Rebecca (2020)
Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
Happy Valentine’s Day! To celebrate the holiday of love, I thought I’d share my review on the haunting romance film Rebecca, based on Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel. This is the most recent of several adaptations of the book, the most notable being Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film version that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Check out my reviews of both the book and the 1940 film.
The Analysis:
A young woman working as a lady’s companion falls for a wealthy, mysterious widower named Maxim de Winter. After a whirlwind romance, she becomes the new Mrs. de Winter. As she soon discovers, the previous Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, left a large impression on both Maxim and his huge estate. The estate, known as Manderley, is run by the cold Mrs. Danvers, who remains fiercely loyal to Rebecca, despite her absence. The lingering presence of Rebecca is suffocating to the new Mrs. de Winter, who struggles to adapt to her new role and escape the shadow of her husband’s first wife.
I think it was bold to remake Rebecca after such a popular film version had already been made. There was no way this movie was going to live up to an award winning film preserved in the National Film Registry. This was a decent adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel, but it didn’t really bring anything new to the table. The acting was mediocre, with the exception of Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Danvers, whose performance I enjoyed. There was no chemistry between the two main characters, making the romance less believable. While many plot points from the book were touched on, I think embellishment on some ideas could have been beneficial. On the other hand, the movie felt a bit long and drawn out so maybe a refocusing effort would improve the film. It would have been interesting to see a more modern interpretation of this timeless story rather than simply a redo of a famous film. This movie isn’t bad, but I’d recommend checking out the 1940 version or the novel instead.
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