Rebecca

Rating:
Summary: ugh!
Review: How can anyone write a good review of this movie? It does not even come close to doing justice to du Maurier's classic novel! Anyone who has read the novel knows the importance of what happens in the cabin that stormy night, and the movie RUINS IT.

My rating: -5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic on par with "Citizen Kane"
Review: In a line-up of great motion pictures, "Rebecca" stands as one of the giants. It is arguably one of Hitchcock's greatest film efforts, replete with jolting, slap-in-the-face plot twists and gothic sets. Dark and moody, the film boasts Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in slam-dunk, dead on performances, George Sanders as the deliciously despicable Jack Favell, and Judith Anderson nearly stealing the show as the eerie, obsessed housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. A perfect "10".

Rating:
Summary: Max and the second Mrs
Review: This is perhaps my favourite film. After a few viewings this Selznick production may seem overlong and over-elaborate, but nevertheless it remains a classic. As the second Mrs De Winter Joan Fontaine is superb,giving a delicate, sensitive performance. She is better as the clumsy girl - but lovely throughout.Olivier is charming but too young, too histrionic in a part that called for Ronald Colman. Nevertheless, the pair are tremendous, and in the scenes in which Rebecca's real fate are revealed, they are impressive,in a screenplay surprisingly complex and mature even today.

The photography by George Barnes and music by Waxman are all top rate. An evocative charmer from a classy era.

Rating:
Summary: A nameless girl in a famous house
Review: When David O Selznick invited Alfred Hitchcock to the U.S. to direct his first American film they had a little difficulty deciding on a project (one consideration: "Titanic"), but finally chose Daphne du Maurier's "celebrated novel" (as Selznick called it) "Rebecca". This Brontë-ish romance, published in 1938, was prodigiously successful, so it was an apt follow-up to Selznick's version of Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind". The screenplay by Robert E Sherwood and Joan Harrison sticks pretty close to du Maurier's story, with two major exceptions (see below). You might say the central character in "Rebecca" is introduced in the famous first sentence: it's the great Cornish estate Manderley, owned for generations by the de Winter family and where 90% of the story takes place. However, the story opens in Monte Carlo where the recently-widowered Maxim de Winter meets a lonely, gauche young woman working as a "paid companion" for a wealthy but vulgar American (the marvelous Florence Bates). He marries the girl (amazing in that his first wife Rebecca was considered the quintessence of "beauty, brains, and breeding") and takes her to live at Manderley. The girl is never named (the novel is in the first person singular), so that the name Rebecca soon becomes oppressive. (Her Monte Carlo employer calls her "my dear"; after her marriage the staff at Manderley calls her "madam" and her husband calls her pet names.) The housekeeper at Manderley, Mrs Danvers, was Rebecca's personal maid; and it becomes obvious that her resentment and contempt for the new Mrs de Winter is overwhelming. One of the film's most striking scenes occurs when Mrs Danvers, with repressed ecstasy, shows the girl Rebecca's luxurious bedroom: her vanity table, her furs, her underwear, yet. The scene ends in a freeze-frame of the housekeeper, completely transfixed. Mrs Danvers has hang-ups, to put it mildly, and Judith Anderson plays the character in an appropriately cold yet slightly feverish manner. Selznick wanted a big search to find an actress to play the girl, à la Scarlett O'Hara, but Hitchcock found it all a little silly: Joan Fontaine's first tests showed she was perfect. I think it's one of the best female performances in Hollywood history. Unfortunately, Joan Fontaine's subsequent acting became increasingly stilted. This is not one of Laurence Olivier's best performances -- he seems rather bored and uninvolved. (In his memoirs, Sir Laurence says tactfully he was "happy with Hitchcock" and lets it go at that.) More successful is George Sanders, playing one of those ne'er-do-wells that he played so well. Regarding the differences: In the movie Maxim "accidently" kills Rebecca when she goads him into striking her. In du Maurier he deliberately shoots her in the chest. Then, in the book's ending there is no indication that Mrs Danvers immolates herself in Manderley. In fact, the cause of the fire is the novel's final mystery. One reviewer has stated the movie should have been produced in color, but that would have been a mistake. Certainly, Selznick could have afforded Technicolor, but I think both he and Hitchcock realized that "Rebecca" is basically a ghost story, best presented visually in the shadowy and misty tones of black-and-white. (Franz Waxman's lush score adds to the atmosphere immeasurably.) "Rebecca" won the Best Picture Oscar for 1940. It was Selznick's Oscar, of course, not Hitchcock's, but the movie is usually thought of as the director's work. Of all the pictures Hitchcock made in the decades to come, "Rebecca" is one of his best.

