Rebecca
Tags: dark, mystery, cruelty, gothic, murder, comedy, atmospheric, flashback, romantic, suspenseful, sadist, home movie

Plot synopsis:
A naïve young woman (Joan Fontaine) is in Monte Carlo working as a paid companion to Edythe Van Hopper (Florence Bates) when she meets the aristocratic but brooding widower Maximilian "Maxim" de Winter (Laurence Olivier). They fall in love, and within two weeks they are married. The young woman is now the second "Mrs. de Winter."
Maxim takes his new bride back to Manderley, his large country house in Cornwall. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), is domineering and cold, and is obsessed with the beauty, intelligence and sophistication of Maxim's dead wife Rebecca, the first Mrs. de Winter, preserving her former bedroom, the master suite, as a shrine. Although dead, Rebecca's presence is nonetheless pervasive - several things throughout the house - stationery, handkerchiefs, bed linens, even the master bedroom door - bear her ornate "R" or "R de W" monogram. As her closest confidant, Mrs. Danvers regularly comments on Rebecca's exceptional grace and style. When asked what Rebecca was like, Frank Crawley (Reginald Denny), Maxim's best friend and manager of the estate, absent-mindedly tells the new Mrs. de Winter that Rebecca was an exceptional beauty.
The new Mrs. de Winter is intimidated by her responsibilities and begins to doubt her relationship with her husband. The continuous reminders of Rebecca overwhelm her; she believes that Maxim is still deeply in love with his first wife. She also discovers that her husband sometimes becomes very angry at her for apparently insignificant actions. She also meets Rebecca's so-called "favorite cousin," Jack Favell (George Sanders), who visits the house while Maxim is away.
Trying to be the perfect wife, the young Mrs. de Winter convinces Maxim to hold a costume party, as he had done with Rebecca. She wants to plan her own costume, but Mrs. Danvers suggests she copy the beautiful outfit in the portrait of Lady Caroline de Winter, an ancestor of Maxim's. At the party, when the costume is revealed, Maxim is appalled; Rebecca wore the same outfit at the ball a year ago, shortly before her death.
Mrs. de Winter confronts Danvers, who tells her she can never take Rebecca's place, and almost manages to convince her to jump to her death. An airborne flare reveals that a ship has hit the rocks. Mrs. de Winter rushes outside, where she hears that during the rescue a sunken boat has been found with Rebecca's body in it.
Maxim admits to his new wife that he had earlier misidentified another body as Rebecca's, in order to conceal the truth. His first marriage, until now viewed by the world as ideal, was in fact a sham. At the very beginning of their marriage Rebecca had told Maxim she intended to continue the scandalous life she had previously lived. He hated her for this, but they agreed to an arrangement: in public she would pretend to be the perfect wife and hostess, and he would ignore Rebecca's private wanton lifestyle. However, Rebecca grew careless, including an ongoing affair with Jack Favell. One night, Rebecca told Maxim she was pregnant with a child that was not his. Laughing at Maxim's dismay, Rebecca proclaimed that the child, presumed to be a boy and legally Maxim's son, would thus inherit his beloved estate Manderley. During the ensuing heated argument she fell, hit her head and died. Maxim took the body out in her boat, which he then scuttled.
Now assured of her husband's love for her and not his first wife, the new Mrs. de Winter sheds the remnants of her girlish innocence. She begins to coach her husband how to conceal the mode of Rebecca's death from the authorities. In the police investigation, deliberate damage to the boat points to suicide. However, Favell shows Maxim a note from Rebecca, which appears to prove that she was not suicidal; Favell tries to blackmail Maxim. Maxim tells the police, and then falls under suspicion of murder. The investigation reveals Rebecca's secret visit to a London doctor (Leo G. Carroll), which Favell assumes was due to her illicit pregnancy. But the police interview with the doctor establishes that Rebecca was not actually pregnant; the doctor had told Rebecca that she was suffering from a late-stage cancer instead.
