Rebecca [Blu-ray] Blu-ray – Blu-ray, January 14, 2014

Photo 1 = Criterion Blu-Ray (2017)  Rebecca (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]Photo 2 = MGM Blu-Ray (2011)  Rebecca [Blu-ray ]Photo 3 = Hitchcock's cameo @ 2:06:57 (MGM) or 2:07:01 (Criterion) into "Rebecca" (walking in the background)Photo 4 = NOT Hitchcock's cameo (this is a still photo taken on the set)Criterion Collection's new two-disc blu-ray release of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca" is in competition with MGM's 2011 blu-ray release.The MGM has one advantage: It is half the price of the Criterion blu-ray.I watched both blu-rays on my five year-old 40" JVC TV.Criterion's new 4-K digital restoration has a (slightly) better picture.I imagine the difference would be more pronounced on a brand-new 70" TV.Criterion has a lot more bonus features, requiring a second disc.UNIQUE TO CRITERION BLU-RAY-- 4K digital restoration with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.-- Featurette on the visual effects in Rebecca (17 minutes)-- French TV production from 2016, "Daphne du Maurier: In the Footsteps of Rebecca" (55 minutes) with English subtitles.-- Conversation between film critic Molly Haskell and scholar Patricia White about the role of women in Hitchcock films (25 minutes)-- Audio commentary with film scholar Leonard J. Leff.*-- Screen tests with Anne Baxter, Vivien Leigh, Margaret Sullavan, Loretta Young and Joan Fontaine (only Vivien Leigh and Margaret Sullavan were on MGM).*-- Hair and makeup tests with Anne Baxter, Vivien Leigh and Margaret Sullavan.*-- Costume tests with Joan Fontaine.*-- 38 page booklet with selected production correspondence, including letters between Hitchcock and Selznick.*-- "The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder" - this show followed the "Tonight Show" on NBC:----- 1973: Alfred Hitchcock (45 minutes).*----- 1980: Joan Fontaine (17 minutes).*-- Audio interviews from 1986 with Judith Anderson and Joan Fontaine.** Carried over from the 2001 Criterion DVDCOMMON TO CRITERION AND MGM BLU-RAYs-- The Making of "Rebecca" (28 minutes)-- Isolated music and effects track.-- Three radio adaptations of "Rebecca"----- 1938: Margaret Sullavan & Orson Welles----- 1941: Ida Lupino & Ronald Colman----- 1950: Vivien Leigh & Lawrence Olivier-- Theatrical re-release trailer from the late Forties (MGM misidentifies it as "original release trailer")-- English SDH subtitles.UNIQUE TO MGM BLU-RAY-- Audio commentary with film scholar Richard Schickel.-- The Gothic World of Daphne du Maurier (18 minutes)-- Hitchcock/Bogdanovich interview.-- Hitchcock/Truffaut interview.-- 2001: the prestigious Criterion Collection released "Rebecca" on DVD (along with "Spellbound" and "Notorious").-- 2008: they were deleted from the catalog when MGM issued their own DVDs. MGM did a pretty good job (but not up to the Criterion standard).-- 2011: MGM released their versions of all three on Blu-Ray (with matching red, white and blue covers).But MGM did a careless job of mastering two of the blu-rays:"Spellbound" and "Notorious" had menu and playback problems on some blu-ray players, but played OK on others (buying them was a gamble). Rather than fix the problem, MGM deleted these titles, which explains why they are so expensive."Rebecca", on the other hand, never had these problems, and is still listed on Amazon for under $15.-- 2017: Criterion releases their version of "Rebecca" on Blu-Ray.I only hope Criterion follows it up with "Spellbound" and "Notorious" which are in more urgent need of reissue.For details about the problems with the MGM blu-rays of "Spellbound" and "Notorious", see Comment One (dated June 23, 2017). Click on "Sort by oldest".ALFRED HITCHCOCK FILMOGRAPHY:Alfred Hitchcock directed 56 feature films (one is lost) over a 51 year period.To date, 32 Hitchcock films have been released on Blu-Ray.PART ONE: BRITISH PERIODAlfred Hitchcock directed 26 feature-length films for British studios between 1925 and 1939.The first ten were silent.'The Mountain Eagle" (1927) is a lost film."Blackmail" (1929) is counted twice - it was Hitchcock's final