Rating:
Summary: could have been a lot better
Review: I can see a lot of people are giving five-star reviews, which is why I am submitting a less enthusiastic response. To me, while I could see that it was built on a great story, and had some terrific acting performances, overall the effect was not what it should have been and I was disappointed.

I just watched it last night, and I think it could have been a lot better. I bet the book was a lot better. The movie left me with the feeling that the surface was just being skimmed, and at an overly rapid pace, too. Laurence Olivier was super, but I think Joan Fontaine was much better at being happy than being upset - probably just an example of how acting styles have changed, but I got a little seasick watching her head movements used to express uncertainty and confusion. I have also seen more effective work from Hitchcock and others and creating a mood of mysteriousness and suspense that this film needed. This film made me want to read the book or watch some recent BBC re-make. The problem with this movie lies mostly in the craft of screenwriting (too much on the surface) and in the rapid pace that detracts from the suspense, and from a lack of moodiness. Otherwise it is an interesting story, rather like The Secret Garden or Jane Eyre, with a heroine to whom you can relate (even if she does make you want to scream sometimes.)

Rating:
Summary: Haunting, Eerie, and Suspenseful!
Review: This ranks as one of Hitchcock's best films in my opinion. Wonderful acting by Olivier and Fontaine. Infact I think both should have won Oscars for their roles (Fontaine did win one year later for another Hitchcock film "Suspicion"). And Hitchcock was overlooked as well. It's hard to believe he never won an Oscar. This one showcases his talents just as well as his other films. The movie carries a eerie feeling throughout, in ways it reminds me of an Edger Allan Poe novel, it has such a mysterious feel to it. You never quite know what to expect. The screenplay always leaves you hanging, the movie is filled with many plot twist and is handled in a way only the MASTER could have done. This is definitely a good movie to start out watching Hitchcock films with. A thrilling and exciting ride you'll never forget. This is a movie you just have to buy, don't rent it, because you'll find yourself always renting it, again and again. So save your time and buy this outstanding piece of filmmaking by one of the greats.

Rating:
Summary: Great Gothic Suspense
Review: Alfred Hitchcock's first American film, produced by David O. Selznick, is a wonderful adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's bestselling novel. When a shy, young woman (Joan Fontaine) falls in love with the sophisticated, but moody Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) during a trip to Monte Carlo, she begins to wonder if she has made a terrible mistake after they are married. Maxim is the heir to a family fortune which includes the magnificent Manderley estate in Cornwall (England). Upon her arrival, Fontaine discovers that the shadow of Rebecca, Maxim's late first wife, is a long and dark one and is a threat to her marriage. Rebecca's former servant, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), is the supervisor of the estate and she has an unnatural loyalty to her dead mistress. Danvers has such contempt for the new Mrs. de Winter that she'll do almost anything to intimidate and embarrass her. What is the secret to Rebecca's powerful hold over people...even from the grave? In one of her first starring roles, Fontaine is right on key. Her characterization of a woman trying to save her marriage from a spectre from the past is wonderful to behold. As the picture progresses, she becomes more and more assertive, finally able to stand up to the formidable Danvers. But to what end? Rebecca is a wonderful example of mystery and suspense. A beautifully mounted film that used all the resources and technology Selznick's bank account could offer. Great performances from all the principles, including George Sanders as one of Rebecca's many lovers, Florence Bates as Mrs. Van Hopper, Gladys Cooper as Maxim's sister, et al. Olivier gets top billing and he is appropriately dark and moody, the way every hero of a gothic romance should be, however, it's Fontaine's delicate and balanced performance that anchors the film and gives it much of its richness. A wonderful job all around and the only Hitchcock film to ever win an Academy Award for Best Picture. Note: Foreign Correspondent released the same year was also nominated for Best Picture of 1940.

Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock delivers another spellbinder!
Review: Joan Fontaine portrays the newly wedded second wife of Lord DeWinter (played by Laurence Olivier), who has no idea what she's gotten into: The new wife has a terrible time trying to live up to the first wife's ideal. The first Lady DeWinter (whose image is never shown!) was worshipped by many people, most of all the mysterious governess Mrs. Denvers (who keeps hell hot for the new Lady DeWinter!). Her stunning beauty gave Lady DeWinter an incredible ego, soon leading to Lord DeWinter's detesting his wife. The film spends much time reveiling the secrets surrounding the never clearly explained circumstances surrounding Lady DeWinter's death. -- The master of suspense delivers another great thriller! Oscar winner for best picture (though no other major awards were won). Don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's first American film!
Review: Rebecca, Alfred Hitchcock's first American film, is a classic suspense thriller and his only film to win an oscar for Best Picture. It is a haunting story about a young woman (Joan Fontaine) who marries a rich widower (Laurence Olivier) and who begins to learn dark secrets about his first wife, Rebecca. I liken the tone of the film to that of Vertigo, which is probably my favorite Hitchcock film. The story has an almost supernatural, gothic feel to it, and one almost expects a ghost to appear. It is a chilling story that works very effectively and is a good demonstration of why Hitchcock is considered one of the greatest suspense-thriller directors ever.

The performances are quite good. Olivier's character is like a caged animal, and one can practically feel his frustration boiling under his cool exterior. Fontaine plays her usual mousy screen persona, which is very effective at portraying the uncertainty and low confidence of the young wife. And the character of the maid....brrr. Very chilling.

Those who have seen this movie before will enjoy the DVD. The transfer is quite good, and the film shows only a few minor signs here or there of its age. The image is a tad bit soft but nothing that distracts in any way from the movie. Sound, of course, is monophonic. My only real complaint about the DVD is that it is quite bare-bones. It is just the movie and nothing else. Still, this movie is a worthy addition to any collection and is a strong testament to how "they used to make 'em."

Rating:
Summary: And de Winter Is ...
Review: A sumptuous film version of Daphne du Maurier's Gothic suspense novel. Brilliant direction by Alfred Hitchcock (his first American-made feature), dazzling cinematography by Oscar-winner George Barnes, and splendid art direction by Lyle Wheeler underscore impeccable performances by the entire cast. Laurence Olivier is excellent as the enigmatic Maxim, whose brooding ambivalance masks a dark secret; Joan Fontaine hits all the right notes as the confused and insecure Second Mrs. de Winter; and Judith Anderson (made up very much like Gloria Holden in Universal's "Dracula's Daughter") is chillingly repellant as the malevolent housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. These three Oscar nominees are ably abetted by George Sanders playing Rebecca's cad of a cousin, and Florence Bates as the vitriolic social butterfly Edyth Van Hopper. In what must have been an incredibly close race, this film beat out 20th Century-Fox's landmark "The Grapes of Wrath" for the 1940 Best Picture Oscar.

The Anchor Bay DVD offers a fine video transfer of this classic mystery. The picture is sharp and clear with excellent contrast throughout, and the soundtrack is clean and crisp. Although the package doesn't mention it, the DVD does offer Chapter Search (always a welcome plus). There aren't any bonus materials like theatrical trailers, cast biographies, photo galleries, etc., but this is still a worthy edition of a genuine film classic.