Rebecca

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Summary: "Last Night I dreamed I went to Manderley again."
Review: In the film "Rebecca" Joan Fontaine, a paid companion to an obnoxious, bombastic society woman, meets handsome widower, Maxim de Winter (Lawrence Olivier) in Monte Carlo. It appears that the first Mrs. de Winter died in a tragic and mysterious boating accident. An unlikely romance develops between the companion and Maxim, and they marry. After a brief honeymoon, the newyweds return to Maxim's splendid mansion, Manderley, in Cornwall. The second Mrs. De Winter finds that she is under the shadow of Maxim's first wife, the paragon--Rebecca.

The interesting thing to me about the film is that Rebecca is just a memory--but such a powerful one. She no longer exists when the film begins and yet her presence is felt throughout the film. This is underscored by the fact that the second Mrs de Winter is never called by her first name, so she just 'borrows' Rebecca's identity, in a sense. By the time the film concludes, I had a very strong sense of Rebecca's character, and even though the film included no flashback sequences and no photographs of Rebecca, nonetheless she was as strong a presence as Olivier or Fontaine. Everyone who knew her has a different memory--and no two memories of Rebecca are quite the same.

My favourite performance in the film came from George Sanders. He is splendid as roguish, slimy cousin Jack. He drips with malevolent sarcasm, and clearly thinks very little of the simpering new Mrs. de Winter. Another excellent performance comes from Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers. Danvers serves as the prototype of all future evil housekeepers (I particularly thought of Frau Blucher--played by Cloris Leachman in "Young Frankenstein").

The film "Rebecca" is based on the excellent novel by Daphne Du Maurier. The film remained faithful to the novel--the only criticism I have of the film was that I thought Joan Fontaine played the role with too much emphasis on being a total ninny. Alfred Hitchcock as the director guarantees suspense, and he delivers it again and again in the subtlest of ways. It's no wonder that Criterion selected this film for DVD--displacedhuman

Rating:
Summary: Going Out-of-Print Soon
Review: Criterion has announced on its website that this title will be going out-of-print on December 31, 2003 along with Spellbound and Notorious. In addition, the "Wrong Men & Notorious Women" Hitchcock collection will also no longer be available. I suggest you snatch these up as soon as you can as out-of-print titles quickly become expensive.

Another Criterion DVD that will be going out-of-print on December 31, 2003 is "Straw Dogs" starring Dustin Hoffman.

Rating:
Summary: If you want to return to Manderley, get Criterion's version
Review: Note: Get the Criterion DVD before it is too late! (It's supposed to go out of print on the 31st of December, 2003). While Hitchcock's masterpiece is still stunning after all these years, the DVD I watched, published by Anchor Bay, is pretty weak; the Criterion Collection DVD of "Rebecca" has much more in the way of extras and special features, which is half the appeal of getting a classic on DVD.

Anchor Bay's DVD only has a chapter selection and "start" on the menu. Not even closed captioning, which makes this DVD inaccessible to older or deaf fans.

Still, even a weak DVD presentation can't take away from such a beautiful film. A TV presenter recently introduced "Rebecca", by saying that Joan Fontaine was too pretty to be believable in the role of a plain girl. Missing the point! "Rebecca" is a story from the point of view of a scared, insecure heroine who believes the worst of herself and is always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like the heroine of "Northanger Abbey," perhaps the gothic atmosphere here is really created out of her hopes and fears - "Rashomon"-style where each person sees a different thing. The book "Venus in Spurs" has most of a chapter devoted to "Rebecca," and how much this film and book relate to women who struggle through insecurity, despite being loved. (To say more might ruin the movie for first-time viewers).

Fontaine is, of course, very good, as is Laurence Olivier, who has scarcely *ever* been more handsome and commanding. Among the strong supporting cast is George Saunders and Dame Judith Anderson. While Anderson's usually singled out in reviews and hindsight, her obsessive maid could hardly be that malevolent, if the audience didn't feel so sympathetic towards Fontaine's sweet, mild Mrs. de Winter. Really, Fontaine needed Anderson in this performance to really pull it off; and the reverse is equally true. I also think Florence Bates adds quite a bit here as the bitchy and bossy Mrs. Van Hopper, also providing a strong showing in another wonderful film, "A Letter to Three Wives," which, come to think of it, is also about wives and their suspicions of their husbands... and Bates' character sets up trouble for one of the "Letter" wives with her thoughtlessness in that picture, too.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, great DVD
Review: What a great movie, and the Criterion edition is certainly worth the extra money if you want to see a clear picture, have great sound, but not lose any of that atmosphere which helps characterise the film's setting. And if you're into extras, you couldn't ask for anything more. The extras on this edition leaves other movie 'Collector's' and 'Special' editions for dead. It was fascinating to see how other stars of the day screen tested for the role of the 2nd Mrs de Winter. But that was just one of the highlights. The biggest highlight is of course the movie itself. So if you don't mind spending a bit to get quality, this is without doubt the edition to buy.

