Suspense

In the standard form typical of the great Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Donen creates suspense in his film as well. Rather than using surprising shocks throughout the film, suspense builds slowly from the beginning of the film until its final moments. The move is more subtle than using surprises and creates a richer plot. The suspense builds in the film from the moment that we see a train speeding across the country to the moment that we discover Peter's true identity. Donen uses characters, looks, and moments to create suspense in the film. For example, suspense builds as we see Peter join the men who have been chasing Reggie, and we begin to wonder how he fits into their world.

Unlike Hitchcock, though, Donen does throw in a few surprises for his viewers. These surprises help to keep the viewer on their toes as they try to figure out...