Rebecca - 1940
Selznick International Pictures
Starring: Laurence Olivier & Joan Fontaine
"No! Stop!" A man is poised on a cliff, apparently overcome with anxiety and teetering on the edge of disaster. The desperate entreaty from behind startles him back to his senses, as Maxim de Winter turns to lay his eyes for the first time on the woman who will change his life.
Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock's first American film, and he certainly arrived on the Hollywood scene with a bang with this Oscar-winning Best Picture. Hitchcock was not without skilled help in creating this masterpiece; the film was produced by David Selznick, artfully photographed by George Barnes, and the intriguing central characters, created by novelist Daphne Du Maurier, were brought to life by screen legends Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.
On a quiet walk along the coast of Monte Carlo, the last thing she expected to encounter was high-profile millionaire Maxim de Winter on the verge of suicide. While working as a paid companion to a sharp-tongued, elderly aristocrat, the sweetly naive "placid little thing" played by Joan Fontaine attempts to enjoy her first trip to the South of France, although she appears no less than completely overwhelmed by her surroundings. After their hapless meeting, she responds with shy delight as Maxim unabashedly pursues her every day for the duration of their stay. He is gruff and guarded throughout their brief, whirlwind courtship, but at times she glimpses a tender and loving nature that compels her to him, and she responds with humble exuberance when he declares, "I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool!"
One of the more unique aspects of this film is that the woman played by Miss Fontaine is not the title character as one might presume, nor is Fontaine's role ever given a name. Indeed, somehow the "star" of the film is Rebecca, a character who is deceased before the show begins. Thus, we are presented with two prominent female roles--one, a nameless face; and the other, a faceless name.
Becoming the "the new Mrs. de Winter" and the mistress of Maxim's immense estate, Manderly, proves a very complicated affair for the timid young bride. The first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, died just a year prior and apparently left everyone, including Maxim, in a despondent state of grief. The new Mrs. de Winter struggles daily under the shadow of Rebecca, the beautiful and accomplished debutante whom everyone reportedly "absolutely adored." Making matters worse is the hostile and overbearing housekeeper of Manderly, Mrs. Danvers, played with bone-chilling skill by Judith Anderson, who maintains a worshipful devotion to the late Rebecca de Winter and treats the new Mrs. de Winter as every bit the intruder.
Due to the era in which this movie was made, there is no explicitly offensive content. However, discretion should be used in allowing children to view the film due to the issues of murder, suicide, and marital infidelity being addressed within the plot.
While there are many unsavory and self-centered characters in this story, the role played by Miss Fontaine femininely represents some exemplary character traits of humility, trust, devotion, modesty, faithfulness, sincerity, gentleness, kindness, and meekness throughout the film which can be inspiring to any woman.
This film is an enthralling web of mystery and plot twists, interwoven with romance and lightly sprinkled with tasteful comic relief. I would recommend this intriguing thriller as quality entertainment over most of what is churned through the industry nowadays.