Rebecca (1940)

Have I mentioned that I love Alfred Hitchcock's work?  Given that fact, I guess writing a review of his only Best Picture winner seems rather a foregone conclusion.  And since I just learned that Hollywood will be remaking, and no doubt ruining, Rebecca, it seems incumbent on me to encourage as many people as possible to enjoy the original.

Rebecca is the story of a young, naive American girl played by Joan Fontaine who meets and marries a dashing widower named Maxim de Winter (the ever brilliant Lawrence Olivier) while in Europe. Maxim is of course very rich, owning an estate in the south of England called Manderley.  But of course not everything is ideal for the new Mrs. de Winter.  Maxim is still struggling terribly over the death of his first wife, named Rebecca, the year before.  Plus, the new life that Mrs. de Winter #2 finds is completely unlike her experience to date.  Everyone seems to expect her to be more sophisticated, a great hostess, have brilliant fashion taste, and so on.  In other words, everyone seems to expect her to be Rebecca.  Manderley is haunted by Rebecca.  Not in the literal sense of course; rather, the house simply breathes with the spirit of Rebecca.  The stationary still has her initials, the pillowcases are embroidered with her name, the servants still operate on the schedule Rebecca devised.  The entire world seems to circle around the new Mrs. de Winter with one overriding message: you aren't good enough, you shouldn't be here, Maxim would rather have Rebecca than you, you'll never measure up, you should leave because you can never replace Rebecca!

In the middle of all this is Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper.  Played to chilling perfection by Judith Anderson, Mrs. Danvers is so loyal to Rebecca that she takes a set against our young heroine.  In fact, I'd say that Rebecca effectively ruined the employment opportunities of any woman named Danvers for the next 15 years!  In every way that Mrs. Danvers can she tries to subvert and undermine the confidence of the new Mrs. de Winters.  She describes Rebecca in an almost worshipful way, seeming more a lovesick puppy dog than housekeeper.  She rebukes Mrs. de Winter for failing to live up to expectations, and she even seeks to drive a wedge between her and Maxim.  And then, in the film's ultimate scene, Danvers could take the role of the devil himself, whispering fear and death into the young bride's insecure and despairing ear.

I tell you, Mrs. Danvers is among the most memorable and evil villains of all time.  As is Rebecca actually.  Even though Rebecca is never seen and has no lines, her presence is all over the movie aptly named for her.  

This is a fantastic film.  It is well acted, moves at a brisk pace even though it is a character drama, and is (of course) superbly directed.  You feel for the insecure heroine as she struggles awkwardly to fit into a foreign world.  You puzzle over the brooding Maxim who seems so good, yet who can lose his temper at the slightest mention of Rebecca.  But the genius of the movie comes in one scene where in one deft move Hitchcock turns everything you thought you knew about Rebecca upside down.  

Rebecca was Hitchcock's first American made film, and his only to win Best Picture (though many of his later films richly deserved the honor).  It is not my favorite of his films, but it certainly showcases its director's blossoming talent.  Don't let any new remake tell you about Rebecca.  Hear the story first as told by the Master of Suspense.  

Entertainment: 6/10
Artistic value: 7/10
Technical merit: 9/10

Overall: 8/10