Rebecca

The second Mrs. DeWinter has no first name, and she was never given one for the film. Caroline DeWinter was the ancestor that the second Mrs. DeWinter dressed as for the costume ball. If this was not mentioned in the film, it should have been. It is mentioned in Alfred Hitchcock's masterful version of the book, by Dame Judith Anderson. Now, in context of the film, it was definitely closer to the book than Hitchcock's version (which you can blame David O. Selznick for the changes in the plot), and there is some very good acting, but it still seems like what it is, and that is a television film. Christopher Gunning provided a very emotional score though, with a heart wrenching theme for cello and orchestra.

I thoroughly enjoyed this 1997 version of "Rebecca", which recently aired uncut on PBS. Charles Dance played Max DeWinter brilliantly. The character he portrays is a gentleman who seems above the fray but can explode with raw emotion on a moment's notice. Something is clearly eating away at him. Emilia Fox, the young woman he falls in love with and marries, is perfect - a bit shy but surprisingly mature. The background photography is superb in both locations: Monte Carlo, where they meet, and on the coast of Cornwall, the site of Max's magnificent estate. We are introduced to Mrs. Danvers, played by Diana Rigg, who makes the new Mrs. DeWinter as uncomfortable as she could possibly be. I didn't care much for the reinvention of Mrs. Danvers' character in this movie. She cannot let go of the memory of Maxim's first wife but in this movie, her preference has added motivation. Geraldine James, an excellent actor, is Max's sister. I remember her in The Jewel in the Crown, a Masterpiece Theatre show from the 1980's. (More recently she appeared in the Downton Abbey movie as Queen Mary.) Faye Dunaway, a Hollywood leading lady, has a role as the gossip-prone Mrs. Van Hopper, who employed Rebecca as a companion and has delusions of winning over Max. The character of the former Mrs. DeWinter and the movie mystery eventually converge and the pace picks up. We encounter some additional characters as the movie takes some interesting twists and turns that will entertain the viewer, even if you've seen previous versions of Daphne duMaurier's novel. All in all, a highly entertaining and beautiful movie.

This two-part TV adaptation of the famous Daphne Du Maurier benefits hugely from a pitch-perfect piece of central casting: Charles Dance as the mysterious Maxim de Winter and Emilia Fox as his new wife. Dance is all suaveness mixed with a little sensitivity, while Fox is mousey and subdued, and the two actors share a genuine chemistry at all times.

Given the nature of the three hour running time, the pacing of this is slow and unhurried. I wasn't bothered: there are enough interesting supporting characters (the friendly gardener, the mad fisherman, the caddish acquaintance) to keep the attention hooked, and the sumptuous locations make this a delight to look at.

The nature of the mystery kept me guessing right until the end, and it helped that I hadn't read the novel or seen any of the other adaptations (including the famous Hitchcock film). It also goes without saying that Diana Rigg makes for a masterful villain as Mrs Danvers, putting memories of her pin-up days long in the past. She's truly hissable, and it's testament to the quality of the storytelling that by the end you can only empathise with rather than hate her character.

This is a terrific adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel. The period detail, costume and scenery are all spot-on, and the acting is good, especially among the principals. Generally, this television version is more faithful to the book, both in spirit and in plot, than the 1940 Hitchcock version with Laurence Oliver and Joan Fontaine. I found Charles Dance to be a much more believable Maxim de Winter, with some definite sex appeal that was lacking in Olivier's portrayal. Emilia Fox was perfectly charming as the 2nd Mrs. de Winter, managing to come across as shy and unsure of herself without appearing too passive or neurotic. As has been stated in other reviews, the romance between the two was far more believable and realistic in this version.

Diana Rigg gives quite a different portrayal of the creepy Mrs. Danvers than Judith Anderson did, and I found Rigg's more humane and pathetic (although still sinister) housekeeper more three-dimensional. The supporting characters are also good, and I even enjoyed Jonathan Cake's scenery-chewing portrayal of Jack Favell.

All in all, a great effort, well worth watching.

This was an excellent production of a famous story. The acting was just as good as the previous versions and the photography was the best, far better than most theatrical movies. One thing that made this version special was seeing Rebecca and hearing her in a flashback sequence.