Rohmer, Eric, and Claude Chabrol. Hitchcock: The First Forty-Four Films. Translated By Stanley Hochman. New Yrok: Frederick Ungar   Publishing Co., 1979.

Chapter: “The American Period (1): With Selznick”

     This chapter is about Hitchcock’s first years in America and the films he made. It follows his career through his first American films: Rebecca, Foreign Correspondent, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Suspicion, Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt and Lifeboat. It then follows Hitchcock back to Great Britain, where he made two short propaganda films for the Ministry of Information: Aventure Malagache and Bon Voyage. It then goes on to discuss Spellbound, Notorious, Under the Capricorn and The Paradine Case. Rohmer and Chabrol outline the plot summary for each film and put them in historical, political and cultural context. Rohmer and Chabrol teach about the progression between films and how Hitchcock grew and evolved as a director.

      Rohmer and Chabrol’s view on the dualities in the film are that they serve the purpose of accentuating the film’s “documentary quality.” The duos make the scenario seem all the more believable. This leads to an eerie feeling that if it this kind of horror could happen in the small quaint town of Santa Rosa, to an innocent family like the Newton’s, then couldn’t it happen to anyone? More than just pointing out the similarities between the two Charlie’s, Rohmer and Chabrol reflect on all of the duos in the film. They begin by introducing the four that Francois Truffaut believe to be the most important: the identical scenes that introduce the two Charlies, Uncle Charlie sending the Newton’s a telegraph while young Charlie was going to send him one, the two murder suspects and the death of both suspects by dangerous vehicles. They continue by listing the pairs of scenes: from two meal scenes, two visits by the detectives and two scenes in the garage. They conclude their list with the proclamation of the matching shots and camera angles Hitchcock used for the Charlies. Unfortunately, Rohmer and Chabrol draw no conclusions as to the purpose of the dualities other than the fact the duo’s exist and serve a documentary-style forming purpose.

      The idea of incorporating the dualities to make the film seem more realistic and thus eerier is almost a conclusion to the ideas the rest of the sources I found. For instance, you can apply the idea of how easy it would be for younger Charlie to become a murder to this by saying how easy it would be for anyone to become a murderer. Maybe we all have some evil duo who completes us, and upon meeting them, these villainous urges could surface.

Hare, William. Hitchcock and the Methods of Suspense. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarlan & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2007.

Chapter: “Tranquility in the Midst of War”

     The chapter begins with an introduction to Hitchock’s first American films, focusing on Foreign Correspondent, Sabateur and Suspicion. He then delves into an incredible amount of detail on Shadow of a Doubt. Hare places the film in historical context, relating it to World War II. He goes on to tell stories of production. Hare includes an amusing anecdote from Joseph Cotton, who at the beginning of production was having trouble figuring out how to act like a murderer. Apparently, Hitchcock took Cotton to Rodeo Drive and asked Cotton to guess which pedestrians he believed to be a murderer. Cotton could not point any out and thus came to the conclusion that murderers look and behave just like normal citizens. In response, Hitchcock, in a totally Hitchcockian way, said “and vise-versa”. There are other anecdotes included as well, in addition to a look at Hitchcock’s approach to production. Hitchcock believed that once there was a completed script and storyboard done angle by angle, it was time to move onto a new project. This disgruntled quite a few actors as he would fall asleep on set, but it was how he worked.

     Hare includes an entire section on dualities within the film. He proposes many things. First, that there are eight main dualities within the film: young Charlie & Uncle Charlie, the two crime-obsessed men, the bar “’Till Two” in which Uncle Charlie orders two double brandies, the waitress at the bar who had been working there for two weeks, the two original police trailing Uncle Charlie, the two subsequent detectives investigating Uncle Charlie, the two suspects in the widow murders and Uncle Charlie’s two attempts to kill young Charlie. He concludes that there are many reasons for these dualities. First, they represent the dualities of the world: the peacefulness of organized cities and towns and the cruel, harsh uncertainties of the world at large. Second, it mimicked Hitchcock’s own duality. He was loving and warm towards his wife and daughter but cold and distant from all others. Third, it mimicked what was going on in Hitchcock’s life at the moment. He was working on a film in the quaint town of Santa Rosa, California, while his home country of England was being bombed and invaded by Nazis.

