Rebecca (1940)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Robert Sherwood, Joan Harrison (based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier)

Cast: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine

Music: Franz Waxman

Time: 130 minutes

Bottom-line: Not as thrilling as expected, but a beautiful and faithful adaptation of the book

Hitchcock’s first American film – and his only film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture – Rebecca is based on Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel of the same name. Starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the lead roles, with Judith Anderson and George Sanders in the supporting roles, the film is one of Hitchcock’s most acclaimed films, also being nominated for 11 Oscars (winning two).

Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

Monte Carlo: An unnamed, simplistic, naïve woman (Fontaine) is charmed by the wealthy aristocratic widower, Maximillian “Maxim” de Winter (Olivier). As they spend time together, he proposes to her, and soon they are married. The woman – henceforth referred to only as “the second Mrs. de Winter” – moves in along with Maxim to his enormous country mansion, “Manderley”. While Mrs. de Winter is awed by the opulent lifestyle, she is also unnerved by the spooky atmosphere in the house: everything around her seems to indirectly or directly point to Maxim’s dead wife: Rebecca. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Anderson) also constantly talks about Rebecca’s beauty, intelligence and even preserves her room as a shrine. As events progress, Maxim’s new wife becomes more and more intimidated by Rebecca’s “presence”, and one day, she discovers a shocking truth about the past, that changes everything.

 

Olivier as Maxim, and Fontaine as the
second Mrs. de Winter

The film is a faithful adaptation of the novel that came in 1938: everything from the famous opening line to the burning mansion in the climax. Like most of Hitchcock’s early films, it takes a while for us to get to the crux of the plot. A lot of time is given to developing the characters, and emphasising the romance between Maxim and his new wife. The main feature of the film is the atmosphere in and around Manderley: the mind-boggling expanse of the mansion, the people in it, the sinister-looking hut by the shore, and of course, the way in which Rebecca is “represented” through anything and everything in the house.

Mrs. Danvers is considered the antagonist of the story. From the start, her tacit hatred towards Maxim’s new wife is imminent, bit by bit strengthening the presence of Rebecca in the mansion, and it all comes out when she diabolically convinces Mrs. de Winter to commit suicide. Judith Anderson in this role is brilliant. Joan Fontaine’s performance is highly commendable, especially the way her character is first subdued and cowed by the exorbitance and influence of de Winter and Rebecca, and later when she asserts her power.

 

Fontaine as Maxim's wife, and Anderson as
Mrs. Danvers (one of the most famous
scenes in the film)

The sets and costumes are not usually a noticeable feature in Hitchcock films, but in Rebecca, they are certainly prominent. The plot twists appear at the right moments, but I wasn’t completely satisfied when the true plan of Rebecca is revealed. The last scene (not present in the original story) that shows the embroidered “R” being burnt to flames – as a symbol that the influence of Rebecca will no longer trouble the married couple – was a nice touch. So, while Rebecca isn’t exactly a thriller, as expected from Hitchcock, the film is certainly worth watching for any Hitchcock fan and an admirer of the novel.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100%