Hitchcock was a key figure responsible for transforming cinema from lighthearted, innocent entertainment to heavy, consequential, multi-layered stories. As part of this cinematic revolution, Hitchcock altered the viewer’s role as well. He ensured his film’s viewers were alert and engaged during the movie, not passive and inattentive.

Just like how Hitchcock pans across a “Music Hall” sign in the first scene of The 39 Steps, he slowly pans down the newspaper in Young Charlie’s hands in Shadow of a Doubt. The newspaper has the glaring headline, “Where is the Merry Widow Murderer?” and details the heinous crimes the murderer (who we now know is Uncle Charlie) has committed. The close-up pan down the newspaper not only imitates the direction of Young Charlie’s gaze as she reads the newspaper—it forces the viewer to read the information as well. Later, it is confirmed that Hitchcock had expected his viewers to read the newspaper along with Charlie: as she further examines the ring Uncle Charlie gave her, she matches the initials engraved in it with one of the names of the murdered widows from the paper. This scene exemplifies Hitchcock’s use of cinema to teach people to think, to take control of their role in film and perhaps participate in it as well.

My Review of 'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943) | I Found it at the Movies