Rebecca (Criterion)
"Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Rebecca’s haunting opening line conjures the entirety of Hitchcock’s romantic, suspenseful, elegant film. A young woman (Joan Fontaine) believes her every dream has come true when her whirlwind romance with the dashing Maxim de Winter culminates in marriage. But she soon realizes that Rebecca, the late first Mrs. de Winter, haunts both the temperamental, brooding Maxim and the de Winter mansion, Manderley. In order for Maxim and the new Mrs. de Winter to have a future, Rebecca’s spell must be broken and the mystery of her violent death unraveled. The first collaboration between producer David O. Selznick and Hitchcock, Rebecca was adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s popular novel and won the 1940 Academy Award for Best Picture and Cinematography (Black and White).
Member Reviews
Hitchcock's Most Complex Piece - c4th
Rebecca is a complex piece that begins with a slow psychological build up to a murder mystery with surprising twists and turns. There is much debate about how this compares to other Hitchcock creations but the Academy showered it with recognition. It was nominated for eleven Oscars and won in the Best Picture and Best Cinematography categories.
A naive young girl from a simple background, brilliantly played by twenty-two year old Joan Fontaine, meets and marries a wealthy widower. Adapting to her new life is difficult as she realizes she is caught in an environment that stifles her own identity by casting her under the relentless shadow of her husband’s deceased wife, Rebecca. Slowly she manages to draw out small bits of information concerning Rebecca and the circumstances surrounding her drowning but not without a strain on her marriage that tests her conviction and personal fortitude.
This alone is sufficient to create a suspenseful psychological thriller but the plot adds another level. Before the complete truth is reached, our young heroine finds herself embroiled in further personal dilemma that twists and turns its way into a complex murder mystery, which stretches the piece to over two hours in length.
Many may be disappointed by the absence of a cleverly staged murder scene commonly expected from this director. The murder is implied only. A few may find the character development and build up slow and somewhat laborious. Most that are fans of Hitchcock or classics in the genre will enjoy.I'm on the fence with Rebecca - movie_goer
Rebecca is a lesser known Alfred Hitchcock criterion film. I truly believe Producer David O. Selznik slaughtered Rebecca with his final cut, Like a bad haircut he drastically chopped a huge portion of Hitchcock's signature style because it was too risky. This was both Hitchcock's and Selznik first collaboration together with American cinema and on a whim Hitchcock was left in the dark and stripped of making final descions to 'his' movie. Making this 1 of Hollywood's worst mistakes.
The classic Formulated thriller stars Hollywoods elite Joan Fontaine who's casted the role of Niave, gullable and meek Mrs. Winter's-the 2nd.
Living under the shadow of a beloved former wife, she's imprisioned in a never ending shadowed life. No different then a crb hiding under a rock. Almost like clockwork, Rebecca is timed with perfection and never ending twist's at every corner. It's a movie i can say i've seen but probly will never watch again."Everyone loved her." - Fenris_Ulf
Although Alfred Hitchcock (rightfully so) receives so much of the credit for this wonderful film, one cannot overlook the contribution of producer David O. Selznick. Hitchcock's approach to adapting works of literature was to find the interesting visual elements of the story, and tear away everything else that would get in the way of bringing them to the forefront. Selznick, conversely, believed in remaining as faithful to the source material as humanly possible. Naturally, this caused a lot of conflict between the two, but, when the common goal is to make the best film possible, that kind of conflict is good, as the results demonstrate.
Sadly, "Rebecca" is a victim of its times, as it would have been refused code approval, had it contained some of the more sensational aspects of du Maurier's novel. I won't mention these, out of courtesy to those who haven't seen the film, or wish to read the novel, but, suffice to say, there is a startling revelation in the book that introduces a certain moral ambiguity, and many additional shades of grey that audiences don't have to deal with while viewing the film. It's a shame, really, because the novel has a heightened sense of danger for one of the characters, as a result, and challenges the reader to try and make sense out of an impossible situation.
"Rebecca" not only approaches visual perfection, but it tells the story in a way that transcends mere picture and sound. It creates the haunting presence of a character that we never see or hear, but can feel. As the unnamed heroine is tortured by the spectre of Rebecca, so are we. Rebecca won't allow a happy ending, either for "I", or the audience.
An excellent Criterion Edition, with a tremendous amount of interesting bonus material on the second disc. The commentary, although dry and academic in tone, is quite informative. Unfortunately, it's out of print. But, if you're a fan of the film, and can find a used copy somewhere, grab it.
Member Reviews
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Hitchcock's Most Complex Piece - c4th
Rebecca is a complex piece that begins with a slow psychological build up to a murder mystery with surprising twists and turns. There is much debate about how this compares to other Hitchcock creations but the Academy showered it with recognition. It was ...I'm on the fence with Rebecca - movie_goer
Rebecca is a lesser known Alfred Hitchcock criterion film. I truly believe Producer David O. Selznik slaughtered Rebecca with his final cut, Like a bad haircut he drastically chopped a huge portion of Hitchcock's signature style because it was too risky. This ..."Everyone loved her." - Fenris_Ulf
Although Alfred Hitchcock (rightfully so) receives so much of the credit for this wonderful film, one cannot overlook the contribution of producer David O. Selznick. Hitchcock's approach to adapting works of literature was to find the interesting visual elements ...