I love the way, instead of focusing on Maxim's face as he's describing the final conversation, the camera mimics Rebecca's actions as though following an invisible presence. Its incredibly chilling but then, that's the genius of Hitchcock!
Read this book in high school. I bought it later, and still read it a lot. We also watched this movie in school. My teacher mentioned that the circumstances of Rebecca's death were changed for the movie, because there was a rule that a man could not murder his wife and go unpunished. So, it was changed to make it more accidental, otherwise, the movie could not have been made.
@willobekid, due to the production code, Rebecca's death had to be changed to an accident, since a murderer could not go unpunished. The code was the movie moral police.
Apparently they changed the account of the death of Rebecca because Hollywood had a rule that a character could not get away unpunished with deliberately killing his wife -- so here he hits her and she falls and bangs her head on something, whereas in the book he shoots her
i think that it made for a more shocking plot twist that he didnt kill rebecca. i mean i assumed he was a killer at the point where he said he put her body on the boat, which was shocking. but it was even more shocking and albiet a bit relieving to find my assumptions were wrong.
Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine were incredible in this. It's a shame the Hays Code was around or they would have kept the ending faithful to the novel. Maxim does indeed kill Rebecca. But they had to change it for the movie.
OMG Sir Laurence Olivier is sooo good! Joan Fontaine was also perfect. Their acting was surprisingly good! I always thought acting those old movies was a bit too unatural and exaggerated but no it's not :)
So why does Rebecca marry Maxim? For money? I just found out that Joan Fontaine's sister is Olivia De Haveland (spelling is probably wrong) from Gone with the Wind AND Lawrence's 2nd wife was Vivien Leigh from Gone with the Wind too!
I remebering seeing this movie instantly falling in love with it so i read the book and I was BLOWN away by the fact that de Winter had actually shot Rebecca. Why leave it out? because when this movie was made a studio guidline or other stated that if a person was guilty of a crime he had to be punished and as we all know Maxim got away with it.
At that exact point in the book - where she is described as telling him shocking things about herself, we are not told exactly what these are. But it does come out a bit later that she used to keep going to London to meet up with different men etc, so it seems probably that it is her promiscuity/unfaithfulness that is being referred to; although it might have been a bit more, we can't be sure
@lordalessan I didn't notice the year, but it probably was quite long ago. I just wanted to establish that he never hated her. Au contraire, she was the love of his life and he never stopped thinking about her (lovingly I mean). Nor did she. Their love was unfortunately tragic. Well of course he was exhausted by her, but he didn't blame her for it nor was it her fault. And she never cheated on him with John Merivale...only Peter. But he cheated too so they're pretty even.
WHAT?!!! I can see Ralph Fiennes as Maxim but NO. No one can be as great as Laurence Olivier. Sigh...are we so void of creativity that we have to remake the classics??
you know, if she had asked more questions and stopped being so ignorantly silent, she might have avoided so much! also...in the book. Maxim Shot rebecca and killed her intentionally. I don't blame him, rebecca provoked him, and as we hear at the end, with good reason.
yeah... i should have read some comments first, before i post. apparently, the shot thing is very well known. yes... he's a murderer. she goes crazy in the second book Titled "Mrs. Dewinter"
@illi10nis27 I couldnt see Ralph Fiennes do Maxim. Max is a handomse, manly sort and Ralph, is sensitive, pretty type although like Olivier, a great actor. Brother, Joseph, tho'? I might see, today, a Clive Owen (toned down a bit for this role) or Pierce Bronson, circa 10 yrs ago. Must be British tho'. No one comes to mind. You're right that some films cannot be remade..ala 'Wizard of Oz", GWTW, "It's a Wonderul Life" ++. A new Sistine would be unthinkable or new Pyramid, as are some films.
My top 3 pick as Rebecca: 1.)Vivien Leigh (Olivier would hate his wife later years because of her bipolar disoder). 2.)Elizabeth Taylor (Ofcourse, she was only 8 at that time) 3.) Ava Gardner
If we HAD to remake Rebecca, I'd pick Winona Ryder as Maxims wife (with the same hair length) Ralf Fiennes as Maxim - though I wouldn't mind Johnny Depp playing this role. a young Susan Sarandon as Mrs. Danvers but nobody can compare these to the original actors in rebecca. fullstop.
Ugh...I was really impressed with the movie up to this point but it's lame that they changed this part. I guess they wanted to make Maxim more sympathetic.
With the musical coming to Broadway, I could see a remake if it picks up and renews interest. It all has to do with how much they do beyond translation...I still think Tanz der Vampire would have been so much more popular without the "Americanization" they tried to do. DeWinter's wife could be Diane Kruger; they look almost identical to me.