Rating:
Summary: Dark and Uplifting
Review: This, I think, is the best Hitchcock ever- not at all scary per but incredibly mysterious. Hitchcock leads in ways you wouldn't expect, and one is certainly glad of it. Whatever you think will happen, won't. Superb acting by Joan Fontaine makes the viewer really feel for her, and Sanders uses mannerisms and a superior manner to excellently play a semi-removed, quizzical, and omniscient role. Has to be one of the top movies I've ever seen.

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Summary: :)
Review: Rebecca is my all tiem favorite movie of all time. Thats sayying a lot because truly i have seen almost all of alfred Hitchcock's movies and I love this one everybody should watch it at least once.

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Summary: REBECCA: More a Presence Than a Person
Review: What distinguishes a true thriller from its more modest counterparts is that in the former a sense of eerie menace permeates throughout. Director Alfred Hitchcock, in his debut as a Hollywood director, began the first in a long line of effective character-driven dramas in which the protagonist must struggle through a maze of conflicting levels of reported truths before hitting the one that rings true. With REBECCA, Hitchcock takes the novel by Daphne Du Maurier in which a second wife must contend with the suffocating presence of the late first wife. What stamps REBECCA as a timeless film that explores the degree to which tormented minds hold onto the past even at the cost of the loss of the present is the seamless melding of mood to plot. The dark and brooding English landscape ought to have been listed in the actors' credits, so thoroughly does it impact on the audience. The magnificent mansion of Manderly is situated on a moor that seems right out of WUTHERING HEIGHTS--no surprise there since Lawrence Olivier, who played Heathcliffe, now is Maxim de Winter, a soul who is as every bit as troubled and moody as the demented hero of Emily Bronte's novel. Maxim has recently lost his wife Rebecca to drowning, a loss that occurred before the first reel. Enter Joan Fontaine as the second Mrs. de Winter, a shy and insecure woman who is overwhelmed by the constant and heavy reminder that as far as the de Winters are concerned, she may have the name of de Winter, but not the grace to carry it. Maxim has a housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), who is exactly the menace-laden harpy that was to occupy so many of Hitchcock's future films. Mrs.Danvers is polite enough but her expressionless face and monotone voice nevertheless convey her stark disapproval of her master's new wife. Most of the first half is a character study of these three. It is almost as if Hitchcock is directing a cinematic race to see who will triumph first: Maxim, who will divest himself of the stultifying memories of his late first wife; the new Mrs. de Winter, who will settle comfortably into her new role as mistress of Manderly mansion; or the tightly-wound Mrs. Danvers, who seeks only to drive out her new mistress as a low creature unworthy to bear the name of De Winter.

Part of the joy of immersing oneself into the lives of the de Winters is to see how the supporting cast enriches the film with surprisingly effective stints that resonate even when they are off screen. George Sanders hits just the right caddish note as the former lover of the first Mrs. De Winter. Sanders has made a career of playing the erudite but roguish gentlemen who is a gentleman in verbal repartee only. Veteran character actor C. Aubrey Smith is policeman Colonel Julyan, who seeks to solve the unexplained demise of Rebecca De Winter. His presence lends the film the unmistakable aura of the dogged British cop who will follow any lead, regardless of where it may lead. It would be too simple to say that REBECCA belongs to the titular lead, Sir Lawrence Olivier, who truly is stunning as a wealthy but moody lord who has to overcome his own inner demons before he can relate to his new wife. What marks REBECCA as the masterpiece that it is is the unfolding at just the right moments of plot advances that always seem to fit seamlessly into the fabric. REBECCA was a justly honored winner for Best Picture of 1940.

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Summary: Great Mystery
Review: this movie is a great one to watch with the family. It has a interesting plot and a twisted ending. I love it and is one of my favorites.

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Summary: Another classic Hitchcock film
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Criterion version is well worth the money
Review: If you love this movie, or love learning about the history of movies, the Criterion Collection version of "Rebecca" is money well-spent. It is a treasure trove of information about the film. I haven't had time yet to listen to the commentary, but I did go through some of the screen tests of the different actresses and correspondence regarding the casting of the role of the main character "I" (she doesn't have a name). For someone like myself who is unfamiliar with the movie business, it is amazing to see what a painstaking process this must have been. Also, seeing a 16-year-old Anne Baxter as "I" after recently seeing "All About Eve" (1950) is somehow amazing. She was actually quite good.

The transfer is pristine, not at all grainy, though a just a little blurry (I'm not sure if this is the analog filters on my TV or the DVD itself). The picture is not too bright, and the grays look wonderfully rich. A marvelous addition to a classics-lover's collection.