Shadow Of A Doubt Comparative Essay

Director Alfred Hitchcock utilizes the theme of duplicity in numerous films. His use of doublegangers and doubles are prominently featured in the films Psycho, Shadow of a Doubt, and Vertigo. Hitchcock incorporates lookalikes, mirrored images, alternating identities, and false realties to identify an internal conflict as well as moral discrepancies. In the film Shadow of a Doubt, the characters of Young Charlie and Uncle Charlie exemplify Hitchcock’s theme of doubles. The characters are introduced to the audience in an identical fashion. Both characters are filmed lying on their beds, with then arms behind their heads and their feet crossed. Hitchcock furthers the characters’ connection through illustrating form of twin telepathy. For an example, Young Charlies decide to send her Uncle a telegram asking him to come visit. When

Former Detective Scottie is hired to follow a woman, Madeline. However, the Madeline Scottie follows is later revealed to be an actress made over to look like the real Madeline. The theme of duplicity is further emphasized within this narrative, by the suggestion that Madeline is possessed by her grandmother Carlotta and is mimicking the deceased woman’s behavior. After Scottie witnesses Madeline commit suicide, her begins to search for her out of grief. Scottie discovers a woman named Judy on the street with a similar profile to Madeline. Scottie slowly convinces Judy to change her appearance until she looks identical to Madeline on the day she died. Judy not only becomes a doppelganger for a doppelganger, but she also embodies the persona of the Madeline that Scottie knew. Scottie’s obsession with making Judy over to look like Madeline causes him to adopt vile qualities as he becomes possessive, domineering, controlling, and a necrophiliac. In Vertigo, duality is not presented as an internal struggle of good versus bad, but rather the negative influence of duality on other