I watched Hitchcock's version years ago. I remember being so impressed with the leading lady's acting skills. She portrayed the anxiety and the innocence so well.
I'm sorry to Armie Hammer fans, but nobody can hold a candle to the Max de Winter of Laurence Olivier. Damn, he was gorgeous. Also, Hitchcock's Rebecca was about a hundred times better than any other version. It gives the viewer the same sense of apprehension and has the same ominous air as the book portrays. If any of you haven't already seen it because it's black and white (apparently such people exist), go and watch it! You're missing out on a masterpiece by a genius director and cast.
In addition, the black and white cinematography lends far more suspense. No one wrote musical scores like Max Steiner. Olivier and Fontaine can never be matched!
1940 had MGM throwing money, gorgeous black and white photography, one of greatest director at helm, one of greatest actor playing Max (God he was good looking), Joan Fontain nailed it as awkward bride along with unblinking Mrs Danver who chills at the suicide scene. This one is classic for reason. That score and atmosphere make the whole thing so alive. This is dish that came together and can only be replicated as inferior. Acting is only part of what makes movie great.
I know it's a matter of taste, but Olivier had this elusive, aloof, mysterious quality and the art of acting with his eyes. And Charles Dance is imposing, full of authority. Armie Hammer looks like a kid next to them. And does he really have to wear that suit? As for the women, Judith Anderson and Joan Fontaine defined their roles once and forever. Anderson's Mrs. Danvers became an archetype. Maybe it's just that actors used to be stronger presences in the past.
Well, actors used to act; not just "find something within themselves to relate to the character" and end up playing more or less the same character all the time. When Dustin Hoffman appeared with Olivier, he ran three times around the studio building to get out of breath for a scene. Olivier said to him "Have you ever thought of acting it instead?"
Actors and their work are the result of choices made by producers, director, execs. Not Hammer’s fault if he’s too young for the part, at least according to the original novel. He should be judged in the context of the current version. Every remake tries to give the old story some new spin or update, sometimes with good results sometimes not. I guess they have chosen a handsome young actor to make it more a conventional romance. The book is a dark gothic story with no love in it, as far as I can remember.
Many thanks to Matt Skuta for such fine editing of the three movies allowing us to compare the different production styles. All three looked beautiful but the 1940 version stirs the passion in me.
The film was made in 1940 and yet it still looks fresh. Even the acting is far superior, Judith Anderson didn't even blinked her eyes once, in the 1940 version.
The 1979 Jeremy Brett, Anna Massey and Joanna David version was the closest to the book. The Hitchcock one owes a lot to Daphne Du Maurier herself who wouldn't let Hitchcock veer too far from the book.
@@chrisparkes2179 That was very great. You are absolutely right. Even the "a lady in a fraise crenoline-gown danced along my way and gave me a nice smile. I never knew who she was." is in it. This sentences of the book took a great impression on me. It expressed her getting lost on the way to her personal fulfillment. Do you know that Joanna David is Emilia Fox´s mother? I think it is a nice fact.
You still want to give Mrs. Danvers a kick to make her fly to the moon as soon as she appears. That makes this movie so attractive and timeless. It is like this "Nelifer"-thing and Joan Collins: "Close the pyramid!"
Evil maid? Ms. Danvers had the position of housekeeper......in the English manor system, there was NO person on the staff who did NOT answer to her. The housekeeper had the responsibility of the operation of the house which was no small task.
As someone who's in love with films and yet to discover more classic ones, I enjoy the 2020 Rebecca. Thanks to them, I get to unearth another classic gem that is the original version. Although I'm still in love with the 2020 version (mainly because of Lily James). Stop the hate to the remakes just to make you look like you're superior than anyone else.
I agree with you! People tend to act superior for liking old movie renditions more than the remakes. For me, the first of the Rebecca movies I saw was the 1940 one. I absolutely love it but I honestly think I enjoy the 2020 version just as much. It was able to get me invested in Mrs de Winter’s character and even though I knew what was going to happen - it made me feel really emotional and on the edge of my seat for pretty much the entire movie. It’s a great film!
I guess i can appreciate the 2020 adaptation for bringing to my attention this story even existed, but i have to say that i found it to be a blunder even without seeing the other adaptations. There are valid criticisms to be made about it.
@@smurfette_blues7922 "but i have to say that i found it to be a blunder even without seeing the other adaptations. There are valid criticisms to be made about it." That's because the 2020 version fails to understand the core of the original story. Many movie reviewers have pointed this out. It fundamentally changes the character and her place in the story, not to mention the things that drive her. You basically get a whole different movie which doesn't work where the original did. It completely misses its mark. There are three kinds of remakes. 1. The shot-for-shot remake, which basically is a carbon copy and adds nothing new. 2. The remake made by somebody who clearly didn't understand the original movie and what the underlying structure in the story and the protagonist really is about. 3. The remake which honors the original and puts an original spin on it by going a bit further or even improving on the storytelling but adding another layer merely hinted in the original. For remake type 1: See Psycho (1998), Funny Games (2007), the Lion King (2019) For remake type 2: See 90% of all remakes ever made. Rebecca (2020) is just one of countless. For remake type 3: See John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986), Peter Jackson's King Kong (2005). For clueless people: Dismiss the original movie just because you saw an inferior remake. Real pity. As to why remakes are made: 1. Making money from an old hit and old story most kids today are oblivious to and are unlikely to see even if they do know about it. 2. Trying to improve an all-time classic and making a name as a director - usually failing and then forever being stuck making game movies or stupid slasher horror films. 3. Fooling those who love the originals into hoping they're going to see a good remake of it. But mostly it's about reason 1.