silent film, and simultaneously filmed as his first talkie.To date, the Criterion Collection has released five of the British films on Blu-Ray.I hope more will follow, but have no inside information.All but two of the remaining films are on DVD. The exceptions:-- "Blackmail", the silent version (1929)-- "Mary" (1931), the German language version of "Murder!"These obscure titles seem to cry out for the deluxe treatment in a double bill with the readily available version of the same film, but so far no company has risen to the bait (Criterion? Kino? anybody?)1925 The Pleasure Garden - silent film1927 The Mountain Eagle - silent film [lost film]1927 The Lodger - silent film  The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ] [coupled with "Downhill"]1927 The Ring - silent film1927 Downhill - silent film BLU-RAY [Criterion Collection, coupled with "The Lodger"]1928 Easy Virtue - silent film1928 The Farmer's Wife - silent film1928 Champagne - silent film1929 The Manxman - silent film1929 Blackmail - silent version1929 Blackmail - sound version1930 Elstree Calling [musical comedy review with four directors]1930 Juno and the Paycock1930 Murder!1931 Mary [German language version of "Murder!" with a separate cast]1931 The Skin Game1931 Rich and Strange1932 Number Seventeen1934 Waltzes from Vienna1934 The Man Who Knew Too Much [first version]  The Man Who Knew Too Much (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1935 The 39 Steps  The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1936 Secret Agent1936 Sabotage1937 Young and Innocent1938 The Lady Vanishes  The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1939 Jamaica InnPART TWO: HOLLYWOOD PERIOD30 feature films were directed by Hitchcock after he was lured to Hollywood (some of them were filmed in the UK, but for American studios)ALL BUT THREE HAVE BEEN RELEASED ON BLU-RAY1940 Rebecca = Criterion (recommended) or MGM blu-rays1940 Foreign Correspondent1941 Mr. & Mrs. Smith = DVD ONLY1941 Suspicion1942 Saboteur1943 Shadow of a Doubt1944 Lifeboat1945 Spellbound1946 Notorious1947 The Paradine Case1948 Rope1949 Under Capricorn = DVD ONLY1950 Stage Fright = DVD ONLY1951 Strangers on a Train1953 I Confess1954 Dial M for Murder [2-D and 3-D versions]1954 Rear Window1955 To Catch a Thief1955 The Trouble with Harry1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much [second version]1956 The Wrong Man1958 Vertigo1959 North by Northwest1960 Psycho1963 The Birds1964 Marnie1966 Torn Curtain1969 Topaz1972 Frenzy1976 Family PlotAmazon only allows ten links per review.For Amazon links to to Hitchcock's American films on blu-ray, see Comment One (dated June 23, 2017). Click on "Oldest first"

THE MOVIE: The first time I saw Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca" (based on Daphne Du Maurier's celebrated novel of Gothic romance and psychological suspense) in the mid-1980's, I became obsessed with it; and perhaps that is fitting. 2008 marks the first time in decades that the film has been easily available on DVD (and at a very affordable price as well: Premiere Collection, MGM/UA DVD). Joan Fontaine stars as our heroine, a shy, non-descript, but lovely young woman who is never referred to by name in the story. (For purposes of this review, I'll refer to her character as "Joan"; when discussing Joan Fontaine's performance in the film, I'll use "Fontaine). When we first meet Joan, she is a paid companion to an old, insufferable society snob named Edythe Van Hopper (Florence Bates). Joan meets and quickly marries dour, aristocratic widower Maxim DeWinter (Laurence Olivier). At first, I cheered because the whirlwind romance and marriage saved our heroine Joan from the horrid Van Hopper. But, it turns out, she is merely going from the frying pan into the fire (quite literally). The basic plot is Cinderella's "happily ever after" gone wrong, in grand Gothic style. Once at the imposing, chilly Manderley, Maxim's family estate, Joan is promptly intimidated by the spooky housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), who was absolutely devoted to Maxim's first wife Rebecca, who died in