Rebecca (1940)
Genre: Mystery / Romance
Duration: 130 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson
IMDb score:
8,0 (162.728)
Releasedate: 23 March 1940
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Rebecca plot
"The shadow of this woman darkened their love!"
A girl of humble origin marries a distinguished lord of the castle Maxim. However, the marital bliss is thwarted by the memory of Rebecca, Maxim's previous wife. Rebecca, it seems, was much loved by everyone. She died in obscure circumstances, but her ghost still haunts and the girl desperately tries to replace this superwoman.
Actors and actresses
Maxim de Winter
Mrs. de Winter
Jack Favell
Mrs. Danvers
Major Giles Lacy
Frank Crawley
Colonel Julyan
Beatrice Lacy
Edythe Van Hopper
Coroner
Reviews & comments
maxcomthrilla
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- 15588 messages
- 2887 votes
I've been dry for a few years when it comes to Alfred Hitchcock movies, so I was pleasantly surprised that Rebecca turned out to be one of his better movies.....
There was a constant air of suspicion surrounding the story. The film was thrilling, thanks to a more than successful role by the almost possessed housekeeper Mrs. danvers. I've never been able to catch Hitchcock doing really nice camera work in his later films, but in Rebecca he shows himself to be a skilled master of black and white photography, with a great sense of composition and even atmosphere, highlight: the housekeeper in a black robe before the virginal white curtain appears!
Hitchcock should have left the car scenes out of his film, since the man has never managed to film a decent car scene. A 3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Don Homer
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- 510 messages
- 1297 votes
Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again
The acclaimed film Rebecca (1940) seemed like a good choice for my 30th Hitchcock. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with this film adaptation of Daphne du Marrier's famous book.
The film reminded me a lot of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte's book, who also inspired the book Rebecca. Recently I saw this 1943 version that impressed me more than this Hitchcock without suspense.
Like Jane Eyre, the story is about a simple young woman (once again Joan Fontaine) who falls in love with a lord of the manor with a past. The opening scene with the above quote in it was beautiful. After that, until the also impressive final scene, I found it quite tough. Sporadic beautiful images passed in review, but the story lacked tension.
Joan Fontaine played very well. The other actors don't give up either, with one exception. I found Laurence Olivier a bit disappointing. He made an absent-minded impression. That may have been the intent, but I didn't like it. It also lacked chemistry with Fontaine, although it would be a love-hate relationship, it would make the whole thing more interesting.
So give me Jane Eyre.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 12860 messages
- 10708 votes
An excellent cast in this Selznick production with extremely lavish sets, brilliant (Oscar-winning) cinematography and the romantic score by Franz Waxman. As with Gone With The Wind, David O. Selznick staged an extensive audition as a publicity stunt, but Hitchcock had already concluded that Fontaine would be ideal for the lead role and he was right. Laurence Olivier, Judith Anderson and the acclaimed George Sanders also do a great job in this dazzling, captivating romantic melodrama about a naive young woman who falls for a widow during a vacation and returns with him to the stately estate where he lost his wife and constantly feels Rebecca's ghost haunting.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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