Saturday 4 December 2010

Alfred Hitchcock: Shadow of a Doubt

I class we watched Alfred Hitchcock's 'Shadow of a doubt'. We were told to analyse the scene and look at the mise en scene and sound. 

It begins with the introduction of 'Uncle Charlie' in a setting that goes from the general to the particular, which is Charlie's home. He is laying resting on a bed in a smart suit and neat hair looking immaculate. he seems vary relaxed, however when a woman comes to his room and tells him there were two men looking for him, she closes the blinds and when she leaves he smashes a glass and jumps out of bed. I think this could be a give away for him being an antagonist as he is shown to have a short temper, and a smart look the many villains seem to have. 

When he exits his house his door number is thirteen, which is a symbol for bad luck. This could also be a sign that something bad is going to happen. The outside setting is f a poor area, with old tiresome looking houses, and derelict spaces, which contrasts with the look of Charlie when he is smartly dressed. The high key lighting used makes everything look normal, which could add an element of surprise if something was to happen. 

The positioning of the two men following Charlie are both mirror images of each other, from the way they walk, the positioning of their body, their clothes and facial expressions. This makes them seem like clones when the are chasing Uncle Charlie. 

I would like to use a smart looking antagonist in my thriller as it makes it look realistic and believable, without it looking like a fiction story. 

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