With Saboteur, I mentioned that a little sound might have helped. Shadow of a Doubt opens with a waltz, and that waltz is later hummed by different members of the family. So we get sound right from the start of this film, and then a soundtrack, too, that captures the emotions of the characters. The sound helps.
I did start to wonder if the plot was too simplistic. We more or less know who's guilty. We don't know from the start of what, but he's guilty. What we don't know, I guess, is what Charlie (Teresa Wright) will do about it. She's weak. First agreeing to help the Detective (Macdonald Carey). Then agreeing to help Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotton). (Her mom/Uncle Charlie's sister comes across as weak, too. The men in the film aren't weak... just quirky and not necessarily all that smart.)
Meanwhile, I like the banter between Charlie's dad (Henry Travers) and the neighbor (Hume Cronyn). They're always discussing the best way to kill each other without getting caught. It's just a fun game they play, but all the time, there's Uncle Charlie.
What's the motive? Why does he kill rich women? The only real motive is: They're silly old rich women that don't deserve to live, and everything's meaningless anyway. But how does he get like that? Is he just crazy? He's a good-looking guy, but why did he run away from home? What's his real story? We never really learn it.
And is he at the point that he did what he did, but now he wants to stop and be a normal member of society? Now that he has the money, if he could simply live his life in Santa Rosa with his sister and her family, would he be a good family member and contribute to society? You get the idea that, yes, maybe he would... but he's not that great at covering his tracks.
Which brings up to Charlie. He attempts to kill her indirectly a couple of times. When those attempts fail, he returns to the way he killed the rich women -- with his hands. Am I wrong to think he's crossing a line? It's one thing to kill random old rich women for their money. but isn't another thing to kill a family member, especially one that's named after you?
Charlie like to say they're twins. That they think alike and that he can't keep secrets from her. As she discovers what he has done, how does that make her feel about herself? Are they really that much alike, or is that just something she said before she actually got to know him and what he has done?
By the way, do Charlie and the Detective really need to fall in love? They haven't even dated, but he's talking about loving her and wanting to marry her. A little weird, but it doesn't weird her out. She's game. Why? She's 18, and he has to be late 20s at the youngest. I guess I really didn't get the need for this relationship plot point, unless it's to show us that she's solidly on the side of good.
Rating: 4/5 stars
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