“Discover a lot of contradictory levels of authorship–anywhere between Alfred Hitchcock, Daphne Du Maurier, and you will David O. Selznick–for it 1940 movie are an entire success, however, and their first couple of-thirds it’s given that best a myth out-of adolescence since people of one’s Disney video clips, recording the fresh childlike, nameless heroine’s initiation toward mature mysteries away from sex, passing, and title, together with impossibility off getting back together this type of forces having nearest and dearest strictures.” — Dave Kehr, il Audience
“A marvelous illustration of brand new theatre because the a popular storyteller. Sherwood and Joan Harrison. ” – Leslie Halliwell, New Filmgoer’s Spouse
“Daphne Du Maurier’s pretty small top seller. turned a tale off worry and you may shame, electricity and classification. Exactly why are the film two times as interesting was Hitchcock’s anxiety about women, and in what way it is outside of the easy restrictions out-of narrative. A beneficial riveting and painful motion picture.” – Helen MacKintosh, TimeOut Movie Book
“The fresh absolute, swooning pleasure this particular motion picture affords – their melodrama, its love, its fancy threat – causes it to be necessary-select. it is an effective masterclass for the design. The fresh atic words, and reveals anything unusual in any film off any period: characters who transform, and so are satisfyingly proven to do it throughout the storyline. A superb throw is actually circular away from of the George Sanders, playing Rebecca’s caddish relative: once more, a remarkable lightness and you can virility on the acting, and, once more, some superb suitings. A beautiful lose from 1 of cinema’s gurus. To not ever become overlooked.” – Peter Bradshaw, New Guardian
“Consuming Lyle Wheeler’s astonishing indoor set (they dwarf Fontaine’s shy profile) and an amazingly caddish change away from a beneficial blackmailing George Sanders, Rebecca sweeps the new viewer together so you can an enthusiastic incendiary achievement.” – Thomas Dawson, BBC
“Sample particularly a nightmare flick and you will presenting Olivier as one of minimum of sympathetic heroes about Hitchcock cannon, Rebecca is the reason wise extrapolation toward themes passed down of blond thrillers and you may Bronte books lets the newest director to begin with a great suspenseful relationship you to hardly has actually its subtext according to the surface, and you may smuggle inside the a narrative of 1 woman’s immersion towards the sexual expectations of their unique era. Rebecca might not be good Hitchcock picture, but it’s hard to consider what we today remember as a Hitchcock image without it.” – Keith Phipps, The fresh Onion A great. V. Club
Critics’ Part – Rebecca
Honors & Celebrates The newest National Board out-of Comment placed Rebecca tenth on the the ten-best record to possess 1940, toward Red grapes of Wrath within primary. They also detailed Joan Fontaine’s among the year’s greatest activities. Rebecca won eleven Oscar® nominations — Ideal Image, Most useful Manager, Most readily useful Star (Laurence Olivier), Most readily useful Celebrity (Fontaine), Best Supporting Celebrity (Judith Anderson), Ideal Screenplay, Most readily useful Filming, bride Malatya Best Modifying, Most readily useful Score, Finest Ways Recommendations and best Artwork Effects. Pursuing the 1939’s Moved into Snap, this was the following season in a row manufacturer David O. Selznick had introduced the film with nominations. Rebecca’s race to possess Best Picture is actually formidable and you can incorporated Brand new Red grapes out-of Wrath, The Philadelphia Tale, The nice Dictator and you can Hitchcock’s own International Correspondent.
To switch his Oscar® odds, Selznick hosted good “re-premiere” away from Rebecca at the an extra-work with house when you look at the La a single day this new nominations was launched
The guy also got the fresh governor off California so you’re able to re-term Movie industry Boulevard “Rebecca Boulevard” during the day. Rebecca grabbed Top Image, really the only instance honor for good Hitchcock flick, and best Filming. Hitchcock destroyed brand new leading honor in order to John Ford with the Grapes out of Wrath. Olivier shed Better Actor to help you James Stewart about Philadelphia Tale, if you are Ginger Rogers within the Kitty Foyle beat Fontaine to own Most readily useful Actress. New CRITICS’ Spot “Rebecca is actually an imaginative achievements whose b. Dave Selznick’s picture is just too tragic and profoundly emotional to hit the fancy out-of broad audience appeal. It does receive attention out-of critics and you will category patronage because an instance of the power for the story drama from vibrant monitor portraiture, however, standard viewers usually loss it a lengthy-drawn out drama that’ll had been advised most useful inside the faster video footage.