If you were to ask me who my favorite “classic Hollywood” director is, I'd probably answer Alfred Hitchcock. Truthfully though, I’m probably more enamored by the idea of Alfred Hitchcock as I haven’t explored his body of work with enough fullness to make a statement like that. Last year was a big leap forward for me, with “North by Northwest”, “Rear Window”, and “Vertigo” adorning my film list. But sadly, this year only had room for one picture—Academy Award winning “Rebecca”.
“Rebecca” introduces us to a young, unnamed woman and an aristocratic widower named Maxim de Winter. The two fall in love (in a wooden, 1940’s kind of way), are wed, and depart for Mr. de Winter’s estate. Upon their arrival, the new Mrs. de Winter begins to learn details about the first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca and her untimely death at sea. She seems unable to live up to the expectations Rebecca established with those around Maxim and she grows paranoid and jealous. Without spoiling anything, in the third act we learn that details of Rebecca’s passing weren’t as straightforward as originally revealed in a “how DARE you!”—“No, how dare YOU!” extra-dramatic finale.
To start, I found myself confused by and bored with the aristocratic air that hung over the story, from Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper’s arrogant frivolity to the Downton Abbey-esque house staff drama. I get that the film came out at the tail end of the depression feel like I was meant to be razzle-dazzled by a glimpse into this world, by I found myself distracted by how stupid it all was. Add to it the soft-lighting/focus common in movies from this time and it all felt very flat.
But still, I suppose I liked “Rebecca” just fine. Though uninteresting, the vanilla first act sort of added to the intrigue when things started getting weird at Mr. de Winter’s Manderley estate. From the domineering Mrs. Danvers, straight out of the “American Gothic” painting, to Rebecca’s effects on display in pristine condition—as if she were to walk in at any moment—there was a creepy air the loomed over the middle of the film. And while the film’s resolution felt a little like a murder-mystery dinner party, I found myself digging the twists and turns. “Rebecca” is probably my least favorite Hitchcock film, but the fact that it’s still passable is good news for the Hitchcock fan in me.