@LexiixoxRoxx Umm Lexi, you gotta clue me in on this. If I made a comment like that, it must've been a long time ago because I can no longer remember what I said. After watching a documentary on Vivien Leigh and reading a biography on Laurence Olivier, I know that he did not hate his wife. However, he did grow tired of her fits of rage (due to her bipolar disorder) and affairs with Peter Finch and John Merrivale (who eventually became her companion).
@lordalessan WOAH WOAH WOAH. That is the most incorrect, ridiculous statement I have ever heard made of Laurence Olivier. Where, pray tell, did you hear/read such a horrible thing? Never in his life did he hate Vivien Leigh. In fact, she remained the only person he ever loved even after their divorce and her death. And she continued to love him as well. When she died, he would lock himself up in a dark room, watch her movies, and cry saying "That was it. That was love." Please check you sources.
I am not in any way a fan of Joan Fontaine, (love sister Olivia), she was well cast here. The original idea of the Olivier/Vivien Liegh "Rebecca" would have been disaster. I love Leigh, but she was a cyclone of power, even as Blanche Dubois in 'Streetcar', as a bipolar, former belle. She could never have the demure, plain, starry eyed naivete` that the nameless Mrs DeWinter, needs tho' she could have been Rebecca, from what we know of her. Leigh could just stand silent and still be amazing.
Laurence Olivier is one of the most fascinating men ever to grace the screen and the most superb actor.
Fontaine stands up extremely well.
I love the way, instead of focusing on Maxim's face as he's describing the final conversation, the camera mimics Rebecca's actions as though following an invisible presence. Its incredibly chilling but then, that's the genius of Hitchcock!
Both Olivier and Fontaine are sensational!!!!
Read this book in high school. I bought it later, and still read it a lot. We also watched this movie in school. My teacher mentioned that the circumstances of Rebecca's death were changed for the movie, because there was a rule that a man could not murder his wife and go unpunished. So, it was changed to make it more accidental, otherwise, the movie could not have been made.
I'm enthralled with this movie.
Such a classic film , I love it. One of the best, in fact equally with Dr Zcivago. Fantastic!❤
@willobekid, due to the production code, Rebecca's death had to be changed to an accident, since a murderer could not go unpunished. The code was the movie moral police.
Apparently they changed the account of the death of Rebecca because Hollywood had a rule that a character could not get away unpunished with deliberately killing his wife -- so here he hits her and she falls and bangs her head on something, whereas in the book he shoots her
alfred hitchcock was brilliant
i think that it made for a more shocking plot twist that he didnt kill rebecca. i mean i assumed he was a killer at the point where he said he put her body on the boat, which was shocking. but it was even more shocking and albiet a bit relieving to find my assumptions were wrong.
Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine were incredible in this. It's a shame the Hays Code was around or they would have kept the ending faithful to the novel. Maxim does indeed kill Rebecca. But they had to change it for the movie.
OMG Sir Laurence Olivier is sooo good! Joan Fontaine was also perfect. Their acting was surprisingly good! I always thought acting those old movies was a bit too unatural and exaggerated but no it's not :)
So why does Rebecca marry Maxim? For money? I just found out that Joan Fontaine's sister is Olivia De Haveland (spelling is probably wrong) from Gone with the Wind AND Lawrence's 2nd wife was Vivien Leigh from Gone with the Wind too!
1997 remake, with Charles Dance, is a very good too
I remebering seeing this movie instantly falling in love with it so i read the book and I was BLOWN away by the fact that de Winter had actually shot Rebecca.
Why leave it out? because when this movie was made a studio guidline or other stated that if a person was guilty of a crime he had to be punished and as we all know Maxim got away with it.
"YOU DIDNT LOVE HER!YOU DIDNT LOVE HER"
xD
Book is amazing as well it sooooooo good especially toward the end :D
the best part love this movie and the book only wiy dosent she have a name lol
Amazing
this movie needs to be remade
Ahhhhhhh...that makes a lot of sense. Thank-you very much.
Colonel Julian : Old Boy network personified.
In the book it wasnt an accedent, he shot her through the heart
I wonder what Rebecca told Maxim, "things I wouldn't tell a living soul"? I wonder?
At that exact point in the book - where she is described as telling him shocking things about herself, we are not told exactly what these are. But it does come out a bit later that she used to keep going to London to meet up with different men etc, so it seems probably that it is her promiscuity/unfaithfulness that is being referred to; although it might have been a bit more, we can't be sure
Thanks!
@lordalessan I didn't notice the year, but it probably was quite long ago. I just wanted to establish that he never hated her. Au contraire, she was the love of his life and he never stopped thinking about her (lovingly I mean). Nor did she. Their love was unfortunately tragic. Well of course he was exhausted by her, but he didn't blame her for it nor was it her fault. And she never cheated on him with John Merivale...only Peter. But he cheated too so they're pretty even.
WHAT?!!! I can see Ralph Fiennes as Maxim but NO. No one can be as great as Laurence Olivier.
