Rebecca poster & wallpaper

Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders

Rebecca is an ageless, timeless adult movie about a woman who marries a widower but fears she lives in the shadow of her predecessor. This was Hitchcock's first American feature, and it garnere...( read more  read more... )d the Best Picture statue at the 1941 Academy Awards. In today's films, most twists and surprises are ridiculous or just gratuitous, so it's sobering to look back on this film where every revelation not only shocks, but makes organic sense with the story line. Laurence Olivier is dashing and weak, fierce and cowed. Joan Fontaine is strong yet submissive, defiant yet accommodating. There isn't a false moment or misstep, but the film must have killed the employment outlook of any women named Danvers for about 20 years. Brilliant stuff. --Keith Simanton

Flixster Users

91% liked it

31,117 ratings

Unrated, 130 min.

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Release Date: January 1, 1940

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 13, 2001

Stats: 1,800 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson Rebecca Poster Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson in Rebecca The DeWinters Inquest The happy couple Maxim de Winter Joan in Rebecca (1940) Rebecca Rebecca A Rebecca still The Second Mrs. DeWinter Rebecca Judith Anderson in Rebecca Judith Anderson & Joan Fontaine in Rebecca Rebecca
Upload a Photo |

View All Rebecca Photos (23)

Your Rating


clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (1,800)

  • webalina
    October 24, 2009
    webalina
    My first Hitckcock movie, my bridge from Disney to more grown-up films. And my gateway drug to my film addiction! I never knew how wonderful films could be until I saw Rebecca. That first time was thirty years ago. I was stunned by it then, and not much has changed for me since. ...( read more)Every time I see it, I get that same thrill.

    Joan Fontaine plays a young woman (never named) who marries a rich widower named Maxim deWinter (Lawrence Olivier) after a whilwind courtship. She returns with him to his home, Manderley, a huge spooky mansion on the rocky coast of England. Already unsure of herself, she feels threatened by all the memories of his previous, late wife -- the glamorous Rebecca of the title. More immediate threats come from the House Manager, Mrs. Danvers, who adored Rebecca and is set on destroying the girl who is trying to take Rebecca's place. As the story unfolds, secrets of what really happened to Rebecca emerge, and when that happens, it's a wallop.

    All the performances are excellent. Joan Fontaine as the meek, frightened girl and Olivier as the tortured widower are both fine. But it's Judith Anderson who is the standout here. She plays Mrs. Danvers with utter malice. She makes your skin crawl with every appearance on screen. Another favorite of mine is George Sanders as Falvel, Rebecca's "kissing cousin". Sanders was always wonderful at playing snakes in the grass, and he is at his snakiest here. His first scene even involves him crawling in and out of windows!

    I didn't give this film 5 stars for two reasons: 1) the back projection was obviously bad and thus distracting, and 2) it creeps me out how Maxim keeps referring to his new young wife as a child. Otherwise, brilliant. A must-see, and should be on everyone's favorite films list. Is it a romance? A murder mystery? A ghost story? You decide.
  • flixsterman
    July 22, 2009
    flixsterman
    A Cinderella story that quickly turns into a nightmare.

    Directed by Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick [Gone with the Wind], two of the giants of the golden age of Hollywood. Often times a collaboration of two such egos would result in a competitive struggle tha...( read more)t would damage the end product but here there's just the right amount of Hitchcock's noir-ish suspense and Selznick's Hollywood pizzazz to make the whole thing work. There's not one illogical or nonsensical twist or turn in the entire screenplay. I sat, eyes glued to the TV, for an hour and a half, anxiously waiting to see what was going to happen next. Absolutely incredible, top to bottom, side to side.
  • stopitgoaway
    December 14, 2008
    stopitgoaway
    Alfred Hitchcock was and is still the undisputed Master of Suspense, and there is a lot of that here in his foray into Gothic horror, as the mystery surrounding the unseen yet omnipresent Rebecca will engage the viewer from its dreamy start to its bleak conclusion. This is exactl...( read more)y what atmospheric is supposed to be about, and in black and white, it shines. This is also what Gothic horror is in essence, and many have imitated yet come up short, most notably M. Night Shyamalan who, in trying to go for a shock twist and purported "atmosphere" only creates a bad aftertaste and a hangover the size of Mount Everest. This is, essentially, Hitchcock's first true masterpiece.

