Rating: 
Summary: MANDERLEY
Review: A bleak old manor of the rocky coast of Cornwall fired the imagination of Daphne DuMaurier. Against the gloomy pile of stones, she concocted an ingenious melodrama, filled with inscrutable characters, lit with somber romance suggestive of the 19th century Bronte sisters. Though told in the first person by a girl whose name is never given, its real heroine is flaming, sinister character of Rebecca, who, long after her death, dominates the lives of those she touched, turns their happiness into bitter sorrow. When David O. Selznick purchased the tale for a mere $50,000, and recruited Alfred Hitchcock from England to direct his first American film. Curiously enough, the character of Rebecca never appears and the high drama surrounding her strange death is never shown, but rather only talked about. Hitchcock directed with brilliant detail plus a subtle evocation of mood; Hitchcock once remarked that a screen story of a man's conscience can be "extremely photogenic". REBECCA was a great hit with the public when it was first released in 1940. Sixty years later it's still a fantastic treat and clearly better on DVD! This was Hitchcock's first Hollywood assignment; he collaborated with David O.Selznick (who spared no cost in production) and with all these ingredients it really couldn't miss and it didn't. Some feel Olivier's performance as Maxim de Winter is less than inspired but Joan Fontaine's performance made her a star. Florence Bates is terrificly believable as the vulgar Mrs. Van Hopper and Judith Anderson is in her element as Mrs. Danvers (although I think her lines are a mite too sinister and melodramatic at times). Manderley is also visited by such folks as George Sanders (as a cad, natch) the always welcome Nigel Bruce and at the famous costume party (in a blonde viking wig) the great Gladys Cooper.
Rating:
Summary: Sheer Perfection
Review: I just had the pleasure of seeing Rebecca for the first time, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. It was restored, and the picture and sound were beautiful and clear. The movie itself, however, was the main attraction and it did not disappoint by any long stretch. There was cheering for the names of Selznick, Olivier, Fontaine, and Hitchcock, but the real riot occured at the very end. I only saw it last night, but it's already in my top three. The stars were excellent, and even Olivier, an great stage actor with a tendency to overact in film, kept his performance under control. A true must-see, all around.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: Leave it to genius movie-maker, David O. Selznick, to be responsible for yet another classic which only gets better with time. (He did make that little film entitled "Gone with the Wind" and another one in l943, almost as good called "Since You Went Away").Everything in Rebecca, from the ravishing photography, lighting, outstanding acting, directing (from Alred Hithcock)only improve with age since its first release in l940--and for which it won Best Picture by the Academy Awards. Before I saw the movie on the late show in the fifties, I was obsessed with the book and read and re-read it. Even now, I read it several times a year. And when I discovered a movie had been made about it back in l940, I was hysterical to see it. It finally showed up on the late show one night, and I was hypnotized. Frankly, I never had much patience for the anonymous heroine. She was so mousy and akward and gutless I wanted to throttle her. In the movie, I could understand better her hidden strengths. A remake of this was planned back in the 70s, with Elizabeth Taylor playing the never-seen Rebecca--but visible in flashbacks. Richard Burton was to have been Max de Winter, the director would have been Mike Nichols (this was right after their triumph in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf") and Sarah Miles would have been the anonymous heroine. Even more fascinating, Vivien Leigh, just a week after completing Gone With the Wind, was actually screen-tested by Hithcock so she could co-star with her then lover, Sir Laurence Olivier. Several people who saw the tests said Leigh--hard to believe--was completely unsuited for such a drastic change of pace (from fiery, gutsy Scarlet, to quivering, meek Mrs. De Winter. Another rumor had it that Selznick most definitely did NOT want Leigh to get this role. He felt, with some justification, that it would be too drastic a change from the public's view of her as the very embodiment of Scarlett. Bravo to a genius movie mogul whose passion for quality and beauty can be seen in the handful of fabulous movies he made during this period--Intermezzo, made at the same time as GWTW, is a knockout; Portrait of Jennie is another gem.
Rating: 
Summary: A well-done romantic thriller...
