Film Studies Daily Log

Tuesday, September 22

Mr. P. introduced the concept of "motifs" in art & architecture, in music, in literature -- and in film. Afterwards students identified leading visual motifs in Shadow of a Doubt, such as Uncle Charlie's cigar and smoke more generally, shadows (of course), pairs or doubling, and stairs. We looked again at several key examples, especially the image of smoke and shadow as the train pulls in to Santa Rosa. Mr. P read a passage from Francois Truffaut's interview with Alfred Hitchcock in which they discuss that scene.