      This is the best answer to my question that I found. Hare is able to decipher the meaning of the dualities within film and within society. All of his comments are completely valid and supported by both the film and historical information. This chapter is a must-read companion to the film.

Allen, Richard. Hitchcock's Romantic Irony. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007.

Chapter: “Knowledge and Sexual Difference”

     This chapter explores the plots of many Hitchcock films by analyzing gender roles and the characters’ recognition according to his or her gender. It is a new way to look at Hitchcock. Allen is able to map out four different types of Hitchcock narratives: the “joint quest”, the female driven, the masculine driven and male homosexual driven. In a “joint quest”, a male with ability to reason and a female with intuition come together to uncover the truth. Films that fall into this category include Young and Innocent, The Lady Vanishes, and The Man Who Knew Too Much. In “female-focalized” narratives, which are reminiscent of gothic melodramas, a woman must lead an investigation to uncover the truth about her older, male, love interest. Films that fall into this category include Suspicion, Rebecca and Shadow of a Doubt. In masculine driven narratives, there is usually an ordinary man, of social status, who plays the role of detective to find the villain. Films that fall into this category include Notorious, Murder!, Marnie, The Paradine Case and Vertigo. Finally, the homosexual driven narratives are, in Allen’s opinion, Hitchock’s idea of a homosexual man being a female spirit caught inside a male body. In these films, the homosexuals are the same as the heroes, except for their sexual preferences, which stop them from pursuing heterosexual relationships. Additionally, they are antagonists. Films that fit this narrative include Strangers on a Train, The Lodger and Psycho.

     Allen groups Shadow of a Doubt within the feminine driven films. Uncle Charlie moves into the same house as Younger Charlie and she is forced to uncover the truth about this older man towards whom there is some incestual attraction. He argues that not only are they doubles, but young Charlie believes that Uncle Charlie completes her. It is through him that she can leave behind small-town life and have adventures of her own. She wants to break free from the strict familial social structure. However, Uncle Charlie turns out to be a huge proponent of this structure. He murders the widows because he believes that women should be married with children, not alone and wealthy. He murders the women who are what young Charlie hopes to become. From this I can conclude that in the end, although on the surface they appear to have separate fates, they actually share the same fate. Young Charlie becomes like her Uncle, finally giving into becoming a wife and mother. Uncle Charlie, the biggest proponent of this strict structure is murdered ironically under a similar pretense to why he murders the widows. He should be a husband and father and so he does not fit into the structure either. The importance of the social structure is re-enforced at the end of the film, with the man who doesn’t fit into it dead and the girl who opposed it finally giving in.

Brody, Alan. "The Gift of Realism: Hitchcock and Pinter." Journal of Modern Literature 3, no. 2 (April 1973): 149-172. http://jstor.org (accessed

     November 24, 2008).

    This is an extremely interesting journal article that compares and contrasts film and theatre. Brody uses Harold Pinter’s play The Birthday Party and Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt as the vehicles for this comparison. Brody focuses mostly on the differences between the two mediums and what each can accomplish. He reflects on film’s flexibility with time and location, its ability to direct the audience’s attention, focus in on minute gestures and the control it gives a director. Theatre, on the other hand, has much less flexibility with time and location, as everything must appear on one stage. The actors have to work on their motions, facial expressions and intonations in order to direct an audience’s attention, as audiences always have a huge picture infront of them- there are no close-ups or long shots. Additionally, while the director has some control over theatre the job of creating “shots” lies in the eyes of the audience and the pauses of the actors. Brody discusses how while The Birthday Party and Shadow of a Doubt have similar plots and scenes they are completely different due to their different mediums.
    Brody has an interesting view of the dualities within Shadow of a Doubt. Early in the article he points out Hitchcock’s use of tension. Hitchcock juxtaposes actions with dialogue in a way that always forms tension. This is then comparable to themes of tension within his films: “good and evil, innocence and experience, external and internal reality, faith and despair.” Brody then applies this theory to Shadow of a Doubt by completing a thurough scene analysis. It is the scene in which Emma brings Uncle Charlie his breakfast and tells him of the two reporters coming to write about the Newtons. While Emma is talking all this simple nonsense, the camera focuses is on Charlie’s hands. As soon as she mentions the two men, Charlies hands tense up and begin tearing toast. This image is specifically paired with the dialogue to create and show tension. Furthermore, he believes the duality between Uncle Charlie and young Charlie lies within the tension of Uncle Charlie yearning to re-possess his innocence, the innocence his neice displays, and his drive to kill her as she represents what he can never have back. Brody goes on to prove that the tension between the Charlies is a perfect example of the issues between film and theatre.
    This is a much more unique take on the dualities between the characters. It is unlike those of other sources. I completely agree with Brody and his analysis. It is wonderful how he is able to delve so far into the depths of a play and a film as well as address the issues between the two. I completely buy into this idea of tension within Shadow of a Doubt. However, I do not believe that this idea can be applied to all the dualities within the film, especially the repetition of scenes.