Review: ...but in my opinion Daphne du Maurier's the one who deserves the credit. If you haven't read the book yet, read it before you watch this film.Although Hitchcock's film is certainly an excellent achievement, I agree with the reviewer who said that the Masterpiece Theatre version was in many ways far superior. Nevertheless, this one's terrifically entertaining. Sorry to pooh-pooh Olivier and Fontaine, but the real star here is Judith Anderson, whose portrayal of Mrs. Danvers is absolutely chilling. Her final scene is riveting and unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: This must-have mystery will keep you breathless to the end!
Review: This 1940 adaptation of Daphne DuMaurier's novel "Rebecca" earned Alfred Hitchcock his one and only Academy Award for Best Director. Sir Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine have captured the suspense effortlessly and will keep you guessing until the end. Hitchcock's directing style shines throughout this film and makes "Rebecca" a must have for any mystery buff. Turn down the lights and dont forget the popcorn...
Rating:
Summary: Du Maurier's epic showcased by the master craftsman Hitchcok
Review: Leave it to Daphne Du Maurier to strike terror( not the crude, gory, shrieking frenzy of so-called horror movies of the present ) into a reader's heart with the imagination completing the process. To visualize Daphne's book 'Rebecca' she could not have asked for a better director than Alfred Hitchcock. The heroine( she is never named in the book ) is one of those poor orphan types who gets swept off her feet in a short, whirlwind romance by the handsome, aristocratic Max de Winter - who also happens to be the owner of the fabulous mansion Manderley. When the newly married couple arrive at Manderley, the suspense begins. Whether its the dark and brooding Mrs.Danvers' initial greeting to the heroine or its the locked room to which no one is allowed to go to or the white party dress that Mrs.Danvers urges the heroine to wear on the night of the big party at Manderley - its nail biting suspense. Not to mention the title character Rebecca who was Max's first wife, the tramp lounging around the summer house on the beach, Rebecca's slimy no-good cousin, Rebecca's dog, etc. who add to the mystery. Joan Fontaine as the heroine, Sir Laurence Olivier as Max, Gladys Cooper as Mrs. Danvers are the main performers - and yes, a cameo performance by George Sand as the no-good cousin. Hitchcock's masterly use of light and shade to highlight the terror and suspense, not to mention the beautiful period settings for Manderley make it a memorable film - as memorable as the book is.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest movies of the 1940s and all time.
Review: Rebecca is an all time great movie. Hitchcock gives a class on building and maintaing suspense, the atmosphere is chilling, just awesome, and very alive, and the directtor (as well as the author of the novel) manages to close it all out beautifully and with a nice, satisfactory fitting of all the pieces. This is one of the 5 or 6 movies I never grow tired of seeing and re-seeing. Where have all the disciples of the director disappeared to? I will not reveal anything concrete here; if you haven't seen it, do so and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Good movie, but the new version portrayed characters better
Review: I enjoyed this movie. At first, I thought it really wasn't very good, but the second time I saw it, I realized it was much better than I thought. It was well-filmed and suitably chilling, and most of the performances were good. Still, I think the new version that Masterpiece Theater did a few years ago gave better portrayals of the characters. Judith Anderson was good as Mrs. Danvers, but Diana Rigg was more chilling, espicially in the "Why don't you jump?" scene. In this version, Laurence Olivier gave a pretty weak portrayal, I thought, and Charles Dance gave a much more complex portrayal of Maxim de Winter. Joan Fontaine was suitably naive as Mrs. de Winter, but I think Emilia Fox did a better job. Better portrayals in the Masterpiece Theater version, but otherwise, this was a good film.
Rating:
Summary: A must see for fans of romantic suspense or Hitchcock!
Review: This is a wonderfully tense, exciting film. For those of you who've read the book, this is a great adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's story! For those of you new to Rebecca, this movie will peak your interest in reading the book! There's wonderful acting by Joan Fontaine as a naive and very green bride who marries a rich man and moves into his mansion. Little does she know that her husband's first wife had a very shady past, and a doting maid who still resides at the home. This movie is just wonderful, I encourage any romantic suspense lover to watch it! One of Hitchcock's best.
Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding
Review: I havenot read the book, but I LOVE this movie. It is so suspensful! Go out and see it, or better yet, buy it!
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