The coroner renders a finding of suicide. Only Frank Crawley, Maxim, and his wife know the full story: that Rebecca told Maxim she was pregnant with another man's child in order to try to goad him into killing her, an indirect means of suicide that would also have ensured her husband's ruination and possible execution.
As Maxim returns home from London to Manderley, he sees that the manor is on fire, set ablaze by the deranged Mrs. Danvers. The second Mrs. de Winter and the staff escape the blaze, but Danvers is killed when a ceiling collapses on her. Finally, a silk nightdress case on Rebecca's bed, with a beautifully embroidered "R" - Rebecca's proud emblem of ownership - is consumed by flames.

Review: The supporting cast also includes some brilliant performances, especially Judith Anderson ('Laura') as the extremely creepy Mrs. Danvers, George Sanders who plays Rebecca's slimy cousin, and Nigel Bruce in a typical role as de Winter's bumbling brother-in-law Major Lacy.
I have debated on whether Laurence Olivier's character, the tortured Maxim de Winter, is the pitiable character or if his second wife played by Joan Fontaine is really the one to feel sorry for.
She acted the part so well that it's strange to imagine that she was any different in real life.With a wonderful storyline, and a very surprising ending, Rebecca well deserves the title as the only of Hitchcock's films to win the oscar for Best Picture.
She's also absolutely perfect in the role of the second Mrs. DeWinter, taking a character that could have become a cloying bore in less capable hands and transforming her into a sympathetic and interesting figure.The movie, on the whole, is similarly amazing, capturing the spirit and the tone of those great Gothic romances.
Even character actor Nigel Bruce, best known for his role in the Sherlock Holmes films, makes an appearance and plays, in effect, Nigel Bruce!But it is Judith Anderson's role as Mrs. Danvers that viewers are likely to remember best.
I love the inside of Mandalay and Sir Laurence Olivier played a wonderful mysterious and sullen Maximillian De Winter opposite his new wife, a beautiful and naive young Joan Fontaine who is never even given a name here, probably deliberately and in keeping with how mousy and "second hand" she feels about herself in relation to the first and late Mrs. De Winter, who is actually Rebecca from the title.Of course there is also George Sanders, playing the type of character he is best known for--sarcastic, snobby, self-assured, pompous, witty and verbose.
It's best if you watch them unfold yourself in true Hitchcockian style.I will say that Rebecca, the first wife of Max de Winter, is NEVER seen, but we learn about her by what is said about her by the various characters, even going as far as seeing the untouched shrine of a bedroom maintained by Mrs. Danvers.
She is young, naive, and completely unprepared for the life which is awaiting her; all qualities which George Fortescu Maximillian 'Maxim' de Winter finds endearing.I won't detail the events in this movie, as the story itself is quite haunting, with surprises around every turn.This is a definite "must have" in any suspense / horror / Hitchcock / classics movie collection, and a mandatory must see for all fans of all movies.It rates a 10/10 for its absolute perfection, from...the Fiend :..
The only Alfred Hitchcock (Oscar-nominated for directing) film to win the Best Picture Oscar, "Rebecca" is one of those typical films from the amazing director that chills, entertains and puts you on the edge of your seat each time you watch it.
Joan Fontaine (Oscar-nominated) has just married the very wealthy Laurence Olivier (also Oscar-nominated), but she is haunted by his mysterious housekeeper (a show-stopping Oscar-nominated performance by Judith Anderson) and the memory of the film's titled character (Olivier's late wife).
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.
Hitchcock's style and eye for detail combine very well with a story (from a novel that is extremely good in its own right) filled with psychological fear and settings that are interesting and suggestive.Most of the time the story itself moves fairly slowly, allowing the focus to be on the characters, but there are also a couple of very good plot twists, which can be very surprising if you've not seen the movie or read the novel.
Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, and George Sanders are all perfectly cast and do a wonderful job bringing their characters to life, and making you feel a part of the story."Rebecca" should be satisfying not only to any Hitchcock fan, but to anyone who likes classic movies.