Hurley, Neil P. Soul in Suspense: Hitchcock's Fright and Delight. Metuchen, New Jersey: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1993.

Chapter: “Mysticism of Numbers”

    In this chapter, Neil P. Hurley examines the numerology present in Hitchcock’s works. Hurley focuses on the numbers two, three, seven and thirteen, explaining their spiritual, mystical and religious meanings. He then discusses the use of these films through in-depth analyses of some of Hitchcock’s greatest works including Shadow of a Doubt, Psycho, Vertigo, Frenzy, The Trouble With Harry and The Birds. His analysis is interesting and a different way to look at things that seemed so minute. For instance, he argues that the three-storied home of Norman Bates is three-storied to fulfill a purpose of the number three, that of Freudian psychology. The basement represents the id, the ground floor represents the ego and the upper room represents the superego. Norman lives in the attic, which is beyond the id, ego and the superego and thus in an alternate, non-realistic universe. Hurley points out many other examples of the use of the numbers, visually (like Hitchcock’s own appearance in Strangers on a Train when he is playing cards and holding thirteen spades) and through the characters (like in Vertigo, Scottie Ferguson is grappling with the seven effects of vertigo: space, time, antiquities, social and personal interaction, psychology, philosophy and religion).
    In reference to dualities, Hurley references Spoto’s The Dark Side of Genius. Hurley argues that he agrees with Spoto’s observations regarding his list of dual themes and “dual camera insinuations”. He argues that this use of dualities, that between good and evil, are reflective of Hitchcock’s Jesuit training. Instead of seeing the dualities this way, that between the two Charlies, Hurley sees it through the two murder-obsessed men, Joe Newton and Herbie Hawkins. Although Spoto argues that the two Charlies are the manifestation of Hitchcock’s own duality, Hurley believes it to be the two men. This is because the two men read and discuss murder and are thus “imaginatively and mentally involved” but neither takes the next step to become physically involved and actually murder someone. This is how Hurley views Hitchcock.
    After researching Hitchcock, I believe in both Hurley and Spoto’s ideas when it comes to the dualities. There are traces of Hitchcock in both sets of duos. However, I am not sure how much I believe Hurley’s other arguments throughout the chapter. Some of the examples he uses seem contrived and outlandish. Although Hitchcock was a brilliant mastermind, I am sure he was not conscious of all the use of number within his own film. For example, the use of the number two in Shadow of a Doubt is obvious and Hitchcock was definitely aware of this. However, Hurley argues later that Mrs. Hawkins is referenced with concern three times, thus further enhancing the mysticism that surrounds her character as a symbol for Hitchcock’s own mother. That argument has crossed the line from analytical to convoluted. Is he saying that Hitchcock made sure that other characters only expressed concern for Mrs. Hawkins three times and made sure the rest of her references were not that of concern? I am not convinced.

Derry, Charles. The Suspense Thriller: Films in the Shadow of Alfred Hitchcock. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 

     Publishers, 1988.

