{"id":95513,"date":"2020-10-23T00:41:42","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T21:41:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/rebecca-returns-to-life-breathing-stale-air\/"},"modified":"2020-10-23T00:41:42","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T21:41:42","slug":"rebecca-returns-to-life-breathing-stale-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/rebecca-returns-to-life-breathing-stale-air\/","title":{"rendered":"#&#8217;Rebecca&#8217; Returns to Life Breathing Stale Air"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#&#8217;Rebecca&#8217; Returns to Life Breathing Stale Air<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p><!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 3.7.7-->Remaking a classic, beloved film, or making a new adaptation of an equally beloved novel, can be a daunting and thankless task. Do you try to match the greatness that preceded your film and hope audiences don\u2019t find it to be pointless, or do you take the bold step of mixing things up in fresh ways for fresh eyes and risk upsetting the purists? The filmmakers behind <strong>Netflix<\/strong>\u2018s new adaptation of <strong>Daphne Du Maurier<\/strong>\u2018s classic novel of Gothic suspense\/romance, <strong><em>Rebecca<\/em><\/strong>, choose the road less <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>ed here with a third option \u2014 they eliminate everything that makes the story work and instead deliver the blandest romance imaginable.<\/p>\n<p>A young woman (<strong>Lily James<\/strong>) working as an assistant to a wealthy widow meets a str<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ing young man named Maxim de Winter (<strong>Armie Hammer<\/strong>) while on duty in Monte Carlo. They share a precious first meeting and quickly become inseparable, and when her employer threatens to cut the trip short Maxim solves the dilemma by proposing. The new Mrs. de Winter soon finds herself at the man\u2019s grand estate, Manderley, but her new life comes with unexpected baggage. Maxim\u2019s previous wife, Rebecca, died under mysterious circumstances, and the house still holds her presence in the form of memory, guilt, and unanswered questions. How did she die? Did Maxim kill her? Why is Mrs. Danvers (<strong>Kristen Scott Thomas<\/strong>), the head of Manderley\u2019s household staff, so damn icy?<\/p>\n<p>The answers come soon enough, but by then it\u2019s only Mrs. de Winter who gives a hoot as audiences will quite possibly be lulled into indifference.<\/p>\n<p>The basic synopsis for <strong>Ben Wheatley<\/strong>\u2018s new adaptation of <em>Rebecca<\/em> sounds familiar enough, but while the structure remains the film is a softer, far less interesting experience. It jettisons the Gothic suspense\/horror and deeply flawed characters of both Du Maurier\u2019s novel and Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s 1940 adaptation, and in their place sits a house that could just as easily be found in an episode of <em>Downton Abbey<\/em> with the slight romantic entanglements to match. The script, initially adapted by <strong>Jane Goldman<\/strong> before being worked over by <strong>Joe Shrapnel<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Anna Waterhouse<\/strong>, instead wants viewers to root for these kids in love while giving very little heed to the nightmare of his past and their present. Manderley no longer hangs heavy over the film\u2019s protagonist at which point you can\u2019t help but wonder if the tale they\u2019re telling needed to be an adaptation of <em>Rebecca<\/em> at all.<\/p>\n<p>The novel and the 1940 film find their lasting power in the mystery and the relationships between the leads. Maxim\u2019s hold over his new wife is a power play, a reactionary move after being emotionally and romantically hobbled by Rebecca, and it\u2019s evident in everything from their age difference \u2014 clear in both the book and in the effort made to add years between Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine \u2014 to his willingness to continue suffering the whims of his dead ex. Neither half of the couple are happy or in love, but they\u2019re content in the illusion for their own reasons ranging from greed to class to simple resentment. Wheatley\u2019s film instead insists that these two not only are in love but that they deserve to live happily ever after. That\u2019s fine, but that\u2019s not <em>Rebecca<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>There was a decade age gap between Olivier and Fontaine, and they added streaks to his hair to make him appear even older, but Hammer and James are only three years apart and look it. With that element erased, the division between Maxim and his new wife comes down to class only. Even there, though, the film fumbles and fails to create a clear portrait of the new Mrs. de Winter\u2019s awkward presence. Where Fontaine sells the fear and uncomfortable feeling of not belonging, James struts in with unwarranted confidence. The single exception is an abrupt shift where she briefly appears unstable in the face of it all, but she quickly rights herself in unconvincing fashion.<\/p>\n<p>The mystery behind Rebecca\u2019s death hew closer here to Du Maurier\u2019s novel than Hitchcock\u2019s film, but what should be added character weight instead is neutered and glossed over. What\u2019s an act of attempted murder in the face of true love? Not much, as it turns out, and while a dogged detective pursues a (rightful) conviction against Maxim the film works hard to ensure that viewers stay firmly on the side of the couple who, gosh darn it, just want to bask and bone in the warmth of their wealth and sun-dappled love. That\u2019s well enough for them, but the rest of us are stuck with bland characters facing minor struggles on their route to a well-earned vacation and a happy ending.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no denying that <em>Rebecca<\/em> is an attractive film at times with Wheatley and cinematographer <strong>Laurie Rose<\/strong> capturing some gorgeous European locales and exteriors in the film\u2019s first act, but they drop the ball somewhat upon returning to Manderley. This is where the story\u2019s Gothic nature should shine, metaphorically speaking, but instead the estate takes on the dull glaze of its occupants. Thank goodness then for Thomas\u2019 Mrs. Danvers, as not only does she appear to be the only member of cast or crew to have read the damn novel (or seen Hitchcock\u2019s film), but she also manages the film\u2019s singular Gothic persona. She carries a dark aura around her fueled by rage, grief, and intensity, and it\u2019s a performance that echoes Judith Anderson\u2019s masterful work without losing Thomas\u2019 own charisma.<\/p>\n<p><em>Rebecca<\/em> has been adapted for the screen, both big and small, numerous times, and this latest endeavor will no doubt find its audience. Performances beyond Thomas and a fun <strong>Sam Riley<\/strong> (as the questionable Jack Favell) are inoffensive, and it\u2019s attractive at times, but when the end comes round and the infamous opening line is repeated with a lame, feel good twist it\u2019s more than clear that this isn\u2019t the story and characters we know and love. It\u2019s <em>Rebecca<\/em> for people who don\u2019t want to be challenged or made to feel, and that\u2019s no <em>Rebecca<\/em> at all.\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/rebecca-review-netflix\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=rebecca-review-netflix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#&#8217;Rebecca&#8217; Returns to Life Breathing Stale Air&#8221; Remaking a classic, beloved film, or making a new adaptation of an equally beloved novel, can be a daunting and thankless task. Do you try to match the greatness that preceded your film and hope audiences don\u2019t find it to be pointless, or do you take the bold&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":95514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/rebecca.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[1377,47073],"class_list":["post-95513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-netflix","tag-rebecca"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95513\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}