This is a Daphne Du Maurier's story (from a best-seller novel) concerning a prominent widower (Laurence Olivier) called Maxim De Winter who finds a gorgeous and timid young girl (Joan Fontaine) who is serving to an old Mistress (Florence Bates) .
There works as a servant the creepy and obsessive housekeeper , Mrs Danvers (Judith Anderson,a famous stage actress in her most important role) and sh meets a cynic gentleman (George Sanders).This film has suspense , romance , unlimited tension , full of lingering images and with the typical touches Hitchcock .
Cinematography is by George Barnes and music scored by Franz Waxman.After meeting and marrying 'Maxim' de Winter (Olivier), the Second Mrs. de Winter (Fontaine), finds life at his English estate, Manderley, far from comfortable because the servants and the house serve to remind her of the first Mrs. de Winter, whose death remains a source of mystery.
Can this newly married couple survive the oppressive cloud that looms large over the mansion?A Gothic emotional near masterpiece, Alfred Hitchcock's first American film may seem a bit too serviceable at times, something he was also aware of himself, but the production values are high and the story is played out supremely well.
However, to me this will always be Joan Fontaine's show, she nails it perfectly, the new Mrs. De Winter wants to do right but can't seem to so for doing wrong, she infuriates at times, yet the next minute you just want to hold her, for she's so vulnerable, but beautifully so, it's a brilliant performance in a brilliant film.
In the case of "Rebecca", however, the overall plot is equal to Hitch's masterful style, producing an epic film worthy of its Oscar statue.For a basic plot summary, "Rebecca" begins with the the meeting and courtship of Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) and the lady who will become his wife (Joan Fontaine).
When the couple arrive at Maxim's elegant mansion, however, the new bride discovers just how deep the love of Maxim's first wife runs through the home, especially in maid Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson).The main plot element of this film reminds me very much of "Vertigo" in the sense that a supernatural presence is hinted at.
Olivier & Fontaine shine in their leading roles, but Anderson's Danvers pretty much steals the show in this one as one of the great creepy movie characters of all time.
Still, "Rebecca" is worth seeing at least for Judith Anderson's amazing performance as the evil Mrs. Danvers.If you're a Hitchcock fan, take notice that Leo G.
In Monte Carlo, the shy and naive lady's companion (Joan Fontaine) of the snobbish Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper (Florence Bates) meets the wealthy widower aristocrat Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) in the hotel while her employer is ill.
However, when the boat of Rebecca is found with her body trapped in the cabin, Mr. and Mrs. de Winter are haunted by the past."Rebecca" is probably is one of the most famous movies of Alfred Hitchcock in his earlier career, with a suspenseful romance with many surprises and twists.
Voltage, typical in Hitchcock's creative work, there is more than just entering the Manderley, not wane even after the last scene.Joan Fontaine as the second Mrs. de Winter is a common companion and plain, simple girl who becomes the mistress of a huge estate and wife of a man of high lineage.
Olivier is certainly one of the few actors who make a small play in conflict with his own emotions.Perhaps the animosity was as good a reason of attraction between Olivier and Fontaine on the screen.Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers, housekeeper of Manderley is the perfect villain for this opportunity.
And Joan Fontaine suffers from the most ungrateful status as she's not even given a first name, she's only known as the "second Mrs. De Winter" she's not even Rebecca's rival because it's a lost fight, mentioning her in the same breath than Rebecca is like pronouncing the name of God in vain.So, the whole movie is overshadowed by Rebecca's aura, it's like the black-and-white photography, drawn through powerful contrasts, was just some decoy containing the shadowy presence of Rebecca, likely to commit an intrusion at any time, by means of a memory, an evocation, a revelation or a confession.
As the shy, hapless and desperate-to-please Mrs. De Winters, Fontaine is vital to the credibility of the story because through her behavior, she's the plain that gives prominence to the mountain.And 'plain' is the word, it is the mark of a very subtle talent to take distance from the usual strong-minded, glamorous and independent heroines played by the likes of Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn and create such a fragile, delicate and mild-mannered woman, begging for friendship rather than love, in awe of her husband and in total fear from Mrs. Danvers, the ominous governess who never misses an opportunity to remind what kind of a woman Rebecca was.