a mysterious "drowning accident" one year ago. Joan finds herself almost completely eclipsed by the shadow of Rebecca. Memories of Rebecca are all over Manderley. Rebecca's initials are everywhere; on napkins, handkerchiefs, stationary, pillowcases, etc. Joan confides to the kindly financial manager of Manderley, "Whenever I meet anyone, I feel at such a disadvantage. I feel like they are all comparing me to her-- to Rebecca." One day, Joan wanders into Rebecca's old room in the West Wing, and has a particularly unsettling encounter with Mrs. Danvers. Although Anderson stated there was never discussion of any lesbian subtext in the story, it's impossible not to listen to Danvers' long speech about Rebecca's wardrobe, her underwear, her nightgown, her hair, etc. and not feel that Danvers had a strong lesbian attraction to Rebecca. "Do you believe the dead come back and watch the living?", Mrs. Danvers asks.Mrs. Danvers hates our heroine Joan because she "tried to take her (Rebecca's) place".After a masquarade party goes terribly wrong, Mrs. Danvers goes so far as to suggest (not subtly, mind you) that poor Joan commit suicide. Of course, more secrets about Rebecca and Manderley are revealed, but to reveal any more of the plot would spoil everything for first-time viewers. Although our heroine without a name is shy and (quite understandably) intimidated by her circumstances and surroundings, there is great emotion in Fontaine's truly outstanding performance, and she quickly and easily earns audience compassion and empathy. Of the main cast, only Olivier marginally disappoints. He's stuck with not much of a role. Maxim is a very poor "Prince Charming". He's not around much in the beginning (otherwise our heroine Joan wouldn't be so frightened). Maxim is supposed to be enigmatic and moody, but the character doesn't really come to life until about 90 minutes into the movie, when Olivier gives a long speech about what really happened on the night of Rebecca's death. Next to Fontaine, spooky Anderson, and creepy cad George Saunders (as Rebecca's favorite "cousin" Jack Flavill), both Maxim and Olivier come across as rather dull here. THE DVD: The 2008 Premiere Collection DVD edition contains several Extra Features: * The Making Of "Rebecca": Details the uneven, but ultimately successful, partnership between methodical director Alfred Hitchcock and maniacal, control-freak producer David O. Selznick. (The "O" didn't stand for anything. David just added it for extra flourish). Although "Rebecca" was Hitchcock's first American film, he had already directed such British classics as "The Lady Vanishes" and "The 39 Steps." Hitchcock was definitely not a novice, and he resented Selznick's obsessive demands and interference. Fortunately, Selznick became obsessed elsewhere; with finishing "Gone With The Wind." That epic won the Best Picture Oscar for 1939. When "Rebecca" won the same honor in 1940, Selznick accepted the Oscar. Hitchcock did not win as Best Director. (He, inexplicably, NEVER did)! Therefore, he always referred to "Rebecca" as a "Selznick Picture." Trust me, "Rebecca" is also very much a "Hitchcock Picture." *SCREEN TESTS & RADIO PLAYS": Margaret Sullivan (whose awful screen test for the film is included) stars with Orson Welles and Agnes Moorehead in a 1938 radio "Rebecca", which pre-dates the film by two years. The second "Lux Radio Theatre" version from 1941 stars Ida Lupino. Last, we have a radio version from 1950. starring Olivier and his then wife Vivien Leigh. Olivier was unhappy with Fontaine's casting in the film. He wanted Leigh as his co-star. Their joint 1939 screen test is included. Vivien Leigh (not quite finished playing fiery Scarlett O'Hara in "GWTW) shows more spark and life than Margaret Sullivan, but Hitchcock and Selznick definitely made the right casting choice with Fontaine. *THE GOTHIC WORLD OF DAPHNE DU MAURIER: Explores the relationship between her private life and writing. Also included: Audio commentary by film critic Richard Schnikel, Isolated Music and Effects Track, Hitchcock audio interviews, Theatrical Trailer, and Photo Galleries.

