent, and sweet young woman. Very few mainstream films featured a strong female protagonist such as young Charlie. Shadow of a Doubt is a distinctive 1940’s Hollywood film due to the dark and psychologically twisted context, as well as the untraditional portrayal of gender roles. With a strong sense of intuition and sly investigation, Charlie unravels the dark and murderous secrets her Uncle Charlie has kept concealed. Following his arrival, Charlie becomes skeptical of her Uncle’s peculiar behavior. Charlie and her immediate family lead a simple and boring life in Northern California until her adored Uncle Charlie pays a visit. So I thought it would be interesting to see him do this thing.Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943), is a murder thriller centered on the dysfunctional relationship between a young woman and her uncle. "Since there isn't any doubt to begin with, the drama is in the girl's reaction and the family's reaction to Uncle Charlie. "When you look at the original film, 10 minutes into it there isn't any doubt that Uncle Charlie is the killer," said Gay. Writer John Gay added a new opening scene where Uncle Charlie seduces and murders widow Terese Mathewson. The film was shot in Santa Rosa, California, the same town as the original. It is a remake of the 1943 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name. Shadow of a Doubt is a 1991 American TV film. American TV series or program Shadow of a Doubt
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