Rebecca

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.

I enjoyed this version of Rebecca very much. This one is more focused on the romance than the excellent version from Hitchcock. It must be said that the romance in this version is more realistic than the one with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Do not get me wrong, I adore the film. But it was quite obvious that the late, great LO was much younger than his alter ego Maxim the Winter. I found the romance in this mini series more convincing because some scenes where added which are not in the book (the honeymoon for instance). It gives the character of Maxim De Winter more warmth and passion. Charles Dance has the advantage that he is about the same age as Maxim and therefore (in my honest opinion) more convincing than LO. Mr. Dance is an excellent actor and he gives a very good performance as Maxim. I was also quite pleased with the performance of Emillia Fox. I had never heard of her before, but I hope to see more of her work in the future. Her portrayal of a young insecure woman who tries to cope with the memory of her husband's first wife was quite impressive. Faye Dunaway made a very amusing Mrs. Van

Hopper. Diana Rigg portrays Mrs. Danvers rather as a tragic character than as a villain. I found this approach very refreshing.

I would also like to add something to a comment made earlier in another review of this mini-series. Someone mentioned that the second Mrs. De Winter first name is Caroline, because in the party scene she is announced as Lady Caroline De Winter. This is of course completely wrong. Lady Caroline is the name of the lady from the painting. It is not Mrs. De Winter's first name, which isn't mentioned at all. I hope that this clears this matter once and for all.

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.

I appreciated the romantic aspect of this version, even if it may not have followed the spirit of the book entirely. Maybe that is because I think Charles Dance is hot, and any chance I have to see him in a romantic situation is OK with me! On the whole, I think this "Rebecca" is very good - and stands its ground along side Hitchcock - not as a comparison, but as a different approach. I did get the British version (I have a region-free player) because the PBS version cut out 18 minutes. I do believe the British version (with the honeymoon scene) may have been shown originally on Masterpiece Theatre, but in the US release DVD, it (along with a couple other scenes I like) were cut. Glad to have that region-free player!!