Rebecca

I'm a huge Hitchcock fan and other than Vertigo and Psycho, Rebecca has to be one of my top favorite movies by him. It has everything Alfred Hitchcock's particular style has, the thrills, great casts, mystery that makes the audience keep changing their viewpoint on who is truly the "bad" guy in the movie. If you love classics and especially Hitchcock, this is a film you must see.

_Rebecca_ is Hitchcock's fourth best film in my opinion. The film is a technical masterpiece by Hitchcock. Based on Daphne du Maurier's 1938 classic, this adaptation focuses on the youth of Mrs. De Winter in her attempts to gain "culture" at her new home Manderly. The film is really all about sex, and the incredibly sexist attitudes of the men towards Mrs. de Winter. Worth watching because of the performances of Olivier, Fontaine and especially Judith Anderson.

Alfred Hitchcock’s first American production may have been a frustrating experience for the director, but that hardship produced his most professionally-lauded work. Hitch did *not* get along with hands-on producer David O. Selznick, but history looks fondly upon the big boss and there’s little question his imperious oversight kept _Rebecca_ on the path to a Best Picture Oscar; Selznick’s second in a row after _Gone With the Wind_. Steel sharpens steel, as they say, and the fact that neither of these guys liked taking orders probably ensured that only the best ideas won out in the end.

Subsequently, _Rebecca_ isn’t as overtly mysterious as Hitchcock’s later, more popular work, but that’s not to say it lacks for suspense. Instead, the twists and turns arrive with nuance, more dramatic for their implications than their big, shiny spotlight moments of revelation. We get one or two of those, too, but they’re well-earned and hit harder for the restraint. The story, of a quiet, cheerful young woman who’s swept up in a whirlwind romance and marries into great wealth, kept me constantly guessing. Though dapper and easygoing, not to mention the master of a palatial estate, her new beau is also a widower, and the shadow of his ex-wife’s influence looms over the mansion like a sticky storm cloud. The new bride quickly realizes that the head maid has judged her insufficient by comparison, but her real concern (and ours, by proxy) is how she stands in the eyes of her husband. His evaluation seems to ebb and flow by the minute, as we all begin to work out the tangled web of unspoken truths and boldly-proclaimed lies that still define their faded marriage.

From plotting to acting to direction and artistry, this one’s a true work of art. So much so that I mourn the boxy 1.33:1 aspect ratio that was standard at the time, for robbing us of that much more Hitchcockian cinematography. I noticed a few era-specific production quirks - particularly the obvious projected backgrounds behind driving scenes, and even some of the walking scenes - but despite those minor niggles, it’s a magnificent story, expertly executed for the screen, and a well-deserving award winner.

The women in this are fantastic: Joan Fontaine's performance is masterful, a study in externalizing palpable tension. And Judith Anderson, of course, is deliciously unhinged as the woman with an unnamed relationship with the former Mrs. de Winter. I was struck on this repeat viewing by the cinematography, which was gorgeous throughout. It loses a slight bit of tension right at the very end for me, but this is still one of my very favorite Hitchcocks.

I’m obsessed with the long tracking shot in the cabin when Max describes the moment of Rebecca’s death as if her ghost was being filmed and we just couldn’t see it. This film is perfectly filled with dramatics and mystery, its dialogues and settings allowing you to get lost in 1940s magic for a couple of hours. Great watch, and Hitchcock is brilliant at making the most of the story as always.

P.S.: Watched this for a deep dive I’m doing on Queer Coded characters and Mrs. Danvers suffered the same fate as they all did back then, but she was actually not as evil and obsessed as I had read. I don’t know if I am just projecting, but I only saw her as someone who respected and loved Rebecca in the most dedicated way. Of course in the end she went mad but only hurt herself and no one else. I guess for all its worth, I expected way worse for a lesbian coded character in 1940s Hollywood cinema.

Paco cinema : Image 4.25 / 5 Sound 3.5 / 5. "Last night I dreamed I was returning to Manderlys ..." Great movie, actors and address, all ...

The most claustrophobic film by the brilliant director.

The most claustrophobic film by the brilliant director.

A great mystery story. Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine are both really good. Can be a little slow at times but picks up in the second half. Holds up well for an almost 80 year old movie.

I liked the 2020 remake more.