DILLON ON FILM

Rebecca: 85 Years On

Alfred Hitchcock’s outstanding adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s classic gothic mystery remains a major personal favourite

Credit: United Artists

Warning: Contains spoilers

I first discovered Alfred Hitchcock’s superb take on Daphne Du Maurier’s classic gothic mystery when I was sixteen. My wonderful A-Level Media Studies teacher introduced it to me at this impressionable age, along with many other classic dark thrillers and horror films. I owe her a tremendous debt since this film and Du Maurier’s book both loom large as an influence informing my own horror-thriller novels. I rewatch Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940) at least once every couple of years. It’s also become something of a comfort watch, as my wife is also a big fan of it, and I have many happy memories of enjoying the film with her.

Rebecca was Hitchcock’s first major American film after he defected to Hollywood from the UK. In conjunction with producer David O Selznick and screenwriters Robert E Sherwood and Joan Harrison, a first-rate adaptation ensued. The film went on to win a couple of well-deserved Oscars: Selznick for Best Picture, and George Barnes for his deliciously atmospheric monochrome cinematography.