Rent Rebecca (1940)

This production is wonderful for its sustained, threatening atmosphere - Rebecca review by CH

Still chills, after 65 years, as only black-and-white can do. Hitchcock never fails to entertain. Sound quality has suffered a bit with age, and sadly there are no sub-titles.

Hitchcock's American Debut. - Rebecca review by Steve

Fairly faithful adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's rewrite of Jane Eyre makes for one of the screen's great gothic romances. This was Alfred Hitchcock's debut at the dream factory and it is much longer and visually more spacious and opulent than his British films, with a more prominent score. 

Laurence Olivier is well cast for that touch of ruthlessness that he could never quite conceal. Judith Anderson is legendary as Mrs. Danvers, the malevolent housekeeper. And Joan Fontaine breaks your heart every single time as... well, we never even learn her name, as the book/film is titled after the first Mrs. de Winter!

She plays the unsophisticated girl who marries into one of the great homes of England, only to be tormented by the ambient memory of her husband's former wife. Sort of a love triangle, between the newlyweds and a memory. Fontaine is magnificent and definitive in the role. And as so often, underplays her natural beauty.

Supposedly Hitch wanted big changes but David Selznick insisted he stay close to the source novel. Some see this as more of a Selznick film. But the direction is exceptional, especially at creating an impression of the second Mrs. de Winter's isolation at Manderley. The ballroom scene is a triumph. Whoever provides the signature, this is a Hollywood classic.

This DVD has no subtitles, don't overlook it like I did! - Rebecca review by NG.

(Don't take my star rating seriously). After rental after rental with subs, I didn't check whether this DVD has subtitles because I took subtitles for granted.