‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again’. These first lines serve as the backdrop to the opening shot with a meandering camera making its way in the night through a large estate lying waste, only to reveal the dilapidated remains of what was once a stately residence. In the first 30 seconds, the stage is set for a riveting mystery, the answer to which the master shall reveal when he thinks you are ready. Alfred Hitchcock’s film adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s 1939 novel explores how arduous it is to deal with a memory.
The film revolves around a rich businessman, Maxim de Winter, a widower who is struggling to get over the death of his first wife, Rebecca who has drowned in a boat accident. In Monte Carlo, he comes across a much younger woman, whom he falls in love with, marries and brings back to his Manderlay estate, to become the new Mrs. de Winter.
His new wife discovers that the large mansion and estate bear the unmistakable mark of Rebecca, her insignia on every piece of cloth, her name on the lips of the staff and the part of the house that she occupied, sealed off. The housekeeper Mrs. Danvers is unwilling to accept that another woman is taking Rebecca’s place. She finds Maxim increasingly cagey about Rebecca and soon discovers that there is more to her supposed accidental death than meets the eye. How she deals with the overbearing memory of Rebecca as well as the mystery surrounding her death is what the plot tries to unravel.
The first thing you notice about ‘Rebecca’ is the fantastic interplay of light and shadow. The first shot through the run down estate, sees the lighting change as the narrator describes the surroundings and the eeriness of the context becomes evident right away. Hitchcock’s direction sees him using the elements of the mansion to create an almost ghostly atmosphere permeated by Rebecca’s indelible imprint. It is a unique situation where a memory of a dead person is almost alike in impact to her ghost.
Sir Laurence Olivier as Maxim looks every bit the aloof and reclusive aristocrat. But he seems rather awkward in his portrayal of Maxim. Stiff and machinelike almost. Whether it is his manner or the demands of the character, his portrayal of the conflict within Maxim is below par as compared to what you would expect from an actor of his caliber. Joan Fontaine as the second Mrs. de Winter does a reasonable job of portraying a woman caught in a different league. The acting honors go to the menacing and vengeful Mrs. Danvers played by Judith Anderson. One outstanding scene where she tries to use the vulnerability of the second wife to drive her to suicide is superbly executed. Her portrayal set the template, it seems for roles such as Nurse Ratched in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’.
Watch ‘Rebecca’ for it is a well executed suspense thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the very end. Hitchcock in his elements.