Rebecca (1940) is a great film - great director (Hitchcock at the top of his game), the lovely Joan Fontaine in one of her best performances, Laurence Olivier, and fantastic supporting performances from Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Florence Bates and others. Judith Anderson is so good that she almost steals the show.On the BBC's Desert Island Discs programme Hitchcock said: "The first film I made in America was an English film. It was called Rebecca." Presumably what he meant is that the story, the setting and most of the actors are British.

If you think that talkies had only been going for12 years when this film was made it gives some idea of Hitchcocks sublime presence. He slowed down speech and action to the pace of modern drama and injected subject matter with a timelessness that elevated him to being possibly the greatest director ever. Rebecca found in Joan Fontaine an actress with equal standing who navigates this intriguing plot that encompasses loss,desperation,suicide and twisted sexuality. Throughout there is a heavy,clammy atmosphere of greyness and gloom anticipating Hitchcocks later film Vertigo. At one time I rejected Hitch as an entertainer,not a true Cinematic great, yet now I see that he produced on several levels and that his most profound vision of love,life and the human psyche is practically unparalleled,as great as Shakespeare or any of the greats of literature.

This is one of Hitchcock's best films, his first for Hollywood. While it has his traditional themes of the murder mystery, there is an additional level of psychological realism that is missing in most of his later films, all in a splendidly atmospheric gothic romance, complete with a dark and ruined aristocratic mansion and the stuffy cruelty of the British upper classes and their servants. I will describe the setup of the plot, but not reveal any spoilers.Fontaine is a young lady down on her luck, working as a companion - a kind of servant and sycophant - for an aging matron on vacation in the Riviera. The old lady is oppressive in her demands and expectation that Fontaine will submit to her whims without question, a cipher to intimidate and humiliate. But Fontaine's youthful radiant beauty gains the attention of a mysterious widower, Maxim, played by Olivier (he too is young, but always looks old). They begin a furtive romance, but there is something extremely dark and almost dead about him, a pull from another life or presence.Once married - and warned with the cruelest condescension by her former employer that she will never be able to handle her new responsibilities - they move into a massive mansion in England. The servants, in particular the head woman, declare a kind of war on the young lady, who accepts her role yet is intimidated by their apparent sophistication and expectations.The terrible presence in the house is the departed Rebecca, whom everyone seems to idolize and love. Fontaine must fight this, feeling her husband compares her unfavorably. With all these pressures, she becomes depressed and ever more fearful, lost amidst characters whose motivations are impossible to understand. What happened to her? Is there any chance she can find peace, if not happiness, with Maxim? These questions plague the girl as she explores the forbidden wing of the mansion.Her life seems to be going nowhere, as stagnant as her marriage begins to feel. Then suddenly, an incident opens Maxim to her, and he confides in her finally. Things are not what they seemed and a difficult imbroglio follows that involves violence and accusations, climaxing in destruction. While romantic, the buildup is both frightening and depressing, an odd combination but completely believable.Though it now appears as a kind of relic, this is a great viewing experience for film buffs and Hitchcock fans, but it should be entertaining for casual viewers as well. Warmly recommended. It is a masterpiece and the acting is first rate.