"Although I'm still in love with the 2020 version (mainly because of Lily James)" Well, this proves you saw *her* and not the movie. You solely decided to see it because she's in it and since you already like her you're automatically going to like whatever she appears in - irregardless if the movie itself is good or bad. I don't think you can be trusted to make a fair assessment of the film itself when you're clearly so infatuated by an actress - and admit it no less. "Stop the hate to the remakes just to make you look like you're superior than anyone else." Well, here you fail to assess people too. When you already have seen the original - especially one that is considered an all-time great or classic - it goes without saying that one neither looks forward to seeing another adaptation (when none is needed) nor some anachronistic story which just falls flat. People just find that insulting. It's stealing or borrowing somebody else's idea and presenting it as your own. Obviously you're going to be scrutinized a lot harder than if it were a wholly original movie. I don't care if a remake makes a billion dollar at the box office. If there are people out there who enjoy an inferior films then all power to the studios who milk them for all their money. See them a hundred times if you want. The studios will make anything you want. The choice is all yours. Be happy with your choice (and I'm being sarcastic here since there isn't any choice involved). If I prefer an original movie I don't care if I'm alone with this opinion or others share it with me. You also fail to understand that it's not a rigid and set absolute. Some remakes are better than their original films - but these are rare. John Carpenter always loved the original "The Thing from another World" (1951) but when he made his famous 1982 remake he followed the original 1932 story "Who Goes There?" a lot closer and added a whole new element of paranoia which wasn't present in the original film. The original had a clear ending while Carpenter's remake wisely ends the film with an open ending left to the viewer - who by this stage still is paranoid The original The Fly from 1958 is a decent horror drama about a scientific experiment going wrong. The 1986 remake just keeps the basic premise but re-imagines the story. It becomes far more tragic and difficult as one is seeing the gradual destruction (of something I won't spoil). The story is told in a different chronological order too. Some remakes are decent and can be compared with their originals or are a tiny notch below them. See the 1983 remake of Scarface, compared to the original Scarface from 1932. Basically a modern day adaptation transferred into the 80's cocaine drug trade era. A few films have been remade several times. "A Star is Born" was made in 1937, 1954, 1976 and 2018. Most consider the 1954 version with Judy Garland the best one. I've not seen any version so I'll pass my judgment. I have however seen all four versions of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers". They were made in 1956, 1978, 1993 and 2007. In my mind the 1978 version (the first remake) is the definitive version of this story. Here I disagree with those who consider the 1956 original the best. At core the original is just thinly veiled Cold War propaganda to "beware of the reds among us" . The 1978 version wisely drops all political stances and treats it like a human story and as a critique of how similar people really are in a consumer society and how little they concern themselves with other people's serious problems. This was horror completely missing from the original. The *human element* . The 1993 version is just a run-of-the-mill "Monster infiltrates high school and beautiful girls" film just using the premise of the original film as an excuse. The 2007 version is a travesty which tries to compensate with lots of gore by having a completely uninteresting story. You liked the 2020 version of Rebecca? Good for you. If you haven't seen the original how can you really compare it?? And whether you like it or not the public (not to critics mind you) have already given their judgment. 6,0 on the IMDB isn't very impressive sounding. That's compared to the original which currently sits on #235 at the IMDB top 250 movies (8,1 in public score). "Although I'm still in love with the 2020 version (mainly because of Lily James)." No, let's decipher that shall we? You are in love with Lily James. That's it.
@@jamesshunt5123 well first of all, I don't know you, so I don't care what you think. Secondly, I SAW the original because of this 2020 version and I love it. Personally, it's superior to this 2020 remake. However, I don't know in what world you live in, but in ours, it's okay to love two or more things. It doesn't mean I love apple juice, I hate the "original" apples. Also, good god girl get a grip - it's a freaking movie! Not a life and death situation! It's hilarious how you made a wordy essay just for the hell of it. Yeah, I know, for someone who doesn't care about what you think, I sure did write a lot. Well, it's better than the first reply that my instincts told me to - "ok, boomer"
I’ve just realised what a difficult role Lillys role was.There was little difference between Joan Fontaine and this new actress in their portrayal Meatier rolls for the other two actors
Thank you! Amazing that a film from 80 years ago still has us talking. New is not necessarily better! In the 1940's version, Rebecca's presence is almost palpable - you wonder - is her spirit still in the house, or is she actually still alive in a plot twist? And of course with Hitchcock, the psychology of the characters, the inner drives, are beautifully suggested. So, the character of Mrs Danvers is much more twisted and odd. Charles Dance is wonderful as Maxim in the 90's version, (had forgotten how gorgeous he is) and the most recent is more of a romance. Not bad, just not as interesting or thrilling.
@@ShaunaTeaken There always seems to be a line in Du Maurier books that could serve as a movie tag line: No one stops at Jamaica Inn! Rachel, my torment Always, Rebecca
Yeah that’s why she liked his take on Rebecca despite the changes, because he stayed true to the tone of her book and most of the story. Unfortunately she really disliked his take on Jamaica Inn and The Birds because they were just to different. She was also underwhelmed by the My Cousin Rachel movie. Interestingly some of her favorite adaptations of her work were the more obscure old movies Brian Desmond Hurst’s Hungry Hill and Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now
I have no problem with new adaptations of classic novels. These two TV productions (sorry Netflix!) are not remakes of the first movie, they are reinterpretations of the novel. But they don't stand a chance. The Selznick/Hitchcock version is unsurpassable. I can't be bothered watching the latest version, she's too old and he's never yet given an outstanding performance plus he's never going to get the nuances of English class or period. For some reason, they never get period hair or class diction right in modern productions and the portrayal of women is anachronistic, modernised to the point of being ludicrous - if women had thought and behaved like they do in modern period drama they wouldn't have been wives and servants. I notice Lily was driving him, that would never have been the case, he wouldn't have tolerated it, even if she could drive, which this wallflower character wouldn't have learned to do. Isn't Waxman's score superb?
Good points. Also, the second Mrs DeWinter would have been to nervous to even learn to drive. Female characters aren't allowed to be nervous, timid or naïve any more.
I prefer the one with Emilia Fox and Charles Dance. The new one tried WAY too hard, and the original is great, but I love how much the one from '97 really captures the emotion of the book.
@@someonerandom256 agree! It was the best for me and the best similar to the original book, except the end that was wonderful and the best of them all.
I guess none of these movies at the end of the day is as ominous and foreboding as the book. I remember feeling haunted by Rebecca when I was reading this at the school library.
