The Film Crusade

Traditionally, the reveal shot consists of pulling back from a tightly framed shot to reveal a larger framing, exposing a greater context with often epiphanous implications to the audience – and in some cases – the on-screen characters. There is a bit of delight and excitement when you find out a story is bigger than previously thought.

Because Hitchcock is an auteur, he treats each scene and character with craft and ensures that everything projected onto the screen is purposeful to the plot and experience shared by viewers. This discussion will focus on the sequence when Scotty Ferguson begins his serious pursuit of Madeleine Elster starting from outside the flower shop and concluding with the museum scene.