Note - this is a region 1 DVD and will require a multi-region player.If you've looked up this edition it's a pretty safe bet you're already familiar with Rebecca and wondering if the Criterion edition is worth the price, so I won't say too much about the film itself. Alfred Hitchcock's first Hollywood film and the only Hitchcock feature to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, Rebecca is one of those films that holds up wonderfully across repeat viewings. Boasting a superb cast (the then-unproven Joan Fontaine was the big gamble, but her performance now outshines Laurence Olivier's. Judith Anderson and George Sanders are also great), a menacing atmosphere leavened with well-judged wit, and a vision of Manderley steeped in Gothic splendour and gloom, it's a beautiful and still very challenging film in its treatments of class, gender and sexuality.The digitally restored version of the film presented on this two-disc Criterion Collection edition looks and sounds great, but the chances are that if you're considering forking out £30+ for it the extras will be just as important a consideration. It may seem like I'm stating the obvious, but you'll get the greatest value out of this edition if you're really interested in finding out about the film's production and original release. The extras are extremely informative, but many are (necessarily) presented in text form, making this a better purchase for academics and big film buffs than people who simply want a copy of the film (there are much cheaper region 2 editions for sale in the UK). For those who -are- looking for an extensive behind-the-scenes look, though, the DVD represents an extraordinary collection of archival documents, beautifully presented and rich with accessible academic insight.The extras are collected under four headings. (1) 'Dreams' includes material about the following: the rather uncanny influence that several of Daphne Du Maurier's life experiences had on her novel (complete with interesting photographs); the film's differences from the novel; correspondence between producer David O. Selznick, famous for his extensive memos and intensive involvement in productions, and Val Lewton, Hitchcock and various others regarding the casting of the unnamed heroine, the Production Code-baiting plot point that proved a major obstacle in bringing the story to the screen and Selznick's lengthy critique of the original screenplay written under Hitch's supervision. A fair chunk of this material will be familiar to anyone who's read Rudy Behlmer's fascinating tome Memo from David O. Selznick, but the segment also includes location scout and production photos and, best of all, screen tests for five of the actresses who auditioned for the main role (along with wardrobe and make-up tests).(2) 'Fruition' includes more Selznick correspondence; a deleted scene; tests for Rebecca's 'curious, slanting hand'-writing; set stills; and audience responses from one of the original test screenings, which make for quite an interesting read.(3) 'Ballyhoo' includes publicity photos, posters, ad slicks (which basically just trumpet the film's lengthy run in cinemas and are the kind of thing you'd find in Variety) and ads for a perfume released in conjunction with the film. There's also a re-issue trailer and some brief footage from the Oscar ceremony showing some fun interaction between Hitch and Fontaine. You'll also find fascinating 1986 telephone interviews between scholar Leonard J. Leff (author of a very interesting book on Hitchcock and Selznick's four-picture partnership) and Fontaine and Judith Anderson that reveal something of the actresses' working relationship with Hitchcock and their experiences on set.(4) 'Broadcast' includes three radio adaptations from 1938, 1941 and 1950 (conveniently split into chapters), which make for interesting comparison with the film.There is also a booklet that includes a short essay by major Hitchcock scholar Robin Wood and a longer piece giving production background by George Turner (these can also be found on the Criterion website if you want a taster).Overall, it's an impressive collection of info on a fascinating production. The picture and sound on the film is superb, and completists will love this edition, but cash-strapped students may wish to look elsewhere for alternate sources and archives of information before buying.

Rebecca is one of the greatest films that ever came out of Hollywood. Creepy, atmospheric, and menacing with superb acting on ALL levels, this is a timeless film that only gets better with each viewing. Lawrence Olivier shows by a mere lifted eyebrow or facial movement his hauteur, his shock or disgust. Joan Fontaine is the put-upon companion of a bossy arriviste visiting Monaco, who impulsively jumps into marriage with the widowed aristocrat Max deWinter to escape her fate. Our heart bleeds as we see her struggle to cope with being the mistress of the splendour that is Manderly, making false steps at every turn as she is egged on by the nefarious housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. Judith Anderson's role as the chillingly insane Mrs Danvers is one of the best in early film-making. She discreetly lowers her eyes when given an order, a slight disdainful smile playing about her lips as if to say, "you will never be my Rebecca". We know this, as well: Rebecca was incomparable, beautiful, sexual and sensual, who wove a net around everyone she knew or crossed. She may be dead but she is still dominating everything in the house, and Mrs Danvers seems to have been not only slavishly in thrall to Rebecca but in love with her as well, and without saying a single thing, her every action shows us the truth and depth of her feelings. She seems to want to drive the new Mrs deWinter insane with her words -- look at this room, look at the transparent gown for her perfect body, look at her brush -- let me brush your hair -- and then she brushes the terrified bride's hair with sensuous strokes in one of the most erotically charged scenes. Each brush stroke is a caress, but an evil one. We know this, she knows it, and Mrs Danvers knows exactly what she is doing.Gothic, creepy, menacing, and emotionally charged in every scene with extraordinary acting by absolutely everyone, this Hitchcock film should not be missed!