To be fair in the 1997’s case they were trying for a more faithful adaptation of the novel. As good as Hitchcock’s movie is he changed a lot of the book. As for the Netflix version...I really have no clue. It doesn’t follow the book much either
I like Alfred Hitchcock's version but the 2020 film showed more love and chemistry between the new Mrs de Winter and Maxim which shows more emotional sense plus their Mrs. Danvers is scarier than the previous ones.
If they showed more chemistry there really isn’t any fear for the Second Mrs DeWinter of Maxim deserting her which is looming and plaguing the protagonist’s psyche throughout the film which is part of the tension.
@@RichardHannay , I don't think Maxim has any intention of leaving her. It's the wrong perception of thinking that he's still deeply in love with the late Mrs de Winters which is what's plaguing her most. She thinks that she can't measure up to his dead wife. Its Maxim that has the fear of being deserted by his second wife that kept him from telling the truth.The lack of honesty is the main issue of their marriage but they truly love each other which showed more intensity in the 2020 version. The old film lacked the loving intimacy between characters. That's all.
Lol, I have always found him an extremely ugly man, so ugly in fact that I found it unconvincing when he played characters that were supposed to be handsome and charming. Different tastes I guess.
It's missing one version... The one with Emilia Fox's mum and Jeremy Brett... Actually, Jeremy is my second best Maxim, after the great Laurence Olivier 😍😍
I prefer the 1997 adaptation, I know I’m in the minority. I just recaptures my experience with the book better. Emilia Fox is almost exactly who I pictured as the protagonist and Charles Dance really does look old enough to be her father, just like Maxim is in the book. The stars in the other 1940 & 2020 versions look too close in age. Diana Rigg is perfectly cast as Mrs Danvers. 1940 is still a classic however, and still has the best atmosphere with the black and white cinematography. 2020 had some pretty cinematography but a little too colourful. Kristen Scott Thomas is really the only good thing about it.
The 1940 film is a classic and the other two dont come close to it but at least with the 1997 version it was actually filmed in Cornwall where as the earlier one was filmed in California and the recent one was filmed at Hartland Quay in North Devon.
i love this video as a metafilm on its own the three images and the soundtrack as an avant garde adaptation of the novel by Daphne du Maurier and i really think it highlights the strengths in the design and casting of all three versions, so i will never understand the complaints that there are too many remakes
Two reasons. There are people who won't watch old films, because they're in black and white/because they think they'll be boring/because they've never heard of the actors/because "Why do you want to watch something that old?". There's not much hope for these people, but they do have money that the filmmakers would like to relieve them of. And secondly, there are no new ideas.
@Cancel The Media Cancel The Media Like the announcement in the background of Gremlins 2 "Casablanca, now in full colour.... and with a happier ending!"
@@steamboatwill3.367 "Remake" is often verbal shorthand for "a further adaptation". I've heard arts programme people often say things like "...a remake of the 1947 film based on the novel by...." It's surprising how many "completely new interpretation, going back to the original source" of novels I've seen that include something from a previous film that was never in the novel!
Hitchcock the master of suspense cannot be compared at all....It was his own idea which was copied by others to create a movie in which the main Rebecca will never be present in human form
No they weren't shot in the same location. The first one was jn the US, and the other 2 in different English locations... So much for your observation on 'Europe clearly doesn't change' 😂
Please do not omit the 1979 version just because it is omitted here. Perhaps you will love it as well. I did, and like you, the first version I watched was the 1997 one. Enjoy😃
the 2020 version sucks in my opinion. This is my rant abt it. As a person who has read the book, I do not find it accurate at all, it actually seems like they did not read it, or completely missed the point, bc a few unsaid things that the book lets on are not in the movie, for exemple the recurring theme in the book that Maxim doesnt show affection, or very very little of it, towards the protagonist. Speaking of Maxim, I cringed when she called him Max lol, bc the fact that she is told by him to call him Maxim and not Max is a point explicitly discussed in the book. The casting is terriblle (not the actors themselves, I love them personally), they do not represent the charachters from the book. Emilia Fox is actually the way I imagined mrs de winter down to a T, naive, very young and scared all the time but with some potential and repressed smarts behind her eyes. Also, it looks like they forgot they were in the 1930's, bc some behaviors in scenes are just not correct lol. Wraping it up, I just find it really funny that all movies had Denvers start the fire at Manderly, while in the book it is not revealed who set the fire, it just ends with them seeing Manderley on fire from far out on the road there, but I can see that happening, this decision doesnt bother me at all. Sorry its a long comment but I just had to share my rant on this bc I love this book and I was really excited for this movie and it totally let me down. DISCLAIMER: you are allowed to like it! As stated before, this is just MY opinion.
@@chrisparkes2179 it never used be like that, see the movies released 1983-1986. Literally the most culture defining movies ever made. It’s mind blowing just how many original movies were released in 1984. So they definitely weren’t risk adverse in the past! 🤯🤯🤯🤯
@@hanniffydinn6019 80 to 85 were my peak teenage movie going years. But that era was the culmination of decades of creativity and innovation with only occasional brief slumps. Then the accountants, financiers and investment managers took over.
Charles Dance and Diana Rigg are both in the 1997 version, while their Game Of Thrones co-star Ben Crompton is in the 2020 version. Just a mildly interesting observation.
Matt Skutta I have seen other of your videos, they are wonderful!!! I love it so much!!! Rebecca 1997 is my favorite, the best screenplay, direction, music, and cast! Thank you!
I'm a fan as well. The 2020 is really good, the 1940 is ok (black and white films give me headaches) and the 1997 one made me wanna throw up bc pf how old and abusive CD as Maxim was/looked
Yeah I agree - better to stick with what (I guess) in 1940 would have been a skirt (you only have to compare this frankly ugliness with Fontaine's lovely figure-hugging skirt!❤❤)
The depth of the acting cannot be matched. The modern version does not convey the emotion than the Olivier Fontaine version does. When you compare them side by side is it obvious.
