The shadow of this woman darkened their love.|Mar. 23, 1940|United States|130 Min.|Approved
Genre: Drama;Mystery;Romance;Thriller
Description: A young, inexperienced woman meets the aristocratic widower Maxim de Winter while visiting the French Riviera and soon becomes the second Mrs. de Winter. Maxim brings his new wife to Manderley, his grand estate by the sea in southwestern England. There, the household is overseen by Mrs. Danvers, the cold and strict housekeeper who was deeply devoted to the first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. Danvers remains obsessed with Rebecca, preserving her lavish bedroom and displaying items bearing her monogram.
Constant reminders of Rebecca’s elegance and charm begin to weigh on the new Mrs. de Winter, leading her to believe that Maxim still loves his first wife. This belief is fueled by Maxim’s occasional bursts of anger. To please him, she organizes a costume ball, a tradition from Rebecca’s time. At Danvers’ suggestion, she wears a dress inspired by a portrait of one of Maxim’s ancestors. However, when Maxim sees her in the costume, he is horrified, as Rebecca had worn the same dress at her final ball before her death.
A confrontation with Danvers leaves the new Mrs. de Winter feeling emotionally shattered, and Danvers nearly convinces her to end her life by jumping from Rebecca’s room. However, the situation is interrupted when a ship runs aground in the fog. During the rescue, a sunken boat is discovered, containing Rebecca’s body.
Maxim confesses to his wife that his marriage to Rebecca was a facade. Rebecca had admitted she never intended to be faithful or committed to their vows, only maintaining appearances. She later claimed to be pregnant by her cousin and lover, Jack Favell, taunting Maxim that his estate might pass to another bloodline. In a heated argument, Rebecca fell, struck her head, and died. To hide the truth, Maxim placed her body in a boat, deliberately sank it, and misidentified another body as Rebecca’s.
Cast director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast actor: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Judith Anderson, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, Gladys Cooper, Florence Bates, Melville Cooper
Original name: Rebecca