Sigh...are we so void of creativity that we have to remake the classics??
Were Rebecca and Flavel having a relationship?? Is that not incestuous seeing as they're cousins?? Or are they not first cousins?
you know, if she had asked more questions and stopped being so ignorantly silent, she might have avoided so much!
also...in the book. Maxim Shot rebecca and killed her intentionally. I don't blame him, rebecca provoked him, and as we hear at the end, with good reason.
@PengWinOne i know, i thought it was better the way it was.. i guess hitchcock felt he might turn into a antagonist if it was on purpose
Well, IMO Laurence Olivier is great, but for me this movie is all about Joan Fontaine. Of course, to each his own.
This movie was amazing than "Notorious" which is also an Hitchcock movie after 6 years (1946).
yeah... i should have read some comments first, before i post. apparently, the shot thing is very well known. yes... he's a murderer. she goes crazy in the second book Titled "Mrs. Dewinter"
I agree.
This is sooo twisted!
@TheHolidayShow1 maybe in the movie, but in the book her name is not mentioned
@illi10nis27 I couldnt see Ralph Fiennes do Maxim. Max is a handomse, manly sort and Ralph, is sensitive, pretty type although like Olivier, a great actor. Brother, Joseph, tho'? I might see, today, a Clive Owen (toned down a bit for this role) or Pierce Bronson, circa 10 yrs ago. Must be British tho'. No one comes to mind. You're right that some films cannot be remade..ala 'Wizard of Oz", GWTW, "It's a Wonderul Life" ++. A new Sistine would be unthinkable or new Pyramid, as are some films.
My top 3 pick as Rebecca:
1.)Vivien Leigh (Olivier would hate his wife later years because of her bipolar disoder).
2.)Elizabeth Taylor (Ofcourse, she was only 8 at that time)
3.) Ava Gardner
in fact the book doesn't tell us more than the film here
What a pity! why part 10 not available?
Well, now that I know how the movie ends I don't need to watch the rest of it.
If we HAD to remake Rebecca,
I'd pick Winona Ryder as Maxims wife (with the same hair length)
Ralf Fiennes as Maxim - though I wouldn't mind Johnny Depp playing this role.
a young Susan Sarandon as Mrs. Danvers
but nobody can compare these to the original actors in rebecca. fullstop.
whoah really 4:00-4:40 is the creepiest ever! watching it at 2am is really a bad idea!
read pages 262 forward, it is all there,
Ugh...I was really impressed with the movie up to this point but it's lame that they changed this part. I guess they wanted to make Maxim more sympathetic.
It was because of the Hays code, he couldn't appear to have got away with murder
I think she might have been gay or bi, or possibly into something with her cousin Favell.
Read the book.
With the musical coming to Broadway, I could see a remake if it picks up and renews interest. It all has to do with how much they do beyond translation...I still think Tanz der Vampire would have been so much more popular without the "Americanization" they tried to do.
DeWinter's wife could be Diane Kruger; they look almost identical to me.
@LexiixoxRoxx Umm Lexi, you gotta clue me in on this. If I made a comment like that, it must've been a long time ago because I can no longer remember what I said. After watching a documentary on Vivien Leigh and reading a biography on Laurence Olivier, I know that he did not hate his wife. However, he did grow tired of her fits of rage (due to her bipolar disorder) and affairs with Peter Finch and John Merrivale (who eventually became her companion).
@oldfshndandlovnit The author of the book never gave her a name.
OMG
All it really does is make him look like an idiot because he made himself look guilty when he did nothing wrong.
Oh dear god no. That is a truly awful piece of news.
No, why?
@lordalessan WOAH WOAH WOAH. That is the most incorrect, ridiculous statement I have ever heard made of Laurence Olivier. Where, pray tell, did you hear/read such a horrible thing? Never in his life did he hate Vivien Leigh. In fact, she remained the only person he ever loved even after their divorce and her death. And she continued to love him as well. When she died, he would lock himself up in a dark room, watch her movies, and cry saying "That was it. That was love." Please check you sources.
in the book, maxim shot rebecca...no tripping involved.
Yes, sometimes remakes SUCKS!! But Liam Neeson would be slight better than Ralph Fiennes.
@Chikalita,,,What poor taste you have.
I am not in any way a fan of Joan Fontaine, (love sister Olivia), she was well cast here. The original idea of the Olivier/Vivien Liegh "Rebecca" would have been disaster. I love Leigh, but she was a cyclone of power, even as Blanche Dubois in 'Streetcar', as a bipolar, former belle. She could never have the demure, plain, starry eyed naivete` that the nameless Mrs DeWinter, needs tho' she could have been Rebecca, from what we know of her. Leigh could just stand silent and still be amazing.
This is probably the least boring part of this movie.
not as great as Jeremy Brett....
what a boring movie