I recently watched the 2020 version and completely despised it. Lily James looked way too old and Arnie Hammer way too young to be playing their respective characters. The producer/director spent too much time focusing on sex and not enough on the true plot point, which is the second Mrs. de Winter haunted by the memory of Rebecca. In trying to make the second Mrs. de Winter more “modern,” they completely strip her of the point of her character, which is supposed to a naive young woman. Other minor complaints include Jack Favell not coming across enough as sleazy but charming and the character of Frank being almost completely sidelined. The 1940 Hitchcock version, on the other hand, is an absolute masterpiece.
@@luciadilazzaro2285 You have to see that in the context of the time - in the 1940's some of the things he said (and to be fair nothing he said was THAT bad!) were not considered, or taken, as being derogatory.....(of course they jar a little with us now)
The *first* remake was in 1979, featuring Joanna David as the second Mrs deWinter. Her then-husband Jeremy Brett played Max. But--I love this--her daughter Emilia Fox is Mrs deWinter in the 1997 version!
That seems mixed up. Anna Massey playing Mrs. Danvers in the 1979 version was married to Jeremy Brett 15 years previously until 1962. Jeremy Brett indeed played Maxim de Winter in the 1979 version, and yes, Joanna David is Emilia Fox’ mother. Both played Mrs. de Winter in different versions 18 years apart.😌
Joan was perfect partly because she hadn't lush beauty like Vivien Leigh, Hedy Lamarr, even sister Olivia. She didn't need de-glam like, say, Grace Kelly for The Country Girl. But glam UP worked!
I watched Hitchcock's version years ago. I remember being so impressed with the leading lady's acting skills. She portrayed the anxiety and the innocence so well.
Waxman's score in the 1940 original is priceless and timeless.
I'm sorry to Armie Hammer fans, but nobody can hold a candle to the Max de Winter of Laurence Olivier.
Damn, he was gorgeous.
Also, Hitchcock's Rebecca was about a hundred times better than any other version. It gives the viewer the same sense of apprehension and has the same ominous air as the book portrays. If any of you haven't already seen it because it's black and white (apparently such people exist), go and watch it! You're missing out on a masterpiece by a genius director and cast.
In addition, the black and white cinematography lends far more suspense. No one wrote musical scores like Max Steiner. Olivier and Fontaine can never be matched!
😂🤣😂 Yep. 😂🤣😂
I loved Armie as Maxim. Youthful and brooding and so so gorgeously desirable “
@@lalitharavindran yes but he's not Maxim De Winter
Maxim wasn't supposed to look that young!!!
1940 had MGM throwing money, gorgeous black and white photography, one of greatest director at helm, one of greatest actor playing Max (God he was good looking), Joan Fontain nailed it as awkward bride along with unblinking Mrs Danver who chills at the suicide scene. This one is classic for reason. That score and atmosphere make the whole thing so alive. This is dish that came together and can only be replicated as inferior. Acting is only part of what makes movie great.
Yes, yes, yes, yes .... Thank you so much!
This wasn't released by MGM. It was United Artists and the Selznick studios.
It is a credit to Joan Fontaine that she could play "plain" while being so lovely. Her sis had the same ability.
Ditto! She's the prettiest of them all....
Agree totally
‘97 version was too plain while ‘20 version was too lovely
I was always thinking that Joan Fontaine was to pretty for that part. Emilia Fox is great.
@@RichardHannay yes agree totally. The '97 version needed a few more car chases, explosions and shoot-outs... 🙄
Rebecca 1940 can't even be touched by the rest.... it was just simply magnificent.
Every detail is pure perfection. The more you look at it the more you like it.
I know it's a matter of taste, but Olivier had this elusive, aloof, mysterious quality and the art of acting with his eyes. And Charles Dance is imposing, full of authority. Armie Hammer looks like a kid next to them. And does he really have to wear that suit? As for the women, Judith Anderson and Joan Fontaine defined their roles once and forever. Anderson's Mrs. Danvers became an archetype. Maybe it's just that actors used to be stronger presences in the past.
Well, actors used to act; not just "find something within themselves to relate to the character" and end up playing more or less the same character all the time.
When Dustin Hoffman appeared with Olivier, he ran three times around the studio building to get out of breath for a scene. Olivier said to him "Have you ever thought of acting it instead?"
Actors and their work are the result of choices made by producers, director, execs. Not Hammer’s fault if he’s too young for the part, at least according to the original novel. He should be judged in the context of the current version.
Every remake tries to give the old story some new spin or update, sometimes with good results sometimes not. I guess they have chosen a handsome young actor to make it more a conventional romance. The book is a dark gothic story with no love in it, as far as I can remember.
Loved Olivia in his role
@@pansepot1490 True. The 2020 version is not in the farthest "gothic" or mysterious.
In my opinion Kristin Scott Thomas is the perfect Ms. Danvers.
Many thanks to Matt Skuta for such fine editing of the three movies allowing us to compare the different production styles. All three looked beautiful but the 1940 version stirs the passion in me.
You can't beat Alfred Hitchcok. That's a fact
DITTO! The rest pale in comparison...
I prefer Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas and Gwinneth Paltrow more than Hitchcock' s Dial M for Murder with Grace Kelly...
It's an opinion. I have the same one.
No director is above remakes, reinterpretations or new versions of books
I agree!
The film was made in 1940 and yet it still looks fresh. Even the acting is far superior, Judith Anderson didn't even blinked her eyes once, in the 1940 version.
Like Robert Powell in Jesus of Nazareth :)
Nothing beats a Hitchcock creation
The 1979 Jeremy Brett, Anna Massey and Joanna David version was the closest to the book. The Hitchcock one owes a lot to Daphne Du Maurier herself who wouldn't let Hitchcock veer too far from the book.
@@chrisparkes2179 That´s true.
@@chrisparkes2179 That was very great. You are absolutely right. Even the "a lady in a fraise crenoline-gown danced along my way and gave me a nice smile. I never knew who she was." is in it. This sentences of the book took a great impression on me. It expressed her getting lost on the way to her personal fulfillment. Do you know that Joanna David is Emilia Fox´s mother? I think it is a nice fact.
