I have enjoyed several Hitchcock movies over the years.  I have picked up more of his earlier movies on DVD in the last several months and have started to watch some of them.  I just watched Rebecca for the first time.

Wealthy Edythe Van Hopper is traveling around Europe with a young woman as her companion.  The young woman meets Maximilian de Winter, a widower, in Monte Carlo and the two of them start spending a lot of time together.  Within a few weeks they decide to get married.  Maxim and the second Mrs. de Winter return to Manderley, his huge home.  The second Mrs. de Winter is overwhelmed by the house and servants, especially Mrs. Danvers, the very imposing housekeeper.  It is quickly clear that Mrs. Danvers is still very loyal to Rebecca, Maxim's first wife.  Many things in the house are still like Rebecca liked, making the second Mrs. de Winter feel that much more out of place.  She struggles to find her place in Manderley while feeling like Rebecca is still in control.

Rebecca is based on the novel of the same name by Daphne Du Maurier.  I've never read the book, so I don't know first hand what was changed for the movie.  From something I've seen on the making of the movie and some research I've done since watching the movie, it seems like the movie stays fairly close to the book.  There is one rather important difference, but that was done because of the censors of the time.  I'm not saying what the difference is because that would be a spoiler.

Time is taken at the beginning of Rebecca to introduce a few characters and set up everything before Maxim and his new wife arrive at Manderley.  That part of the movie does move a bit slower, which may bother some viewers.  The second Mrs. de Winter quickly feels out of place in her new home and is left in the dark about several things, some of which are connected to Rebecca.  That feeling of isolation for the second Mrs. de Winter is reinforced by the fact that her first name is never used in the movie.  She is even listed in the credits as the second Mrs. de Winter.  As the movie progresses, tension builds and there is some suspense as well, though it isn't as suspenseful as some of Hitchcock's other movies.  There is a bit of mystery to what is going on as well, which helps to keep things more interesting.

Rebecca is the first movie that Alfred Hitchcock made in the United States as part of his contract with producer David O. Selznick.  The movie did win the Oscar for best picture and was nominated for several more, though Hitchcock did not win for best director.  According to things I've read, Hitchcock and Selznick had conflicts in working together because of their different work methods.  Hitchcock wanted to stray a bit more from the original material and inject some humor, like he had done with some of the movies he made in England, but Selznick wouldn't let that happen.  The movie is different from Hitchcock's other movies, probably because of Selznick.  Hitchcock still managed to get a few of his elements into the movie, including his small cameo late in the movie.

Most of what happens in Rebecca takes place at Manderley, the massive home of Maxim.  It had been in his family for a long time and he had lived there with his first wife.  The house is very important to what is going on as the second Mrs. de Winter tries to settle into her new position.  Miniatures were used for the shots of the outside of the house and that works wonderfully and looks realistic.  The rooms that are shown are large and overbearing to the second Mrs. de Winter, especially the rooms where things have been kept as Rebecca left them.  In the room where the Second Mrs. de Winter is expected to write letters, the desk is still covered with Rebecca's things.  Mrs. Danvers has kept Rebecca's room exactly as it was the last time Rebecca was there.  It is almost like Mrs. Danvers expects Rebecca to return.  The house has a very creepy atmosphere, which does add to the tension.  The creepiest scene has to be when Mrs. Danvers shows the second Mrs. de Winter Rebecca's room, caressing the handmade underwear and a lacy nightgown.  The plot really revolves around Manderley and the influence that Rebecca has over it and the inhabitants even in death.

Not much about the relationship that Maxim had with Rebecca is shared until later in the movie.  The second Mrs. de Winter knew that Maxim had been married, but he told her very little.  Instead she learns things from other characters in bits and pieces that caused her to do things that upset Max.  The second Mrs. de Winter loves Maxim, but she is very insecure as his wife and uncertain of how he feels about her because of Rebecca's lingering presence in the house.  Mrs. Danvers is still very loyal to Rebecca, and some of the things she does raises some questions about exactly what type of relationship they had.  Nothing could come right out and imply that Mrs. Danvers and Rebecca had an intimate relationship because of the censorship standards at the time, but subtle things still raise the questions, like the way that Mrs. Danvers lovingly caresses Rebecca's things.  Maxim and his future second wife are shown meeting and some of their courtship is shown.  It doesn't take long for them to get married.  They are shown spending time together and they kiss a few times.  That is really it for any sexual content.  It isn't said for sure, but it seems like they have separate bedrooms.

Even though she is not identified by first name, the second Mrs. de Winter is the main character.  The movie is focused on her as she goes through changes in her life.  She is a shy young woman who doesn't exactly fit into society.  She is intimidated by the memory of Rebecca, which makes her very uncertain about things at times.  I think Joan Fontaine handles the part very well.  Maxim has some mystery surrounding him and he does have a temper that flares up, sometimes at bad moments.  He doesn't talk about certain things and he seems to be tormented by the memory of Rebecca.  He is a more complex character than he seems at first.  Laurence Olivier does very well with the part.

Mrs. Danvers is the housekeeper for Manderley that is still fiercely loyal to Rebecca.  Mrs. Danvers is intimidating, though it is in a more subtle way.  She seems to act like she is trying to be helpful, while in reality she is doing something that will cause problems.  This is not a nice, friendly housekeeper and she is not someone I would want near me.  At times it seems like she has lost touch with reality.  Judith Anderson is wonderful in the part, creating a character that is creepy and menacing.  Jack Favell is one of Rebecca's cousins who turns up a few times, perhaps just to annoy Maxim.  The other characters that turn up, like Maxim's sister, aren't in much of the movie and don't add that much to what is going on.  Edythe is the wealthy older woman who is only in a few early scenes.  She wouldn't be a pleasant employer.

Main Cast

Judith Anderson - Mrs. Danvers
Joan Fontaine - The second Mrs. de Winter
Laurence Olivier - Maxim de Winter

Alfred Hitchcock - Director

DVD Information

Rebecca has been released on DVD a few different times.  I have the version that is part of the Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection.  This collection includes eight of his earlier movies.  I'm not sure what types of extras other DVD releases have.  The picture quality is wonderful and I think it has been restored.  There is a commentary with Richard Schickel, a film historian, that I haven't listened to.  The Making of Rebecca Featurette is very interesting and shares a lot of information on the making of the movie, including some of the conflicts between Hitchcock and Selznick.  There will be spoilers for the movie in this featurette, so it shouldn't be watched before the movie.  The Gothic World of Daphne Du Maurier Featurette is also very interesting.  It shares things about the author and talks about gothic stories in general.  There are screen tests, radio plays, the original theatrical trailer, stills, and Hitchcock interviews with Peter Bogdanovich and Francois Truffaut.  

Rebecca is different from many other Hitchcock movies, but it is still a wonderful movie that deserves to be seen.  Fans of Hitchcock should give it a chance.

Hitchcock Movie Reviews
The Birds ~ Dial M for Murder ~ Family Plot ~ Lifeboat ~ The Lodger ~ The Man Who Knew Too Much ~ North by Northwest ~ Notorious ~ The Paradine Case ~ Psycho ~ Rear Window ~ Rope ~ Sabotage ~ Strangers on a Train ~ Suspicion ~ To Catch a Theif ~ Vertigo ~

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD