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| Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Judith
Anderson, George Sanders, Leo G. Carroll |
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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
5.1 |
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
/ storyboards |
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Multi-angle
feature |
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(first
line of opening narration:)
"I" (Joan Fontaine): Last night I dreamt I went to
Manderley again...
A
timid, unsophisticated young girl marries an aristocratic Englishmen
but is haunted by the memories of his previous wife that pervade their
mansion.
 Neither
a true Hitchcock picture nor a complete David O. Selznick production,
Rebecca remains a uniquely successful example of the collaborative
and combative art of moviemaking. It was Hitchcock's first movie made
in America, and therefore also his first time working with a big production
budget and with star actors. But it was also the first time he wasn't
in total control of the production, as he worked under the supervision
of independent überproducer David O. Selznick, a fussy would-be
mogul who had just gone through at least three different directors on
his previous film Gone with the Wind.
Whatever the various tensions and frictions may have been on the set
(and the extras on this release are some indication of how many there
were), it somehow ended up bringing forth some of the best work of everyone
involved, yielding a critical and commercial blockbuster that would
remain the only Hithcock film ever to win an Oscar for Best Picture.
The award was picked up by producer Selznick of course, but it's the
Hitchcock touches that give the movie its edge and continued appeal
over sixty years on. |
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Movie-only
editions with acceptable video quality but no extras to speak of are
available both for Region 1 and Region 2. A fully-fledged two-disc Special
Edition is available for Region 1 from the Criterion Collection; that
release served as a basis for this review.
The
fullscreen image is framed at its original aspect ratio of approx. 1.33:1.
Time has been kind to the film elements of Rebecca, which are
still in very fine condition, and which have been even further restored
for this release. Some of the close-ups and process shots have some
visible grain, but otherwise this is an impeccable presentation, with
most shots in absolutely pristine shape: free of dirt, scratches and
other wear and tear, and featuring wonderfully deep blacks and a wide,
consistent array of greys.
The mono soundtrack, presented from the center channel in single-channel
Dolby Digital, has also been nicely restored. As one learns from the
audio commentary track, the soundtrack for Rebecca was a technical
nightmare, with many dialogues re-recorded in lengthy looping sessions
after the film was already in the can. These problems, of course, still
exist, but the soundtrack has been cleaned up considerably with noise
and hiss reduction technology, and it plays a treat on this release.
A separate audio track featuring the isolated score and effects has
also been included.
Coming
to DVD in the richly loaded two-platter set this classic so clearly
deserves, fans will certainly not be disappointed by the wonderfull
presented huge array of extras on this release.
Disc 1 carries the movie along with an excellent audio commentary
track from Hitchcock scholar and author Leonard J. Leff. He certainly
know his stuff and provides huge amounts of information both about the
movie's history and about the production details, most notably the many
conflicts between Hitchcock and producer David O. Selznick. His comments
could perhaps have done with more of a sense of humor, but the track
moves along at a sharp pace and is a great asset to the film. A separate
track with the restored isolated score and effects is also on
board.
Disc 2 carries a huge wealth of informative extras, presented across
four major areas:
- Dreams: This section contains the material most directly
related to the film's origins and preproduction. There's a series
of illustrated text screens with information about the novel's author
Daphne du Maurier (whose works also served as the basis for
The Birds and Don't Look Now). Another selection of
text screens with book and screenplay excerpts lists the major differences
between the novel and the film. 'The Search for "I"'
presents some fascinating correspondence about the various actresses
producer David O. Selznick had in mind for the female lead. These
letters are especially interesting when viewed along with the generous
amount of screen test footage, which shows several major actresses
of the period (including Vivien Leigh and a very young Anne Baxter)
trying out for the part. Lighting, make-up and costume tests
for three of them, along with commentary, have also been included
here. Further correspondence related to the censorship problems
with the source novel is also included. An interesting collection
of location scouting photographs round out the Dreams section.
- Fruition: Probably the most riveting item in this collection
of material related to the film's actual production is the collection
of memos written by Selznick to various production crew members,
including Hitchcock and several production executives about the film's
progress and perceived problems. Selznick may have been an overbearingly
fussy producer, but his memos and peppered remarks make for great
reading. Delving ever deeper into production details, 'A Curious,
Slanting Hand' presents a handful of handwriting 'auditions' in
search of a very specific hand for writing out the name 'Rebecca'
as it was to appear throughout the film. A gallery of wardrobe
stills and one of stills from the set are other examples
of excellently documented, interesting research into the production,
while the deleted luncheon scene is presented in screenplay
form with an introduction providing the context and some explanation.
Finally, 'How Did You Like the Picture?' holds the final tally for
the audience questionnaires that were filled out at the numerous
previews held before the final cut opened. Great stuff.
- Ballyhoo: The promotional material and awards stuff is held
within this section, starting off with the re-issue trailer
(the original trailer has apparently been lost) and a great presentation
of publicity stills, posters, and even perfume ads and special store
window mock-ups brought together as 'Passion! Frustration! Mystery!'
Some originally silent newsreel footage of the 13th Annual Academy
Awards ceremony is provided with some welcome (but brief) audio
commentary, and it includes quite a few well-known faces looking rather
uncomfortable, and a young, at ease Ronald Reagan who manages to smile
and wink (!) at the camera as it passes him by. Hitchcock on Rebecca
presents an audio recording of the legendary interview sessions that
formed the basis for François Truffaut's wonderful book on
Hitchcock. It holds all his answers to questions related to this film,
with the mumbling of a French translator in the background, which
is a little distracting. Finally, there are also two telephone
interviews that author Leonard J. Leff conducted with Joan Fontaine
and Judith Anderson for his book on the Hitchcock/Selznick collaborations.
Both interviews last about twenty minutes and are very interesting
to listen to, providing some great recollections from both actresses.
- Broadcast: This section features no less than three original
radio broadcasts of adaptations of the novel. The first, from
1938, was adapted, produced and performed by Orson Welles and his
legendary Mercury Theater team. This is clearly the one that will
hold the most interest to the largest group of listeners, and it holds
up remarkably well. But the other two, from 1941 and 1950, are also
good adaptations that hold the interest (though I dare anyone to watch
the movie, plough through the extras and listen to all three
radio plays within even a few weeks...)
Complementing this double-platter treat, a beautifully designed 22-page
booklet with two interesting essays on the film's themes and
backgrounds provides even more enjoyment for fans of the movie. An essential
release that will be appreciated by any film buff.
 The
stylishly designed main menu screen is a collage of images from the film,
with subtle animation bringing forth color shifts that highlight various
details. A nice touch is the selection indicator, which is shaped like
the 'R' of Rebecca that pops up throughout the film. Navigation is intuitive
and pleasant on both discs.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed: 2001
Click
here for IMDB info on Rebecca.
Click here
to return to the front page.
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