    Not one performance rings false, not to the novel or to their respective interpretations. Lawrence Olivier, quite possibly one of the greatest actors that ever lived, portrays a broken man who still lives haunted by the past as he himself were still living in that unending hell. Judith Anderson embodies one of the most coldly sadistic figures in cinema history, her smooth and elegant truculence only exceeded by Anthony Hopkins' rendition of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. One can't seem to understand the way she wallows in her dead mistresses' clearly perverse nature, but that exactly she does, right down to her own end. George Sanders does what he does best: sneer, smirk, and spit line after line of practiced venom, and would be honored 10 years later in ALL ABOUT EVE. Gladys Cooper, still striking in her 50s, plays into her casual cattiness which means no harm, although her rendition of Beatrice Lacy is a little subdued from the novel's version.

    And then there is Joan Fontaine. Not one of the best actresses on film, yet here, playing a role that evolves beautifully from a frightened, weak girl who is put into a situation she does not understand and who turns right at the point of losing it into a much more mature, strong woman capable of holding her own, she carries the weight of the entire drama and comes forth with flying colors. While I would have preferred Anne Baxter who would have been the exact right age for this role, Fontaine exudes so much restraint and nervousness about her character (partially to blame Olivier's treatment of her and Hitchcock's telling her the entire cast hated her), it's almost a relief when she finally decides to confront Olivier about what it the secret of Manderley. Not many roles require such a change and not many actresses would sink her teeth into a part that requires being put-upon until she can't stand no more, and this is one beautiful performance.
  • columbiatch
    July 30, 2008
    columbiatch
    In terms of suspense it's not on par with Hitch's later films. There's the familiar theme of the woman who has to change herself into the mold of another woman that the man desires, except here the pressure is exerted not from the man, but by the cold lesbian housekeeper. The end...( read more)ing was a total copout.
  • SarahG1988
    July 6, 2008
    SarahG1988
    Director:Alfred Hitchcock
    Released: 1940
    Stars: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders and Judith Anderson
    Genre: Drama/Thriller/Romance
    Country: USA

    When a naive young woman marries a rich widower and settles in his gigantic man...( read more)sion, she finds the memory of the first wife maintaining a grip on her husband and the servants

    Having seen the majority of a least most of Hitchcock's films I felt I had to check out Rebecca, which I should have seen many years ago. Rebecca is as great as everyone says it is and should be considered a UK film and not USA, but at the time Hitchcock went to Hollywood and was given American funding for most of his work in the late 1940s, so perhaps this was to be expected. Still an awful shame considering the majoirt of the cast are English, as was the director, locations and bits and pieces of the script contains dialogue that is associated with English people. But that's a small annonance that I have.

    Rebecca was nominated for eleven Academy awards back in 1941, and won 2 of them. Three were for acting, which was well deserved. Laurence Oliver, with his English charm and gives out an instant attraction to the viewer that imediatly makes you sympathise with the character of Mximum De Winter and feel what Fontaine's character feels for him throughout the film. Both leads Oliver and Fontaine are just breathtaking to watch. You feel this instant affliliation with them both and want their marraige to work, despite the problems encuntered in the first part of the film. Fontaine, who's work I haven't seen an awful lot of, has this innocent youthfullness in her, which Maximum does mention, which instantly makes you feel for her and in some ways, relate to. Great supporting role by Judith Anderson as the sinister Mrs Danvers, obsessed by the previous Mrs De Winter, deliveres a marvallous performance which leaves you feeling scared, just like Fontaine's character.

    Rebecca is a flawless Hitchcok picture which is effortlessly directed by Hitchcock ans delivers enough twists and turns that you wouldn't often seen in a modern orginal Screenplay. The beauty of this film is that even if you think you know what's about to come you will be pleasantly suprised. Which is absolutly amazing for a film 68 years old. The film spans nearly two hours and half way through the film you feel like you've seen an awful lot but all it is is Hitchcock's superb script and direction which makes you feel speechless-well me anyway.

