Netflix releases adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca,’ a review

Netflix released a new adaptation of Daphne du Maurier‘s 1938 gothic novel Rebecca with Ben Wheatley as the director. The movie also stars Lily James as the new Mrs. De Winter, Armie Hammer as Maxim De Winter, and Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Danvers among others. As a viewer who watched the movie, it gave me chills and the plot certainly embodied a mystery. As I continue to watch, I come up with conclusions in my mind and a lot of “what ifs.”

Netflix releases adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, a review

However, some fans of the novel wrote negative reviews regarding the new mystery movie. Said reviews compared it to other adaptations and remakes and saying that it’s far from good. Vox writer Constance Grady pointed out in her review, “The exhausting failure of Netflix’s Rebecca’ said that like other adaptations the Netflix’s used the opening line.” 

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”

A good technique, I like how it begins with the narration and ends up with it again. Following the first line, a narration of how Manderley served as a haunted and scary house in her past flashes.

Screenwriter Sheila O’Malley posted on her site review of the movie Rebecca. She said that she interviewed acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Torro. In their conversation, the filmmaker frustratedly said that the movie ended up as a horror instead of a Gothic romance.

Sheila also wrote her own opinion about having the “… highlights the strengths of the 1940 version, and underlines its own lack, in terms of style, atmosphere, and a general understanding of the story itself.”

The story starts with an unnamed staff of a social-climbing employer who met a wealthy widower Maxim de Winter.

After spending time together, the protagonist finally cut ties with Ann Dowd and her employer Mrs. Van Hopper. She, then, marries Maxim and they become the new Mrs. de Winter. Together, they live in Manderley, where the widower lived with his former wife, Rebecca.

The new Mrs. de Winter discovers that anything around their house and every person in the house remains fond of Maxim’s dead wife. Whenever she looks around the house, she could see the letter R attached or engraved with it. 

Despite getting married and living on the same roof, Maxim never opens up about his dead wife. Maxim changed – not the romantic guy that she first met. He became an arrogant and gloomy husband. Mrs. de Winter, then, accidentally discovered that his former wife had drowned and died.

Every night, she finds herself having nightmares. A woman in a red dress running around. The next night, she had another bad dream where vines seemed to suck her from a corridor floor.

The sound effects, scenes, and atmosphere made me scared. Guillermo del Toro was right. It played like a horror movie. Instead of having a tension-filled plot, it became a horrifying story.

One day, a body was recovered from a boat under the sea and claimed it was Rebecca’s. 

This led to a problem. Whereas Maxim discovered a body year earlier and buried it, concluding that it was his former wife’s body. Another mystery unanswered comes: Who was the body that he buried? At last, Maxim opened up to his wife. He expressed that Rebecca never really became a perfect woman and wife for him. Yet, she played like she was for everyone to see. One of the reasons the man couldn’t even divorce her is to protect the de Winters name.

Maxim hated her for her cruelty. Boasting how a ‘parade of men’ and even his cousin fell head over heels about her on the day after their marriage. Then, Maxim continued to tell his new wife about how Rebecca came back from London looking pale. With her back again, she insulted her husband saying that if she ever bears a child, he can never prove that he wasn’t the father.

Maxim and Mrs. De Winter portrayed the scene. Wherewith a gun between them, Rebecca pointed the gun to her with Maxim’s hand on it.

“Go on Max, do it. All you have to do is pull the trigger and you’ll be free,” recalling what Rebecca had said. The man pulled the trigger leading to the woman’s death. Putting her dead body on a boat that he destroyed deliberately. He dropped her to the sea, giving people an idea that the woman had drowned.

Meanwhile, this confession scene was another flaw from the movie, according to Sheila. She stated that it has “…not clear enough sense of collective suppression, desires unspoken, sexual/psychological torment so intense it leads to madness.” She also added that the background music does not suit the important scene.

I agree with this. Although it was good, it wasn’t impactful. The audience must feel and grasp the feeling of that scene. However, it only made me feel slightly sad instead of feeling a great deal of anger. 

The movie actually highlighted Kristin Scott Thomas’ vital role in the thrilling effect of the movie. A loyal friend who loved Rebecca the most. She remained an effective character, from the beginning until in the finale. She showed the perfect emotion that the movie must convey.

Other movies let rich men go, giving them the impression that wealth comes above the law. However, the lawyer said to Maxim, “No one is above the law.” This, of course, gave more thrill on the next scenes. He was put behind bars. Mrs. de Winters covered the truth, saying she looked at Rebecca’s health history, discovering that Rebecca had cancer. She turned the murder into suicide because of what Rebecca’s doctor had said, saying she has been experiencing a lot of pain. Not to mention, she will not last long.

In the end, Mrs. Danvers was fired. However, she came back putting Mardenley into the fire. Leaving a statement to Mrs. De Winter that she will never find happiness with Maxim. But Mrs. De Winter insisted she will.

Just where Mrs. Danvers knew her Rebecca had died, she jumped to the sea. Leading to her death. Then, the final part was Mrs. De Winter was from a nightmare. Narrating the first line again. But here, narrating the bad memories never took place. Instead, she narrates claiming that time, was the result of her right choice. That she chose love over anything.

After watching this movie, I still had a lot of things in mind. Why did Mrs. de Winters remain nameless? Is the recovered body under the sea really is Rebecca’s? What if Rebecca didn’t really die? And, was the unnamed Mrs. de Winters was really her? Despite a lot of criticism from this Netflix adaptation, I find it interesting. Without comparing it to other remakes and the original story, it also has a good plot. The setting remains effective with its classic scenery.

In addition, producers have their own techniques to make a movie more interesting or compelling. If the real author allowed the different flavor of the story, then it’s okay. And it depends on the audience if they will like it or not, an understandable situation.  We have different tastes when it comes to something may it be in a movie.

You can try to watch the Netflix adaptation of Rebecca and make your own reviews. We never know, maybe you’ll like it too.