3 seconds in .....come on if it ain't broken don't fit it L. Olivier .... best actor ever
There's something about the first appearance of the evil maid in the 1940 version that strikes me as so Hitchcock.
You still want to give Mrs. Danvers a kick to make her fly to the moon as soon as she appears. That makes this movie so attractive and timeless. It is like this "Nelifer"-thing and Joan Collins: "Close the pyramid!"
Evil maid? Ms. Danvers had the position of housekeeper......in the English manor system, there was NO person on the staff who did NOT answer to her. The housekeeper had the responsibility of the operation of the house which was no small task.
Rebecca 1940, amazing!
Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine cannot be beaten.
The original is to the remake what Rebecca was to everybody: Superior, out of reach and competition.
Matt Skuta,
You really love Daphne Dumaurier's Rebecca!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
As someone who's in love with films and yet to discover more classic ones, I enjoy the 2020 Rebecca. Thanks to them, I get to unearth another classic gem that is the original version. Although I'm still in love with the 2020 version (mainly because of Lily James). Stop the hate to the remakes just to make you look like you're superior than anyone else.
I agree with you! People tend to act superior for liking old movie renditions more than the remakes. For me, the first of the Rebecca movies I saw was the 1940 one. I absolutely love it but I honestly think I enjoy the 2020 version just as much. It was able to get me invested in Mrs de Winter’s character and even though I knew what was going to happen - it made me feel really emotional and on the edge of my seat for pretty much the entire movie. It’s a great film!
I guess i can appreciate the 2020 adaptation for bringing to my attention this story even existed, but i have to say that i found it to be a blunder even without seeing the other adaptations. There are valid criticisms to be made about it.
@@smurfette_blues7922 "but i have to say that i found it to be a blunder even without seeing the other adaptations. There are valid criticisms to be made about it." That's because the 2020 version fails to understand the core of the original story. Many movie reviewers have pointed this out. It fundamentally changes the character and her place in the story, not to mention the things that drive her. You basically get a whole different movie which doesn't work where the original did. It completely misses its mark.
There are three kinds of remakes.
1. The shot-for-shot remake, which basically is a carbon copy and adds nothing new.
2. The remake made by somebody who clearly didn't understand the original movie and what the underlying structure in the story and the protagonist really is about.
3. The remake which honors the original and puts an original spin on it by going a bit further or even improving on the storytelling but adding another layer merely hinted in the original.
For remake type 1: See Psycho (1998), Funny Games (2007), the Lion King (2019)
For remake type 2: See 90% of all remakes ever made. Rebecca (2020) is just one of countless.
For remake type 3: See John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986), Peter Jackson's King Kong (2005).
For clueless people: Dismiss the original movie just because you saw an inferior remake. Real pity.
As to why remakes are made:
1. Making money from an old hit and old story most kids today are oblivious to and are unlikely to see even if they do know about it.
2. Trying to improve an all-time classic and making a name as a director - usually failing and then forever being stuck making game movies or stupid slasher horror films.
3. Fooling those who love the originals into hoping they're going to see a good remake of it.
But mostly it's about reason 1.
"Although I'm still in love with the 2020 version (mainly because of Lily James)" Well, this proves you saw *her* and not the movie. You solely decided to see it because she's in it and since you already like her you're automatically going to like whatever she appears in - irregardless if the movie itself is good or bad. I don't think you can be trusted to make a fair assessment of the film itself when you're clearly so infatuated by an actress - and admit it no less.
"Stop the hate to the remakes just to make you look like you're superior than anyone else." Well, here you fail to assess people too. When you already have seen the original - especially one that is considered an all-time great or classic - it goes without saying that one neither looks forward to seeing another adaptation (when none is needed) nor some anachronistic story which just falls flat. People just find that insulting. It's stealing or borrowing somebody else's idea and presenting it as your own. Obviously you're going to be scrutinized a lot harder than if it were a wholly original movie.
I don't care if a remake makes a billion dollar at the box office. If there are people out there who enjoy an inferior films then all power to the studios who milk them for all their money. See them a hundred times if you want. The studios will make anything you want. The choice is all yours. Be happy with your choice (and I'm being sarcastic here since there isn't any choice involved).
If I prefer an original movie I don't care if I'm alone with this opinion or others share it with me. You also fail to understand that it's not a rigid and set absolute. Some remakes are better than their original films - but these are rare. John Carpenter always loved the original "The Thing from another World" (1951) but when he made his famous 1982 remake he followed the original 1932 story "Who Goes There?" a lot closer and added a whole new element of paranoia which wasn't present in the original film. The original had a clear ending while Carpenter's remake wisely ends the film with an open ending left to the viewer - who by this stage still is paranoid
The original The Fly from 1958 is a decent horror drama about a scientific experiment going wrong. The 1986 remake just keeps the basic premise but re-imagines the story. It becomes far more tragic and difficult as one is seeing the gradual destruction (of something I won't spoil). The story is told in a different chronological order too.
Some remakes are decent and can be compared with their originals or are a tiny notch below them. See the 1983 remake of Scarface, compared to the original Scarface from 1932. Basically a modern day adaptation transferred into the 80's cocaine drug trade era.
A few films have been remade several times. "A Star is Born" was made in 1937, 1954, 1976 and 2018. Most consider the 1954 version with Judy Garland the best one. I've not seen any version so I'll pass my judgment.
I have however seen all four versions of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers". They were made in 1956, 1978, 1993 and 2007. In my mind the 1978 version (the first remake) is the definitive version of this story. Here I disagree with those who consider the 1956 original the best. At core the original is just thinly veiled Cold War propaganda to "beware of the reds among us" . The 1978 version wisely drops all political stances and treats it like a human story and as a critique of how similar people really are in a consumer society and how little they concern themselves with other people's serious problems. This was horror completely missing from the original. The *human element* .
The 1993 version is just a run-of-the-mill "Monster infiltrates high school and beautiful girls" film just using the premise of the original film as an excuse.
The 2007 version is a travesty which tries to compensate with lots of gore by having a completely uninteresting story.
You liked the 2020 version of Rebecca? Good for you. If you haven't seen the original how can you really compare it?? And whether you like it or not the public (not to critics mind you) have already given their judgment. 6,0 on the IMDB isn't very impressive sounding. That's compared to the original which currently sits on #235 at the IMDB top 250 movies (8,1 in public score).
"Although I'm still in love with the 2020 version (mainly because of Lily James)." No, let's decipher that shall we? You are in love with Lily James. That's it.
@@jamesshunt5123 well first of all, I don't know you, so I don't care what you think. Secondly, I SAW the original because of this 2020 version and I love it. Personally, it's superior to this 2020 remake. However, I don't know in what world you live in, but in ours, it's okay to love two or more things. It doesn't mean I love apple juice, I hate the "original" apples. Also, good god girl get a grip - it's a freaking movie! Not a life and death situation! It's hilarious how you made a wordy essay just for the hell of it.
Yeah, I know, for someone who doesn't care about what you think, I sure did write a lot. Well, it's better than the first reply that my instincts told me to - "ok, boomer"
I watched the 1940 version first and it became one of my favorite movies! I love the 1940 version 🖤
You missed the one from the 70's with Emilia Fox's mother Joanna David and Jeremy Brett.
That’s my favorite version along with the Hitchcock movie.
And Anna Massey as Mrs. Danvers! Chilling!
Rebecca 1940 is a masterpiece, Hithcock is a genious. 1997 is OK. 2020, totally forgettable.
The 2020 one was pretty though
So what do you think of the 1979 version?
@@IndomitableT I didn't watch this version.
@@denisefreitas6727. Well, that is a pity. You could. Perhaps you will enjoy it😌
Revers 1997 and 2020
excellent! really enjoyed all three movies (not to mention the book) and now your video. thanks for making this!
JOAN FONTAINE ♥ THE TRUE LADY DE WINTER ♥
I really enjoyed Armie's and Lily's version. They did a great job!
Armie can't act to save his life. Same problem in CMBYN, although there he seemed too old for the role and here he seems too young for the part
I’ve just realised what a difficult role Lillys role was.There was little difference between Joan Fontaine and this new actress in their portrayal Meatier rolls for the other two actors
@@LuanRicardo2223 wow you’re so clever. So basically one can’t ever criticize art unlesss they’re an artist. I learn new things everyday
What about the 1979 version? I love Jeremy Brett as Maxim...
Thank you! Amazing that a film from 80 years ago still has us talking. New is not necessarily better! In the 1940's version, Rebecca's presence is almost palpable - you wonder - is her spirit still in the house, or is she actually still alive in a plot twist? And of course with Hitchcock, the psychology of the characters, the inner drives, are beautifully suggested. So, the character of Mrs Danvers is much more twisted and odd. Charles Dance is wonderful as Maxim in the 90's version, (had forgotten how gorgeous he is) and the most recent is more of a romance. Not bad, just not as interesting or thrilling.
The psychology of the characters was already in the book, which Du Maurier insisted Hitchcock stay true to.
@@chrisparkes2179 you are correct! Time to re-read it!
@@ShaunaTeaken There always seems to be a line in Du Maurier books that could serve as a movie tag line:
No one stops at Jamaica Inn!
Rachel, my torment
Always, Rebecca
Yeah that’s why she liked his take on Rebecca despite the changes, because he stayed true to the tone of her book and most of the story. Unfortunately she really disliked his take on Jamaica Inn and The Birds because they were just to different. She was also underwhelmed by the My Cousin Rachel movie. Interestingly some of her favorite adaptations of her work were the more obscure old movies Brian Desmond Hurst’s Hungry Hill and Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now
1940s one! the best version!
Tout a fait d accord
I have no problem with new adaptations of classic novels. These two TV productions (sorry Netflix!) are not remakes of the first movie, they are reinterpretations of the novel. But they don't stand a chance. The Selznick/Hitchcock version is unsurpassable. I can't be bothered watching the latest version, she's too old and he's never yet given an outstanding performance plus he's never going to get the nuances of English class or period. For some reason, they never get period hair or class diction right in modern productions and the portrayal of women is anachronistic, modernised to the point of being ludicrous - if women had thought and behaved like they do in modern period drama they wouldn't have been wives and servants. I notice Lily was driving him, that would never have been the case, he wouldn't have tolerated it, even if she could drive, which this wallflower character wouldn't have learned to do. Isn't Waxman's score superb?
Good points. Also, the second Mrs DeWinter would have been to nervous to even learn to drive. Female characters aren't allowed to be nervous, timid or naïve any more.
A Rebecca might have driven Maxim but bit the young and naive second Mrs de Winter
I prefer the one with Emilia Fox and Charles Dance. The new one tried WAY too hard, and the original is great, but I love how much the one from '97 really captures the emotion of the book.
@@someonerandom256 agree! It was the best for me and the best similar to the original book, except the end that was wonderful and the best of them all.
Truly enjoyed it absolutely amazing how you were able to capture amazing scene I loved it
I guess none of these movies at the end of the day is as ominous and foreboding as the book. I remember feeling haunted by Rebecca when I was reading this at the school library.
We all know which one is the better version
Cannot believe they made the same mistake again. Perfection has already been reached in 1940. So the question is: why? I really don't understand.
To be fair in the 1997’s case they were trying for a more faithful adaptation of the novel. As good as Hitchcock’s movie is he changed a lot of the book. As for the Netflix version...I really have no clue. It doesn’t follow the book much either
I like Alfred Hitchcock's version but the 2020 film showed more love and chemistry between the new Mrs de Winter and Maxim which shows more emotional sense plus their Mrs. Danvers is scarier than the previous ones.
Yes thank you. Totally agree!
If they showed more chemistry there really isn’t any fear for the Second Mrs DeWinter of Maxim deserting her which is looming and plaguing the protagonist’s psyche throughout the film which is part of the tension.
