Musée d'Moi: Rebecca

Hitchcock's only film to win an Academy Award for best picture and also his first American movie is Rebecca (1940). It is a gothic film based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier starring Sir Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, and an incredibly frightening Judith Anderson. Hitchcock's infamous intensity and mesmerizing cinematography, for me, make this movie one that I can never get enough of. It is my favorite film. The acting is superb and a great example of Hitchcock's innovations and unique style.

Below is a list of Hitchcockian elements found in the film:

The presence of a domineering mother (mother figure in this case Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper

An innocent man accused (Maxim de Winter).

Characters who switch sides or who cannot be trusted (Jack Favell.)

Tension building through suspense to the point where the audience enjoys seeing the character in a life-threatening situation (Mrs. Danvers at the end).

Average people thrust into strange or dangerous situations (the 2nd Mrs. de Winter).

Use of darkness to symbolise impending doom (dark clothing of Mrs. Danvers).

The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense (the scene of the costume ball).

Undertones of or characters implied as being homosexual, presented in a frightening way, such as Mrs. Danvers and the 1st Mrs. de Winter.

Others include:

The close shot behind Maxim De Winter's head as he stares down into the swirling sea. It gives the impression that he is about to jump; this is paralleled later in the film when the second Mrs. de Winter has a similar moment.

The use of "the subjective" or a world Hitchcock creates to reflect the principal characters and their essential egoism (Manderley and all the people within).