A stunning, well produced Netflix adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s ever intriguing gothic novel
Although it arrived eight decades after Alfred Hitchcock’s Best Picture-winning adaptation, Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca would inevitably face scrutiny from hardcore fans of the renowned 1940 film and Daphne du Maurier’s original novel.
Perhaps the casting of Lily James as the story’s timid, unassuming narrator and unlikely new wife of wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), is a little off, due to her striking natural beauty. However, James’ portrayal of the new Mrs de Winter is indeed authentic enough for the viewer to
sympathise with and root for her. As the brooding, emotionally unavailable Mr de Winter, Hammer is a great fit and manages a 1930s English accent without inspiring a hint of cringe.
Wheatley cleverly utilises something that Hitchcock could not in 1940: colour. The costumes, designed by Julian Day, perfectly embody the time period of the film, but also encompass an array of shades and styles familiar and tangible enough to inspire anyone’s wardrobe. The dynamic, detailed sets seamlessly carry the narrative from the shiny, golden Monte Carlo to the grey bewilderment of Manderley. All of this is intertwined with Clint Mansell’s undulating score, evocative of the rolling coastal waves that envelop the story.
Production designer Sarah Greenwood’s ambitious decision to film across eight different country houses works fantastically to subtly convey Mrs de Winter’s disorientation. Whilst none of the eight houses are actually in Cornwall (where the fictional Manderley is located), all is not lost for Cornish viewers, as Redruth-born Kristin Scott Thomas is strikingly eerie as the mysterious Mrs Danvers.
Rebecca (2020) may have had some big shoes to fill, but it measures up wonderfully. This adaptation is well deserving of praise from both old and new admirers of du Maurier’s timeless tale of fragmented secrets and remnants of the past.
留言