@@RichardHannay , I don't think Maxim has any intention of leaving her. It's the wrong perception of thinking that he's still deeply in love with the late Mrs de Winters which is what's plaguing her most. She thinks that she can't measure up to his dead wife. Its Maxim that has the fear of being deserted by his second wife that kept him from telling the truth.The lack of honesty is the main issue of their marriage but they truly love each other which showed more intensity in the 2020 version. The old film lacked the loving intimacy between characters. That's all.
They can not beat the 1940 Rebecca movie ever,.
My favourite is the 1997 version. Charcles Dance was so handsome!
Lol, I have always found him an extremely ugly man, so ugly in fact that I found it unconvincing when he played characters that were supposed to be handsome and charming. Different tastes I guess.
@@pansepot1490 He is kinda ugly, but holy sex appeal Batman!
Agree!!! Rebecca 1997 is the best. Charles Dance is lovely and I also liked Jonathan Cake (Favell) a great actor!
I agree with you! It’s one of the few adaptations that captures the books ending, unlike the older and newer versions
Hitchcock definitive. Masterpiece
It's missing one version... The one with Emilia Fox's mum and Jeremy Brett... Actually, Jeremy is my second best Maxim, after the great Laurence Olivier 😍😍
Matt Skuta gracias por el impresionante trabajo de edición de las tres versiones.
#1 Alfred Hitchcock is the suspense king!
I prefer the 1997 adaptation, I know I’m in the minority. I just recaptures my experience with the book better. Emilia Fox is almost exactly who I pictured as the protagonist and Charles Dance really does look old enough to be her father, just like Maxim is in the book. The stars in the other 1940 & 2020 versions look too close in age. Diana Rigg is perfectly cast as Mrs Danvers.
1940 is still a classic however, and still has the best atmosphere with the black and white cinematography.
2020 had some pretty cinematography but a little too colourful. Kristen Scott Thomas is really the only good thing about it.
The 1940 film is a classic and the other two dont come close to it but at least with the 1997 version it was actually filmed in Cornwall where as the earlier one was filmed in California and the recent one was filmed at Hartland Quay in North Devon.
Yeah I also give the 1997 version credit for having a ending closer to the book then the 1940 version
i love this video as a metafilm on its own
the three images and the soundtrack as an avant garde adaptation of the novel by Daphne du Maurier
and i really think it highlights the strengths in the design and casting of all three versions, so i will never understand the complaints that there are too many remakes
Why even bother to remake the classy 1947 version with something so inferior ?
Two reasons. There are people who won't watch old films, because they're in black and white/because they think they'll be boring/because they've never heard of the actors/because "Why do you want to watch something that old?". There's not much hope for these people, but they do have money that the filmmakers would like to relieve them of.
And secondly, there are no new ideas.
@Cancel The Media Cancel The Media Like the announcement in the background of Gremlins 2 "Casablanca, now in full colour.... and with a happier ending!"
You are aware it's based on a novel right?
@@steamboatwill3.367 "Remake" is often verbal shorthand for "a further adaptation". I've heard arts programme people often say things like "...a remake of the 1947 film based on the novel by...."
It's surprising how many "completely new interpretation, going back to the original source" of novels I've seen that include something from a previous film that was never in the novel!
Lol these are not remakes of the 1947 movie. These are movie adaptions of the novel.
Astonishing! Thank you.
Hitchcock the master of suspense cannot be compared at all....It was his own idea which was copied by others to create a movie in which the main Rebecca will never be present in human form
Did they shoot these in the same location? Europe clearly doesn't change 😯
Thanks for the video! Didn't know this was made 3 times already.
There is another version with Jeremy Brett and Joanna David - who is Emilia Fox's mother- in a BBC mini-series.
@@freda8586 I see, is it good as well?
@@theodoregreat0609 Jeremy Brett as Maxim de Winter is wonderfull !
No they weren't shot in the same location. The first one was jn the US, and the other 2 in different English locations... So much for your observation on 'Europe clearly doesn't change' 😂
@@jenster29 haha thanks for the clarification! Well, clearly they are all shot in beautiful locations, and probably still look the same today 😅
And the only real Jack Favell is George Sanders!!
The last one looks awfully young! When I saw him, I thought Rebecca was his lover or his babysitter 🤣😓
The 1940 is the best ever‼️‼️‼️💐🌺🌹🙋🏻
¡Buenos resúmenes! Gracias 👏🏻🍀
First one is the best
I love the film of 2020 but 1940...lovely ❤️❤️
I will never watch any remake of a classic movies.
Remakes are trash 😓
They are not remakes but new adaptations of the original novel
@@l.s.8793 That is a fair point - still they cannot be compared to the 1940's version!......
I have only watched the 1997 version and I loved it! The other two are on my list :)
Please do not omit the 1979 version just because it is omitted here. Perhaps you will love it as well. I did, and like you, the first version I watched was the 1997 one. Enjoy😃
Hope you got to the Hitchcock version.
i have watched daphne's biography and its interesting. she made wonderful stories who became film and even her life is such a story to tell.
Je l'ai regardé avec toi...doux souvenir déjà...
4:11 *GASP* 😱 Palpatine?!
Yes it's really him 0_0 he does control the courts!
Joan Fontaine makes the other two look common.
the 2020 version sucks in my opinion. This is my rant abt it. As a person who has read the book, I do not find it accurate at all, it actually seems like they did not read it, or completely missed the point, bc a few unsaid things that the book lets on are not in the movie, for exemple the recurring theme in the book that Maxim doesnt show affection, or very very little of it, towards the protagonist. Speaking of Maxim, I cringed when she called him Max lol, bc the fact that she is told by him to call him Maxim and not Max is a point explicitly discussed in the book. The casting is terriblle (not the actors themselves, I love them personally), they do not represent the charachters from the book. Emilia Fox is actually the way I imagined mrs de winter down to a T, naive, very young and scared all the time but with some potential and repressed smarts behind her eyes. Also, it looks like they forgot they were in the 1930's, bc some behaviors in scenes are just not correct lol. Wraping it up, I just find it really funny that all movies had Denvers start the fire at Manderly, while in the book it is not revealed who set the fire, it just ends with them seeing Manderley on fire from far out on the road there, but I can see that happening, this decision doesnt bother me at all. Sorry its a long comment but I just had to share my rant on this bc I love this book and I was really excited for this movie and it totally let me down. DISCLAIMER: you are allowed to like it! As stated before, this is just MY opinion.
