Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3126. Rebecca (2020)

    3126. Rebecca (2020)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on October 19, 2020 120-129 mins, 2020, 8 - 10, Drama, Movies Of 2020, Oct 20, Review, Romance, Thriller, United Kingdom
    8.3 Enthralling and utterly gorgeous
    • Acting 8.3
    • Directing 8.3
    • Story 8.3
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas

    Director: Ben Wheatley

    Running Time: 121 mins


    Rebecca is a British film about a young woman who arrives at her new husband’s storied family manor only to be forced into the shadow of his late wife, Rebecca, whose strong legacy haunts her every day.

    Just as the new Mrs. de Winter lives in fear of being in Rebecca’s shadow, so too could this film have been anxious about living up to the reputation of Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary 1940 adaptation. However, Ben Wheatley’s new vision of the classic tale is as enthralling as it is utterly gorgeous, exchanging the cold mental torment of Hitchcock’s version for a sprawling and elegant cinematic style that goes down so sweetly.

    There’s no denying the brilliance of Hitchcock’s Rebecca, with its psychologically tortuous drama and claustrophobic atmosphere, but the way that Ben Wheatley has taken this story and projected a different yet equally suitable vision onto it is an absolute delight, allowing you to relive the same story as if you’d never seen it before.

    Complete with gorgeous visuals, an elegant musical score and irresistible performances across the board, this new adaptation of Rebecca is certainly brighter than Hitchcock’s, but that doesn’t mean it lacks the riveting drama that makes this story so great.

    Starting off in beautiful fashion with a sun-baked prologue that follows the beginning of Maxim and his new wife’s courtship, Rebecca immediately shows off its stylish and sprawling visuals that pulls you into the fairy tale romance of a lifetime.

    When we arrive at Manderley House and things begin to turn darker, however, the film maintains its gorgeous style, and never remains quite as confined as Hitchcock’s version of the story did.

    Of course, there’s a trade-off there which means this film doesn’t have the same mentally distressing sense of claustrophobia and paranoia, but it does prove a whole lot more spectacular, with faster pacing and high-stakes drama that make it an enormously entertaining watch all the way through.

    At times, this Rebecca has something of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby about it, with immense style playing a big part in making it such a great watch. But the film is more than just a pretty face, and manages to engross you in its story of mental insecurity and fear in irresistible fashion.

    What’s more, the film features a fantastic ensemble cast including Lily James and Armie Hammer, who are both spectacular, as well as Kristin Scott Thomas, who proves just as fearsome and unnerving as Mrs. Danvers as Judith Anderson did in the 1940 film.

    Coupled with Clint Mansell’s elegant yet still uneasy musical score and production design that works perfectly at both the film’s sunniest and darkest moments, and you have a bold new vision of Rebecca that’s enormously refreshing, and just as satisfying as what we’ve seen before.

    I’d hesitate to say that Wheatley’s and Hitchcock’s adaptations are worlds apart, but they do very different things. The original, in true Hitchcock fashion, is an intoxicating psychodrama that’s thrilling but extremely uncomfortable.

    Wheatley, on the other hand, crafts a film that’s a lot of fun to be drawn into, and while he may not manage to provide the same level of mental anguish, he makes up for it by telling a great story in thoroughly entertaining fashion.

    Overall, I’m delighted to say that I absolutely loved Rebecca. I never expected to see the film match what Hitchcock did 80 years ago, but with a bold new vision that features a gorgeous, sprawling cinematic style, brilliant performances and enthralling drama, it’s an immensely entertaining watch, which is why I’m giving it an 8.3.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.4
    Review
    August 24, 20160

    1462. Dirty Harry (1971)

    8.1
    Review
    March 1, 20160

    1271. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

    8.8
    Review
    October 29, 20210

    3530. Last Night In Soho (2021)

    8.0
    Review
    November 29, 20180

    2365. Serial (Bad) Weddings (2014)

    8.1
    Review
    August 17, 20210

    3448. Free Guy (2021)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.