Chapter: “The Thriller of Moral Confrontation”

     This chapter focuses on a sub-genre of thrillers, that of moral confrontation. By that, Derry means a film that revolves around a character representing good and another representing evil. Many of these films include many dualities, thus accentuating the differences between the protagonist and the villain, good verse evil. The films that belong in this sub-genre have many things in common, such as the themes of an “evanescence of innocence” and the ultimate haziness of morals, the inclusion of a childlike protagonist, cat and mouse chases, an obsession with voyeurism, an sinful protagonist who either acts like a civilized citizen or is unseen to the viewer and finally, they take placed in a totally warped time span that could be just a few hours or days. Derry takes the reader through an analysis of many films that fit this genre, such as Shadow of a Doubt, The Window, Stage Freight, Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, The Desperate Hours, Straw Dogs, Night of the Hunter, Blowup, Wait Until Dark, The Bride Wore Black, Le Boucher, La Rapture, Duel, Sudden Terror, Death Wish, Outrage, 10 to Midnight, Jagged Edge, The Eyes of Laura Mars, The Fan, Eye of the Needle, The Mean Season, Perfect Strangers, Blue Velvet and The Stepfather. Derry puts each film in context of the moral confrontation genre and compares them to one another as well.

     In response to my question of dualities, Derry focuses on analyzing the duality of Charlie and Charlie and then lists the other duos in the film. He believes that the reason for the dualities is to balance the villain, Uncle Charlie with the protagonist, younger Charlie. This makes the viewer aware of the Charlies’ “symbiotic relationship”. Another purpose to the two’s that Derry proposes is that Hitchcock sets up expectations that need to be met. If there is one scene at a train station, the film cannot end until there is another one. If one of the murder suspects is killed by a deadly vehicle, the other, Uncle Charlie, must meet the same death.

     This is a valid conclusion to draw from the dualities, although I believe that there are more concrete reasons that I have uncovered. I would take the expectation theory further by saying that this creates a false sense of certainty in a viewer. For instance, as a viewer, having your expectations met time and time again, you believe that you can guess the ending. If you take this idea of two of everything and apply it to the end of a film, a viewer might think that both characters have to die. The fate of one is the fate of them all. However, it is just Uncle Charlie who dies, thus destroying the viewers’ expectations. This causes the film to be more shocking and have more of an after-effect. Can you ever really trust your instincts, even if your theory has been proven right time and time again?

Rothman, William. Hitchcock- The Murderous Gaze. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1982.

Chapter: “Shadow of a Doubt”

     Opening with a section on how Hitchcock’s move to America affected him and his work as well as Hollywood, Rothman continues by going into an in-depth analysis of Shadow of a Doubt. Rothman takes the reader through the film, shot by shot, analyzing themes and quotes along the way. He compares aspects of the film to other mediums, referencing Dracula, as well as other Hitchcock works. His ideas are well-developed, supported with examples from the film and altogether, serve as a great companion to the film. It could almost be used as a textbook to the film. Rothman makes claims such as how the script is “quotable” and that, on a whole, it is Hitchcock’s first American film that successfully combined the style he learned in Hollywood with the skills he acquired in Great Britain. He poses questions for the reader that he never answers, which is at once both thought provoking and a nuisance. He opens a readers’ eyes to analyzing all new aspects of the film, such as transitions and soundtrack volume level.

     Rothman never explicitly discusses the use of dualities in the film. Although he references the similarities between the Charlie’s, he really only delves into this significance at the end of the chapter. He believes that Uncle Charlie attempts to kill his niece as a way to prove that they are in fact twins and what joins them is something monstrous. Rothman argues that Uncle Charlie sets the situation up for his niece to kill him. This would end the cycle of Charlie’s initial request for her Uncle to bring a “miracle” and free her from her monotonous life. When Charlie kills her Uncle, it is a miracle- she puts him out of his miserable life and herself as well. Charlie must commit a murder just as her Uncle has, and breaking this curse is the only thing to set her free and allow her to be re-born as an innocent adult.

     I do not agree with Rothman’s conclusion. I do not think that Uncle Charlie arranged for his own murder. His attempts to kill his niece refute this idea. Additionally, he is violent towards his niece a few times throughout the film. He would hurt anyone to preserve his innocence. I believe he intended to kill his niece on the moving train and that his plan merely backfired. He was not using reverse psychology. Additionally, I do not believe that they are joined by their monstrous tendencies, but separated by it. They are each a half of a person and thus they really do not share anything but telepathy when apart. Together, the aspects of their individual personas combine to create one real person, someone who is not altogether innocent, but who can control her villainous qualities.