As with everything else in 2020 and beyond, philistinism rules - film and TV makers don't seem to have a clue anymore😔😔😔......
God I’m sick of these remakes! In the past they made new films, now all they do is remake them! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Because Hollywood daren't try anything new in case it doesn't make money.
@@chrisparkes2179 it never used be like that, see the movies released 1983-1986. Literally the most culture defining movies ever made. It’s mind blowing just how many original movies were released in 1984. So they definitely weren’t risk adverse in the past! 🤯🤯🤯🤯
@Bobo Boy ) uhm what?
also it's a Netflix film, all american aren't made in Hollywood, you sound like idiots.
@@hanniffydinn6019 80 to 85 were my peak teenage movie going years. But that era was the culmination of decades of creativity and innovation with only occasional brief slumps. Then the accountants, financiers and investment managers took over.
The scene where she’s dressing herself is definitely my favorite and scary in a clever and quick way
Charles Dance and Diana Rigg are both in the 1997 version, while their Game Of Thrones co-star Ben Crompton is in the 2020 version. Just a mildly interesting observation.
Matt Skutta I have seen other of your videos, they are wonderful!!! I love it so much!!! Rebecca 1997 is my favorite, the best screenplay, direction, music, and cast! Thank you!
None of the remakes are anywhere near the class of Hitchcock/olivier/Fontaine.
Nothing beats 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s Hollywood.
Read the book, seen all three, 1997 much better than 2020, neither one compare to 1947. Take from a fan.
Exactly!
I'm a fan as well. The 2020 is really good, the 1940 is ok (black and white films give me headaches) and the 1997 one made me wanna throw up bc pf how old and abusive CD as Maxim was/looked
Love all three of movies of rebecca❤❤
Running around in pants. That was hideous. 😂🤣😂
Yeah I agree - better to stick with what (I guess) in 1940 would have been a skirt (you only have to compare this frankly ugliness with Fontaine's lovely figure-hugging skirt!❤❤)
The depth of the acting cannot be matched. The modern version does not convey the emotion than the Olivier Fontaine version does. When you compare them side by side is it obvious.
Love this!
Which one? The 1940 version of course. No one could do it better than that one. Never, ever, ever. Sorreee.
There is also version from 1979 with Jeremy Brett. And that version is very good. Very close to the novel.
I recently watched the 2020 version and completely despised it. Lily James looked way too old and Arnie Hammer way too young to be playing their respective characters. The producer/director spent too much time focusing on sex and not enough on the true plot point, which is the second Mrs. de Winter haunted by the memory of Rebecca. In trying to make the second Mrs. de Winter more “modern,” they completely strip her of the point of her character, which is supposed to a naive young woman. Other minor complaints include Jack Favell not coming across enough as sleazy but charming and the character of Frank being almost completely sidelined.
The 1940 Hitchcock version, on the other hand, is an absolute masterpiece.
That is your opinion and it's fine, but at least the 2020 one has no verbal spousal abuse
@@luciadilazzaro2285 You have to see that in the context of the time - in the 1940's some of the things he said (and to be fair nothing he said was THAT bad!) were not considered, or taken, as being derogatory.....(of course they jar a little with us now)
I just love the 2020 version! Thank you for this video :)
Мне нравятся версии от 1940 и 1997 года... Аомосфера тех лет больше передана.
The 1979 one is worth a look to
Why did they even bother to remake the film? Laurance Oliver and Joan Fontaine were just the best!❤ They are just untouchable!
Rebecca 1940 is the best
passionnant,merci----
Sorry, the other versions DON'T HOLD A CANDLE to the Hitch's original 1940.........like dross to PURE GOLD
Thanks! Just watched the new one today.
Was it any good?
@@tomhiggins7644 I thought the second half was v good.
the Hitchcock masterpiece is the definitive version. But the other two are also very entertaining.
A Sucessora >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The *first* remake was in 1979, featuring Joanna David as the second Mrs deWinter. Her then-husband Jeremy Brett played Max. But--I love this--her daughter Emilia Fox is Mrs deWinter in the 1997 version!
That seems mixed up. Anna Massey playing Mrs. Danvers in the 1979 version was married to Jeremy Brett 15 years previously until 1962. Jeremy Brett indeed played Maxim de Winter in the 1979 version, and yes, Joanna David is Emilia Fox’ mother. Both played Mrs. de Winter in different versions 18 years apart.😌
They ARENT remakes, they are new adaptations of the book, which in turn is a modernisation of Jane Eyre
My favorite is the 1997 with Charles Dance and Emilia Fox. Jonathon Cake is a bit obnoxious but I still like this remake the best.
Great ideea!
1940 version by far hands down 👏🏻👏🏻
Joan was perfect partly because she hadn't lush beauty like Vivien Leigh, Hedy Lamarr, even sister Olivia. She didn't need de-glam like, say, Grace Kelly for The Country Girl. But glam UP worked!
One....two....three....action mr. Matt skuta. 2020
You left out the very best version. Jeremy Brett/ Joanna David/ Anna Massey. 1979.
Netflix version is a fluff ball.
I so agree!
Very interesting! Though no one could rival the 1979 version with Jeremy Brett's Maxim...
1940👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Those two other versions looks like...........well....
Like the 1940 original the best.
1979 was the best Jeremy Brett was the best Max de Winter
There is also a british tv version from 1979
Rebecca 1940 the great one,I have seen all, ohh the first one /Got it in me all It's really great. The heroine's personality is nervous, fearful.
rebecca 1940 ,top
I don't get why everyone hates the recent one so much, the small changes weren't that big of a deal where it ruins the film imo. I still enjoyed it.
A melhor versão é de 1940
The Cinematography of 2020 tho.... wow
What about it? The 40s cinematography is far superior.