Rebecca (1940)

 Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca"

Why did Alfred Hitchcock come to America in April of 1939? There are many answers to this question. Hitchcock was offered a seven year contract to come to Hollywood by producer David O. Selznick, which he accepted. The timing could not have been better, as England entered World War II only 5 months later. On top of this, Hitchcock was aware that he had reached his peak with making pictures in the United Kingdom. With the Hollywood machine, he could be given a bigger budget, have more stars in his films, and have larger sets. The latter was very important for Hitchcock, as he often felt it important to utilize the external spaces of a scene to express the characters' internality (something he borrowed from the German Expressionists while studying under them in Germany in the 1920s). Hitchcock felt he could fair better with a big studio, and Selznick was the man to offer it. However, the relationship between the two soured instantly when Hitchcock was working on their first film together, "Rebecca." 

"Rebecca" tells the story of a young woman, who goes unnamed throughout the entire film, who marries the rich Maxim de Winter. She discovers that Maxim's wife, Rebecca, tragically died in a drowning incident the year prior. After arriving at Maxim's large estate, Manderley, she is haunted by the ghost of Rebecca endlessly. This 'haunting' is not literal, however. Throughout her stay at Manderley, she is continuously reminded of the former mistress of the house. Not only is Maxim continuously tormented by the memories of his previous wife, the strange and cold housekeeper, Ms. Danvers, acts out passive aggressively against the protagonist. It appears that Ms. Danvers had a very deep relationship with the former Mrs. de Winter, as she keeps every room and material item of Rebecca's well preserved. Not only this, in a scene that somehow got past Hollywood censors, she strikingly discusses keeping Rebecca's underwear organized as she strokes the linen with her hands. Eventually, our protagonist learns of Maxim's true relationship with Rebecca, which was tenuous. Not only was she continuously unfaithful to him, but threatened to raise a bastard child and have him replace the de Winter name. After hearing this, Maxim struck Rebecca, causing her to fall and land on her head, thus resulting in her death (according to Maxim's account). He planted her body in the sailboat, ripped holes in the boat, and allowed it and her already-dead body to drown. However, when an investigation ensues, it is uncovered that Rebecca had cancer. This discovery leads to the declaration of suicide by the police. Upon hearing this, Ms. Danvers burns down Manderley with her inside of it.

The film was written by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison and was adapted from the 1938 Daphne du Maurier novel of the same name. Hitchcock and Selznick's first clash came from Selznick wanting the film to be an exact adaptation from the novel with no changes, while Hitchcock wanted to tinker with the story. Another clash came when Hitchcock circumvented Selznick's overbearing editing control. To prevent Selznick from editing the film, Hitchcock filmed everything "in camera," which meant shooting only what was to be in the final cut exactly how he envisioned the film to be. Because of these clashes, the two had a fractured relationship, leading Hitchcock to greener pastures for future films.

Despite Selznick's constant meddling, Hitchcock was able to make "Rebecca" into a classic American gothic. Taking what he learned from German Expressionism decades prior, Hitchcock was able to infuse the Manderley interiors with expressionistic elements that elevated the inherent chill and eeriness of our protagonist's stay. He was able to visually express a 'haunted' house without any actual ghosts. After all, the film is told through the perspective of our unnamed protagonist, whose meek and mild manner is often oppressed by her new husband, Ms. Danvers, the cold and overbearing estate, and even the memory of the late Rebecca. Shots like the ones below demonstrate how Hitchcock was able to use lighting, set design, and staging to express the chilling and eerie vibes of Manderley as well as Ms. Danvers.

The film seems to represent a great variety of things to a variety of people. For this viewer, it truly does represent, in essence, a ghost story (without any actual ghosts). In the beginning, talk of Rebecca is seldom, so as not to upset the new widower, Maxim. However, as the film progresses, talk of Rebecca grows and grows. Eventually, all anyone can seem to talk about is Rebecca and her memory, and thereby her presence becomes overbearing. The memory of the late Mrs. de Winter hangs over every moment, every conversation, and every character. Through our protagonist's perspective, we become acutely aware how she will never live up to the reputation of the woman she is replacing. She is not a part of the world that her new husband belongs to, that is to say she is not in the same economic stratus. Where Rebecca was beautiful, our protagonist is homely, as noted when Maxim's sister remarks upon her plain face and hair. Where Rebecca dressed impeccably, our protagonist dresses very plainly, demonstrated when Ms. Danvers gives her a tour of Rebecca's closet. Maxim also becomes surprised when he sees our protagonist dress up for a change. Where Rebecca was socially outgoing and well-loved, our protagonist is meek, mild, and shy. It becomes very apparent that our protagonist does not 'belong' to this world of beauty, fashion, and social status. She will never fit in, just as she will never replace the beloved and extravagant Rebecca. If we are to assume the role of our protagonist, we too feel incredibly out of place in this oppressive and unwelcoming environment. Perhaps this world is not for us, as well. Despite any advances we could make, we will never be the same. We will never be Rebecca. 

When "Rebecca" was released in 1940, it was met with rave reviews. Many heralded as a crowning achievement in psychological drama. Being Hitchcock's first American film, it became apparent that Hitchcock was here to stay, as many critics praised Hitchcock's expert craftmanship and his unparalleled visual flourishes. The film was so praised that it won "Best Picture" at the 13th annual Academy Awards. It remains today a staple of classic Hollywood and a landmark in Hitchcock's oeuvre.