Even Danvers who seemed to have had a privileged relationship (of platonic nature in the film) seems to glide over the place, as if she was possessed by the soul of her deceased mistress.Hitchcock was a craftsman and his camera loved the faces of Anderson and Fontaine, the cinematography also accentuates the feeling of an impending danger, and the acting was enriched by the presence of a youngish George Sanders and Leo G.
The film won the Oscar for Best Picture, over classics like "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Great Dictator", without winning any of the major awards in the directing, acting and writing department, but I guess that's what can be said about "Rebecca", it is a great picture with the looks, the mystery, the acting and everything one could ask for.I only wish it didn't overplay the melodramatic violins and a succession of twists and revelation at the end satisfy the mind, but don't fool us either as Olivier didn't play the kind of roles that deserved a happy ending by Hitch' standards.
Rebecca isn't his best film (which in my opinion is Rear Window), but it deserves to be ranked amongst his best work thanks to a gripping screenplay, some wonderful performances, memorable characters, and above all its beautiful black and white cinematography.
Charles Ramirez Berg, when discussing various landmarks of Hitchcock's films, pointed out that therein "evil manifests itself not only in acts of violence but also in the form of psychological, institutionalized and systematic cruelty." And it seems that REBECCA, his Hollywood directorial debut, a production that the New York Times reviewer Frank S.
It is, actually, REBECCA's Gothic atmosphere and sophisticated characters where its major strengths lie.(Gothic atmosphere) James Berardinelli observes in his review of the movie that "it is perhaps the height of irony that the only film directed by the Master of Suspense to win a Best Picture Oscar is a Gothic melodrama." Just the height of paradox where Hitchock proves to be a versatile director.
Quite underrated at certain moments, this is, undeniably, one of Olivier's towering performances.REBECCA is a gem, a highly recommended film which may enhance the Hitchock's reputation as a versatile director and a surprising work where atmosphere and characters still supply us with unique entertainment..
Fontaine exudes a lovable naivete, one that starts out earning sympathy but twists into an attribute that antagonizes the audience as the film goes on as the presence of the late great first Mrs. De Winter, Rebecca grows more powerful.The role of Rebecca easily ranks as the most powerful character in cinema to never appear on screen.
Although Hitchcock's directorial voice runs through Fontaine, Anderson adds punctuation to his efforts, especially as she steals the final moments of the film.Although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences would have you believe "Rebecca" to be Hitchcock's finest effort, it merely showcases his ability as an artist to overcome what was a producer-driven Hollywood at the time.
With "Rebecca", however, he achieved one of his greatest successes, even though the story is hardly typical of his work.A number of Hitchcock's films, such as "The 39 Steps" or "North by North-West" end up with the hero and heroine falling in love, but are nevertheless essentially suspense films with an element of romance.
George Barnes won "Rebecca's" 2nd Oscar for Best Cinematography in Black & White.Novelist Daphne Du Maurier's plot certainly wouldn't work nearly as well without the spooky head housekeeper of the de Winters' castle, Manderley: Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson).
This is a classic film by perhaps the best director in history and it offers a view of Gothic horror and/or mystery you won't soon forget."Rebecca" is nearly 70 years old and yet it still projects a surreal world that draws the viewer into its web.
But, she fought her way to the truth about the first Mrs. de Winter and became a strong woman at the end of the film.Character actors, a Hitchcock staple, are a big plus in "Rebecca" as Dame Judith Anderson, Nigel Bruce, Gladys Cooper and George Sanders bolster the film.
Maxim seems unaware of the tension between the two and he seemingly has no fear of Mrs. Danvers even though she is so much a part of his tragic past.Although unspoken throughout, Hitchcock resurrects the memory of Rebecca as a tool to haunt all aspects of this film.
Mysterious Laurence Olivier (as Maxim De Winter) and the supporting cast are perfect; with sinister Judith Anderson (as Mrs. Danvers) raising her character to striking icon status.