    Rebecca won best picture at the time and one for the superb cinematography which adds to the erriness of the backdrop to the film. For instance in the opening scene's narration, which seen glimpses of cliffs, which already gives an inclination of the end of the film. Oddly you don't predict the outcome, which I can't give away too much about. and the scenes of Mnderly, especially when the two leads arrive is beautiful to watch, even for a film done in 1940. I love the fire scenes at the end , which again ididn't expect, is still done so so well for a feel almost 70 years old. Also worth mentioning the art direction, for instance in many of the rooms the late Mrs De Winter resided in, is beautifully done and showcases how loves the character was and the differences in the late Mrs De Winter and the current one, played by Joan Fontaine.

    The script is wonderfully crafted and perhaps was some sort of inspiration for Hitchcok's later film Vertigom which has a similar storyline. The dialogue given by each character is realistic and right for every character. The scenes between Olivier and Fontaine are filled with chemistry, mainly due to the superb dialogue. Oddly we are never told the name of Joan Fontaine's character throughout the film. Her character also changes thought the two hours and seems to blossom into a woman.

    Interestingly, I'd forgotton this was a film of the 1940's as it feels lighyears ahead of it's time. This could very well be one of my favourite Hitchcoks films and one of my favourite films. I can't recomend this film enough. engaging throughout and still has many suprises that you will not see coming.

    I say this a lot with Hitchcock, but an absolute masterpiece.

    10/10

    Highly recomended watch
  • arashxak
    November 12, 2009
    arashxak
    Below average adaptation
  • GJDWriter
    November 11, 2009
    GJDWriter
    Have on VHS. Saw this in October.
  • smile096
    November 11, 2009
    smile096
    One of the best movies ever made. Laurence Olivier is so sexy in this movie.
  • alexroy69
    October 29, 2009
    alexroy69
    Mis à part le thème de la jeune femme inexpérimentée qui tombe amoureuse d'un homme au passé mystérieux, "Rebecca" n'a pas grand-chose d'un film de Hitchcock. En fait, ça ressemble peut-être davantage à du Laurence Olivier, qui occupe ici l'un des premiers rôles. Il s'agit d'une ...( read more)oeuvre très conventionnelle, relativement prévisible et un peu trop longue pour son propre bien.

    En toute honnêteté, il y a des scènes fortes et la photographie transmet bien l'ambiance gothique et onirique du roman, mais de manière générale, tout ça est plutôt fastidieux. Joan Fontaine livre une performance malhabile, peu convaincante et manquant de nuances. Les personnages tapent sur les nerfs plus qu'autre chose. La dernière demi-heure hors du château est déjà plus intéressante, mais ce n'est pas assez pour faire de ce classique autre chose qu'une curiosité qui vieillit un peu mal.
  • Phonex
    October 21, 2009
    Phonex
    This was Hitchcock's first Hollywood film and compares very well with his previous English films.

View All Rebecca Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Comments

  • mpg328
    March 8, 2007
    mpg328
    The protaganist of both the novel and the film is unnamed. This was done by Daphne du maurier to emphasive the fact that she is searching for her personal identity etc.
  • espionage64
    February 3, 2007
    espionage64
    What is 'Joan Fontaine's' character's name? It's not mentioned in the book, however i haven't got round to watching the film again yet, but i can't remember it from there anyway...

    Why didn't i notice it...
Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger Rebecca Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Click
    Click (13%)
  • The Da Vinci Code
    The Da Vinci Code (18%)
  • Rebecca
    Rebecca (0%)
  • Strangers on a Train
    Strangers on a Train (100%)

More Movies like Rebecca

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Rebecca : Watch Free on TV

Rebecca Trivia

  • Who does Rebecca Romijn play in the xmen trilogy??  Answer »
  • Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, a pair of white underpants and a Porsche. Name the film?  Answer »
  • In the movie "Nine Months", who was Samuel's girlfriend and later on his wife and then she became pregnant?  Answer »
  • What actress played in "Nine Months" as Rebecca Taylor, Samuel's girlfriend and later on his wife?  Answer »
More Rebecca Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Rebecca Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Rebecca to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

zembie Skin by zembie
39 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins