Hitchcock/Psycho & Shadow of a Doubt

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An 11 page research paper/essay that discusses these two films. Director Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Psycho” (1960) is generally acknowledged to be a masterpiece of the cinematic art. Interestingly, however, Hitchcock frequently stated that his personal favorite among his many films was “Shadow of a Doubt” (1943), in which a “debonair murderer of widows,” played by Joseph Cotton, has formulated a complete nihilistic theory of existence prior to settling in the little town of Santa Rosa, California (Denby 26). This examination of these two films demonstrates how Hitchcock’s legendary skill at manipulating and misdirecting his audience can be seen in the earlier film, as well as how this factor has matured and grown in subtlety and nuance by the time that “Psycho” was produced. Bibliography lists 8 sources.