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| Rebecca
Year: 1940
Classification: Mystery / Suspense
Directed:
- Alfred Hitchcock
Actors/Actresses:
- Laurence Olivier
- Joan Fontaine
Chilling - a fantastic Hitchcock film...
Rebecca was the first Hitchcock film I ever saw, and it inspired me to watch all of his other films. In other words, I really enjoyed watching this movie, and it is one of my favorites. The most remarkable thing about Rebecca, in my opinion, is the atmosphere - chilling, haunting, indeed it is almost gothic. Although Rebecca is in many ways different from most Hitchcock films, it is a perfect illustration of Hitchcock's amazing ability to create almost unbelieveable tension and suspense out of the most commonplace scenes.
Essentially, Rebecca is the story of an innocent, naive young woman (played by Joan Fontaine) who falls in love with a mysterious, eccentric rich man named Maxim DeWinter. After being brought to DeWinter's enormous mansion, Manderley, the young bride begins to fear the former mistress of Manderley, the famous Rebecca, who died years ago. This explanation does not do justice to the incredible suspense in the film, but be certain that Rebecca is a thrilling and haunting movie.
So, all in all, this is a chilling but wonderful movie! Highly recommended - unlike most movies today, Rebecca proves that the atmosphere is the key element and that suspense and fear can be created without blood and gore.
A superb achievement from the Master.
This is one of the best mystery/romance films I've ever seen, and the fact that Hitchcock directed it adds to the overwhelming sense of fear and horror that builds inside the character of Mrs. de Winter, winningly portrayed by Joan Fontaine, who never looked lovelier than she does here as a simple nameless woman suddenly swept into another world plagued by the spirit of a dead woman. Laurence Olivier never looked more handsome or dashing as the tortured husband trying to escape the clutches of his dead first wife. Dame Judith Anderson is wickedly frightful as the sinister housekeeper bent on wrecking the life of Fontaine's character, making her one of the most hated and brutal villains in literature and film history. She's so cruel you love to hate her. Don't miss her deceptive plot to humiliate the new Mrs. de Winter at a gala costume ball. The sets and photography (winner of an Oscar) add to the tension and terror that builds with each passing scene as we are pulled deeper into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter. The music is also enchanting and chilling when necessary, particularly during that opening dream sequence. Hitchcock couldn't have done it better, neither could anybody else. It is a must for the Hitchcock buff and for lovers of suspense mysteries and hair-raising occurences. It sure deserved the Oscar it won for Best Picture of 1940. No other mystery/romantic/suspence picture can equal the fear and terror this film so genuinely evokes in the viewer. You've got to get your hands on it!!!
Another Hitchcock triumph
Rebecca was Hitchcock's first American movie and also one of his finest. Visually, it's stunning, with its Gothic Englishness and highly atmospheric recreation of Daphne Du Maurier's evocative novel. But the film triumphs on all levels: from its superb (and witty) script to its peerless cast and suspenseful direction.
Joan Fontaine is outstanding as the unnamed second wife of Max de Winter (Laurence Olivier), but it is Judith Anderson who steals the show as the enigmatic Mrs Danvers. The scene in which the creepy Danvers attempts to lure Joan Fontaine to suicide is mesmerising, and pure cinema in its spooky imagery.
One quibble only: it's rare indeed for Hitchcock to miss an opportunity to exploit a suspenseful moment, but I did feel that more tension could have been wrung from the climactic scene involving certain pivotal revelations from Rebecca's doctor. But a minor lapse in an otherwise classic production.
Another classic Hitchcock film
This is story of a naive young woman (played by Joan Fontaine) traveling in Monte Carlo as the companion to an older woman. In the dining room of the hotel, she meets the brooding Maxim de Winter (Sir Laurence Olivier), who is taking some time off after the apparent suicide of his wife. He takes a fancy to her and after a whirlwind romance, they wed.
After a long honeymoon, they return to Maxim's family estate, Manderley. Almost immediately, the second Mrs. de Winters begins to feel her inadequacy. She thinks the staff look down on her as a common girl, which is further re-inforced by the contemptuous looks from the first Mrs. de Winters' personal maid, Mrs. Danvers. And, then there is the presence of Rebecca -- the first Mrs. de Winters. She seems to be everywhere, and the new Mrs. de Winters constantly feels that she needs to live up to her popularity with the staff and the people of the town.
Through a series of disastrous events, the second Mrs. de Winters learns the truth about Rebecca's death and in the process grows into a stronger person.
Hitchcock's first American film is a fantastic adaptation of the Daphne DuMarier novel. With a great screenplay and fine performances by the actors -- especially Judith Anderson as the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- this film deservedly one the Best Picture Oscar. The DVD also contains many extras, such as radio plays of the novel and featurettes which enhance the entire experience of the movie. A true movie classic.
Buy Rebecca at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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