Rebecca (1940)

Labeled as the "Master of Suspense", he became known for thrillers, often combined with a dark sense of humor. This is Part 2 of Watching ALL of Alfred Hitchcock's movies.

I am a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, his stories and his movies. But he lived in a different time from mine and I do not always catch up to what he was trying to tell the audience with his movies.

For that reason, this is not a review.

It's screenshots, my favorite moments and "dumb" thoughts I had while watching ALL of his movies.

I can't review something like this! I will never get his movies the way he wanted me to get them (or not get them)! But I am enjoying myself, and going through hours and hours of the master's work.

This time, I am ranting about the 8th movie I ever saw from him:

Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca is the second black & white movie I saw from Hitchcock. Black & white movies were never a problem for me, but they always make me feel like I am loosing something from the time it was made.

It's silly, I know that. But seeing the costumes in the color makes me really enjoy the movies more because to be honest, there is no other era I'd love to live in, that the 20th century. I am not going to elaborate, leave me be.

Back to the movie. It's another one that runs for over 2 hours and when I tell you my eyebrow twitches every time I see a 2 hour mark... Anime movies that are around 1:40 make me wanna throw a tantrum and seeing anime movies that are OVER 2 hour mark are sending me to the hospital. 

And played movies are no different. Knowing how long Rebecca is made me push this movie away for the longest time.

But I enjoyed the other movies (even The Birds, I guess...) despite their run time, so there was no way I would regret this one. And my roommate A. helped me get used to watching movies with breaks, not all at once.

I am a firm believer in watching movies in original, even though it means not understanding shit, so I went to download subtitles, opened my window (because it was raining outside) and started watching.

 I can't speak French, so this was very very hilarious to me. Poissons. Now I know that means fish, but still!

Joan Fontaine reminds me of someone, terribly, but I have no idea who. Still, she is an incredibly beautiful, gorgeous woman... but she plays this simple lady and I loved her for that.

She was so free, so herself. Very immature almost.

And my man, Mr. De Winters was so done with her after she said that little joke. 😂

"That mess" is omelet, if anyone asks. Poor girl walked in a breakfast room, pushed over a vase with flowers, ordered eggs and when the Mr. De Winters spoke to her, she just said "I am not hungry." - and I don't blame her.

Apart from Joan being a hot mess in this movie, if a man told me to "eat it up like a good girl" I, too would give him that look. But Joan put on her fork the littles bite possible and listened because she was in looove~.

I feel so bad for laughing but that is not a good way to sketch. Anyway, darling girl called Maxim ugly in the smoothest way possible and serves him right for being impatinet.

While I do hate Mrs. Van Hopper with all my heart for being awful to my babygirl, I do have to admit she was right. She should never have allowed her to marry Maxim.

Anyway, she was the funniest character in the whole movie and my spiritual animal. If this is who I will grow up to be (I say, as an adult in all the states of the world) then I don't mind my looks or weight anymore. She was hilarious!

And eating chocolate right after taking medicine was a mood... toddlers do that, but mood.

Maxim had a strange way of talking to Joan. (Hey, are you noticing I never named Joan's character? Well funny story...) And this is the better way of him addressing her... Just wait for it.

W...What? Pity she has to grow up? Joan, hit the brakes and run away. I know you are in love, but men come and go. Run!

I hate Maxim, I never liked him. While the actor is handsome (shush) his character is a little bitch I want to hit and marry Joan myself.

The first picture though - I knew something would be wrong, because the way it's phrased... oh he'll hurt her, won't he...

W...WHAT?! Maxim! WHAT?! 😂😂😂

Maxim warned us about his sister being direct, but she was more rude than direct, in my opinion. But you know how I am with women of 20th century. Can't help but to love them all. To be honest, I love the evil men too, so.

Giles has my heart, of course, my man did nothing wrong in his life.

I do agree with her opinion on teeth and if it was painless, I too, would take them all out. But it was nice of her to ask and remember (!) the servant's problem.

By the way, her "plateful" - she put all of that food on her own plate. Love her.

People were so savage with stone-cold faces. 😂 I live for it. I would probably cry, but I live.

See, I told you it will go worse. How can you talk like this to your own wife??

This woman had some of the most heart-breaking lines. I admit to understanding them and feeling for her. I feel that way sometimes too.

This man, this man was a surprise. At first I figured he was the fun guy that misses his cousin and the life in Manderley. I even though Mrs. De Winters will run away with him, given that Maxim was quite unstable.

Boy was I wrong!

A very significant moment for me. Was Mrs. Danvers a key character to this movie? One might argue. Her greatness was in details. She tried to control Mrs. De Winters in a way, testing her.

When Mrs. De Winters spoke about Maxim not loving her because he was comparing her to Rebecca - her looks, language, approach. That he saw Rebecca in all their moments together, remembered his late wife in all they did together... 

It was actually about Mrs. Danvers. She tried to reach for Mrs. De Winters, but Joan didn't hold onto her hand, so she grabbed her shoulder. She showed her everything, she talked her to that costume, she tried to drive her insane.

And when that didn't work... she went mad instead.

Extreme. Loved it. Very powerful. Go, Mrs. De Winter!! 

Fair.

Beatrice came back and she S-LA-YED again.

This poor woman... she looked so happy, so excited about having a wonderful costume to please her husband with. And as it turns out, it was Rebecca's.

Rebecca is somehow a predictable movie. But in the most wonderful way possible. Once "Danny" shows Mrs. De Winter the painting, I knew it was connected to Rebecca. Once Maxim talked about Rebecca winning, I knew what that meant. When he said, Rebecca's body wasn't the one buried in the family crypt, I knew he had his fingers in it.

And right enough, the dress had been worn by Rebecca, Mr. De Winters had put Rebecca's body in the ship and everything was just a little twisted tale.

To be honest, I did expect more...

And the shocker came:

...

Call the police. This isn't real. 😂 So simple, yet so sexist. Breeding, brains and beauty. Hmmm.

You might not notice it right away, but Mrs. Danvers kept a very close eye on Mrs. De Winter.

And last but not least, the true MVP:

He really just stood there and told the man, that he knew he "killed" his wife but didn't say anything to anyone. And when Maxim tells him he didn't kill her, he just accepts that and goes on. 

I love him, I love him to bits.

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Alright! That was Rebecca. A movie I watched during two evenings. Another amazing piece from Alfred. 

Great mix of predictability and instability. Beautiful main actress and a main actor that made me suffer a bit, but I survived. (Sir Lawrence Olivier - as A. pointed out to me. Thank you, love!)

The ending wasn't too surprising, but I feel fulfilled by it - which is a good thing because some of the movies from Hitchcock make me crave an ending, rather than the tree dots he puts instead of it.

I will miss Manderley, and what a pity ruining that set!

I did come to conclusion, however, that the first 27 minutes were pointless. Okay, cute, we know how they met... but when I look back at the movie, it wasn't important, I think.

Lesson learned - fire looks white in black & white movies.

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Updated chart ranking all of Alfred Hitchcock's movies:

1. Dial M for Murder
2. Rear Window
3. Rope
4. Psycho
5. Vertigo
6. Rebecca
7. North by Northwest
8. The Birds

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Hitchcock discovered? : No, but present.