The Movie
In these desperate economic times, I find it comforting to know that the super-rich are all miserable lunatics, at least according to Hollywood. Take the cast of characters of Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, wherein remarkably well-off widower Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), still recovering from the loss of his wife of the title, falls for and weds a poor young artist (Joan Fontaine). But her transition to a pampered life in the country as mistress of a grand estate is surprisingly difficult, especially when the creepy housekeeper is more of a hindrance than a help.
There are different sorts of ghost stories, and the memory of Rebecca, her presence, her shadow loom large over the newlyweds, especially Maxim, who struggles to keep a dark secret, but is undone on the night of a shipwreck in the waters off his estate. The second Mrs. de Winter (her first name is never given) stands dutifully by her beleaguered husband and together they inch closer to the ultimate, shocking truth about Rebecca. It's a dark, tension-filled, and wholly riveting journey, one honored as the Best Picture of 1940.
The Picture
This is the third of three recent Hitchcock releases I'm reviewing on Blu-ray (along with Spellbound and Notorious), the oldest movie in the bunch, and while I found the film grain to be the least distracting here, it is the video-noisiest, not just on the ample mists but on unfortunate elements such as the actors' faces. Even so, the black-and-white 4:3 image displays exceptional detail, the nuances of the costumes in particular really popping: sharp plaids and tiny checks, right down to the weave of various cloths. The blacks are impressively deep as well, considering the age. Worth noting, Rebecca also won an Oscar for its cinematography.
The Sound
This is yet another mono soundtrack preserved in a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 dual-mono format and it is just fine, in no way irksome or impressive. Dialogue is dependably clear and the track itself is not terribly complex. A Dolby Digital isolated music and effects track is included among the extras, showcasing the work of composer Franz Waxman.
The Extras
As has been the rule on these Fox/MGM Hitchcock reissues, two title-specific featurettes are offered: a straightforward "Making of Rebecca" (28 minutes) and a study of the novelist whose works would go on to provide the basis for three of the director's films--Jamaica Inn before this and The Birds after--in "The Gothic World of Daphne Du Maurier" (19 minutes). Noted film critic Richard Schickel supplies the movie's audio commentary. These extras date back to the 2008 special edition DVD release.
From the vault come two sets of screen tests of hopefuls who did not land Joan Fontaine's role, Margaret Sullavan and Vivien Leigh (nine minutes total). The latter would marry star Laurence Olivier later that same year, and she went on to share the bill with him in an hour-long, 1950 radio version of Rebecca, one of three audio dramas archived here. (The original from 1938 stars Orson Welles and a 1941 redux is presented by Cecil B. DeMille.)
Fourteen minutes of excerpts from Hitchcock interviews with fellow filmmakers Francois Truffaut and Peter Bogdanovich round out the generous supplement package.
Final Thoughts
Competently porting one of Hitchcock's best early works to high-def while in no way reinventing it, the Rebecca Blu-ray is definitely worth a look for any film buff who never got around to picking up the DVD.
Product Details
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