Almost (or pretty much) unseen is the narratrix and author of the
titular *Letter to Three Wives*. I believe it's Celeste Holmes' rather
divine voice, but we never see her face, although I think we see her from
the back at one point.
        And--not to avoid the obvious--let's not forget the reporter in
*Citizen Kane* who's trying to find out what "Rosebud" means and whose back
is to the camera, whose body is on the edge of the frame and whose face is
cast into shadow 9/10ths of the time.
        Again on the obvious side is the hero of *Lady in the Lake*, whom we
glimpse in mirrors a few times and whose hands we end up knowing a lot about.
        I suppose these are all examples of films which are either organized
around or focalized in a subjectivity can't quite become an object of its
own consciousness.  Descartes, anyone?
 
Edward R. O'Neill
UCLA
 
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