********** Rebecca (3/27/40) Alfred Hitchcock ~ Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Judith Anderson, George Sanders.
Based on Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel of the same name, 'Rebecca' is a tense, atmospheric Gothic melodrama about the lingering influence of the story's unseen title character, long after her own death.Relative newcomer Joan Fontaine plays a young, modest woman who falls in love with a wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), who still apparently mourns the death of his wife, Rebecca.
Selznick might have had more of an influence over this production than some might think- as with many of his films- and he is the one who ended up receiving the Oscar, not director Alfred Hitchcok, for the 1940 mystery-drama-romance Rebecca.
He is given a plethora of the best of English acting talents (Olivier of course is hyped and hyped again just like Brando, but his work is undeniably good here, and yet it's Joan Fontaine who quietly makes her mark quite powerfully even when she is reserved in scenes), lush sets and production decor, a solid 'studio' score by Frank Waxman, and some memorable sequences and set-pieces.
Than again so were the sets of Tara in Selznick's Best Picture of the previous year, Gone With the Wind.Rebecca is a good mixture of mystery, Gothic horror, and romance served up quite nicely by Alfred Hitchcock..
Though her second screen test was better than her first, in my mind, I've always pictured Leigh as the actual Rebecca, were she ever shown.The casting is perfect, with Joan Fontaine as the insecure Mrs. de Winter, coldly manipulated and laughed at by Mrs. Danvers, as expertly portrayed by Judith Anderson.
She never misses a note as the sinister Mrs. Danvers.The basic summary is this: Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) takes his second wife (Fontaine) back to his large estate Manderley, where his bride is terrorized by memories of Maxim's first wife, Rebecca.There is no other movie that can compare.
She quickly finds out that Max can't seem to get over his first wife and the evil housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) loved the first Mrs. de Winter--and doesn't want anyone to take her place.Alfred Hitchcock's first American picture.
"Rebecca" tells the story of a young woman (Joan Fontaine) who meets and falls in love with a wealthy widower (Laurence Olivier).
I cannot understand why academy didn't award Hitchcock an Oscar for this(though the movie got one) This is the story of a young simple woman played by Joan Fontaine who falls in love and marries a widower Maxim De Winter who is the lord of Manderly .
Though he would not receive as much credit as Orson Welles one year later with Citizen Kane, he nevertheless left behind a stirring story filled with complex and emotional people who bring us along on this strange and mysterious journey.The movie never would have been as great without an all-star cast, which Hitchcock had with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine as the two lovers separated by the dead Rebecca's presence as well as supporting characters Judith Anderson as the obsessed housekeeper Mrs. Danvers and the slick and sneaky George Sanders.
Nevertheless, filled with dazzling images of Manderley, a completely convincing performance by the beautiful Fontaine and Hitchcock's ability to have Rebecca cast a shadow over the characters despite being dead, this is a classic not to be missed and one that needs multiple views before the mystery is cleared up.
The acting is great; Laurence Olivier as the mystical yet charming Maxim de Winter, Joan Fontaine as the nameless heroine who is humble and submissive, George Sanders as the sleazy, creepy Jack Favell and Judith Anderson as the cold character of Mrs. Danver, who is seemingly devoid of emotion.
Joan Fontaine as Mrs.De Winters & Judith Anderson as Mrs.Danvers in the film Rebecca (1940 film) by the great Alfred Hitchcock, are two of the most cinematic characters I have ever seen!
It is somehow overrated in my opinion, as despite being a good movie it is not one of its best, and it's the less Hitchcock of all his films.The film starts as a romance, with young and innocent Joan Fontaine meeting widower Laurence Oliver on the Cote d'Azur to become in 20 screen minutes his second wife.
Up to that three-quarter way mark, I found that Olivier, Fontaine and housekeeper Judith Anderson (Mrs Danvers) were all too predictable and that the film was a little long.
Additionally, this film offers up an unpredictable story as well as some wonderful performances from Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.