I didn't get a chance to ask after the film last Tuesday, but I presume the scene that Prof. Kaufmann alluded to (the one Hitchcock and his advisors weren't sure whether or not to include) was the the one where Judy writes a note for Scottie, describing what really happened in the tower.
I'm curious what everyone thinks about this. Was it a cop out to use this device to explain the plot instead of letting it unfold naturally? Did it re-engage audiences that might have been losing interest because of the slow pace? Had those of you watching the film for the first time figured out what was going on, or was this a revelation for you?
At first it puzzled me why he would give away the twist at that point rather than let it play it out. However upon a second viewing I thought it added suspense for the audience because now we know but he doesn't know that it's Madeline. So now you're wondering when is he going to find out or is she going to tell him. I actually thought he knew that it was Madeline and that's why he was pushing so hard for her to change and hoping she finally comes clean about it. I think it did re-engage the audience though.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first time I saw the movie and it was a revelation to me. The scene was logical because Judy who played Madeline had to come to grips with what she did. This helped the audience realize that she helped kill the real Madeline. Scottie realized when he first saw her that she played Madeline before that is why she didn't want to change again for him.
ReplyDeleteI think it helped to make clear what her part was in the whole deception. It had been a long time since I saw this movie and although I had figured out that she had something to do with the whole thing I wasn't sure how involved she was. I don't know if Scottie knew that she was a decoy or not but by this point we sure did.
ReplyDeleteI think it re-engaged the audience in the story. We knew more than Stewart and thus wanted to know how or when he would find out. It was kind-of a copout in telling us the twist, but an effective one.
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