weezeralfalfa
For me, this romantic drama didn't get very interesting until the last 40min. of a 2hr.,10min. film. However, I can say the same thing about "Casablanca", for example. This section begins with the startling revelation by Maxim de Winter(Laurence Olivier), that he detested, rather than cherished, his deceased wife: Rebecca. His young replacement wife('no name')(Joan Fontaine) had been in aw of Rebecca, as everyone praised her whit, energy, and skill as the mistress of an English manor. It's very odd that Maxim was so late telling his new wife that he hated his former wife, for several reasons. He said she was incapable of real love. She continued with her promiscuous lifestyle after they were married, although she managed to mostly hide this. She taunted him with details of her affairs and the suggestion that she was pregnant by another man. 'No name' was elated that Maxim, apparently in contrast to everyone else she had met at Manderley, despised his former wife, giving her an opening to outshine Rebecca, at least in Maxim's mind.(Incidentally, it's Manderley, not Mandalay, as a few reviewers wrote. Mandalay is a city in Myanmar(Burma)). Even a year after her death, there were still many physical reminders of Rebecca in the manor, often labeled with 'R'. Her room remained as it was when she died. Probably, this was more the policy of the head servant: Mrs. Danvers((Judith Anderson) than of Maxim. She had an extraordinary fondness for Rebecca, and often reminded 'no name' of her inferiority. At one point, Mrs. Danvers asks 'no name' why she doesn't leave, since Maxim doesn't love her. She opens the window, and suggests 'no name' may want to jump out. It's curious why 'no name' didn't fire her at this point?! It demonstrates how much Mrs. Danvers hated either 'no name' or Maxim or both. Also, during the burning of Manderley, Mrs. Danvers told 'no name' that she started the fire because she couldn't stand to see them as a happy couple in Manderley. Again, it's unclear whether her anger is directed at just one of them or both. Clearly, Rebecca hated Maxim, as he hated her, and tried to goad him into killing her, when she wanted to die because of her advanced uterine cancer. That way, presumably, she could ruin Maxim while accomplishing her goal of dying quickly. Did Rebecca and Mrs. Danvers have a common reason for hating Maxim? If so what was it? Could it be that they both hated men? Could they have had a lesbian relationship? The Production Code wouldn't allow clear evidence for a positive answer. Note that in burning the Manderley, Mrs. Danvers destroys all the remaining physical reminders of Rebecca, as well as herself. This was a suicidal act as well as an act against the de Winters. I see practical problems with the whole business of Maxim staging an accidental drowning of Rebecca to cover up her dying from a fall on her head during their tussle. First, why did he go to this trouble? He could have reported the truth that her death was accidental. He didn't think anyone would believe him, but I don't see why not. Rebecca's body was said to be found inside the cabin of the scuttled boat. But this was a year after she disappeared and nearly as long since he had supposedly identified her body some distance from the Manderley. Her body should have completely decomposed by then. Small Flesh-eating animals could get through the holes opened in the boat bottom to sink it. Thus, identification would probably have to be through dental records. The question of how those boat bottom valves got open is also a sticky point. She could have opened them, but why go to the trouble of drowning herself that way. Also, a letter from her on that fateful day gave no hint that she felt suicidal. However, her recent report from her doctor of an advanced cancer gave a possible motive for suicide.Why is Joan Fontaine's character nameless other than the 2nd Mrs. de Winter? She probably has more screen time than anyone else. I can only guess, because compared to Rebecca, she was looked upon as a nobody.See it in B&W at YouTube.
chaswe-28402
The ending is more than a little ex machina. Very unpleasant types: Hecate van Hopper, Maximum de Winter, Deathly Danvers, Flakey Favell Foulenough, combine to bully a sweet, pretty, innocent, young girl with no name. But she slowly grows strong, takes Maxim in hand, and in the end sees off the others. This all takes place at Manderley, not Mandalay. Joan Fontaine is gorgeous.Florence Bates, as van Hopper, has a vicious Hitchcockian way with a cigarette, a stubbing technique later adopted by Jessie Royce Landis in To Catch a Thief. Was this another way Hitchcock decided later to repeat himself ? Just a thought. I don't think he showed up personally in Rebecca.An unusual Hitchcock perhaps, because it is heavy on atmosphere, somewhat reminiscent of Edgar Allan P, and although there is a modicum of suspense, it is slightly flat in that department. It's almost as if Alfred was feeling his way with his first film under American skies. Rebecca's death throes, her smile of satisfaction as she expires, reminds me of Claggart, although the film of Billy Budd was not produced until 22 years later. A gripping watch, but Olivier is extremely unappealing in his role. Other reviewers have explained that Selznick interfered with the direction of this film.
Smoreni Zmaj
This classical Hitchcock's Gothic mystery irresistibly reminds of "Gone With the Wind" (same producer), and also of Jane air (screenplay is based on novel of the same name by Daphne Maurie and it's written on the model of Charlotte Bronte). This is the first Hitchcock American/Hollywood movie so it has typical British flavor, like all previous Hitchcock mysteries. It is nominated for 11 Oscars and has won 2, for the best movie and the best black and white cinematography. I wouldn't say it's one of the best movies of all time, but it surely is masterpiece.9/10
