The most popular novel by English writer Daphne du Maurier, and the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s Oscar-winning 1940 film, Rebecca is a title that brings to mind suspense, mystery, opulence, and sensuality. Netflix has released the full trailer for the upcoming Netflix adaptation, which puts director Ben Wheatley (Free Fire) in charge of bringing this gothic, psychological thriller to life.
In the story, the unnamed female narrator, Mrs. de Winter (Lily James) falls in love with the widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), a wealthy, handsome man. After a very quick courtship, they get married and honeymoon before returning to his estate home of Manderley. There, the second Mrs. de Winter finds herself living in the shadow of the previous Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, who was loved by all and died under mysterious circumstances.
Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, played in this adaptation by Kristin Scott Thomas, was fanatically devoted to Rebecca and torments the naive second wife that she will never be as beautiful, impressive, or as loved as Rebecca was.
Or was she?
♫Dun dun dah.♫
One of the things I find interesting already, in the trailer, is how bright it looks. Hitchcock purposefully put the film in black and white in order for it to have an extra layer of suspense, but here, we see the entire thing in rich, warm colors as the couple galavants all around the beach. Then, as we enter Manderley, the shadows and cool tones provide a contrast to show how it’s about to get real as Kristin Scott Thomas scowls into the scene. I don’t see much chemistry between the leads, but they seem good on paper. I can tell this will be Thomas’s movie, and honestly, that feels right.
A few years ago, I caught Rebecca fever. I gobbled up the du Maurier novel ferociously and went on the journey with Mrs. de Winter. Like her, I was overwhelmed with the legacy of Rebecca and what she meant to the people around her. I did enjoy Mrs. Danvers’ masterclass in passive aggression and tormenting your foes with just the power of your words. That was big fun. The ’40s film, starring Joan Fontaine, Lawrence Oliver, and the impeccable Judith Anderson, is a masterpiece. It won Best Picture—the only Hitchcock film to do so—and remains one of the best gothic thrillers around.
That is a lot to put on the shoulders of this remake. Although, I will say that while Hammer and James look amazing together, they don’t really mesh with the characters in the novel. Mrs. de Winter is supposed to be a naive young woman in her early twenties, and Max is supposed to be 42 years old. A huge part of Mrs. de Winter’s character is the fact that she is unprepared for this role, because of her age. James is 31, and Hammer is only 34, so both don’t really feel like the characters, which isn’t a huge deal, but it also doesn’t make their casting interesting on any level. They are two very beautiful people, but that’s about it.
My dream casting would have been Jude Law and Elle Fanning. However, I’m willing to give this film a chance to be something more than just pretty. It can’t be the ’40s film, so I want to see how it can elevate a sense of mystery going forward. Besides, creepy house movies in a pandemic? Sign me up.
(image: KERRY BROWN/NETFLIX)
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