Rebecca is a book based on the film adaptation of Rebecca produced by Alfred Hitchcock.
I cannot recall ever seeing a book like this about Rebecca by Daphne Daurier before so I jumped at the chance to read and review this book! I was not disappointed and absolutely delighted in the gothic architecture produced!
I adore the book Rebecca and it is one of my favourite books however I have never watched the film adaptation in fear of it not living up to the book.
Upon reading this I depicted that the cast seem to have done a splendid job of reproducing the book onto film and I'm actually really looking forward to now watching the original film!
The book is divided into three main parts: Rebecca's story with the film production, the key elements of the story and then the way the film is perceived and how it impacts on other works made since.
Such an interesting book and definitely worth a read.
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This is probably the most academic feeling BFI Classic I have read, unlike many of the others it felt the more like a thesis that a monograph. That's not a problem, White certainly nails the point she is trying to make about the queer coding within the film, along with trying to pull out the female voices in what looks initially like a very male production. However she also acknowledges that she is at a mild disadvantage - she doesn't try to say too much new about Hitchcock or Selznick because there isn't much new to say - they are two subjects done to death and also in a mode that is increasingly out of style (auteurist directors and producers are not the way me like to think of cinema so much now). Actually a feminist reading of Rebecca is remarkably easy if you dodge the two behemoths of Hitchcock and Selznick. This is based on Daphne du Maurier book (one of the biggest popular fiction authors in the world at the time), and written by Joan Harrison. And its a book about a woman, whose main antagonist is a woman and a dead woman... the men are starting to look outnumbered.

Even the Queer subtext is not hard to find with Mrs Danvers - an iconinc figure devoted to Rebecca softly caressing her old clothes. There is interesting stuff in here about how the film manages to stay within the Hays Code (both with the sapphic subtext and the Maxim de Winter seemingly getting away with murder). The monograph is full of tidbits like that about the production alongside what felt like some quite old fashioned film theory (Laura Mulvey, Mary Ann Doane - and far too much Freud). It was odd because it felt a lot like one of my MA essays in some ways, which happily namechecked film theorists because I had little confidence in what I wanted to say, whereas White have written extensively on this subject before, My experience of the BFI monographs has often been that the authors feel free to assert their reading of the film and techniques, this seems to be straining to justify it.

Tone and that seeming lack of confidence notwithstanding, there is a lot here. In some ways its the perfect book if you are studying Rebecca, or this mode of classic Hollywood or the "Women's Picture". White knows she is mere adding to an already thick canon so she does not repeat those arguments - and they are all referenced. But it felt less like the BFI Film Classics I am used to, in as much as it spent more time fighting battles which I think have already been won (not least by the author).

All about the 1940 film Rebecca, famous for an unseen character who haunts the narrative…Analysing Rebecca (1940), Patricia White tells of the influence of women in the first of the Selznick and Hitchcock film classics.

The film Rebecca (1940) tells of a young, shy and unworldly unnamed protagonist (Joan Fontaine) simply known as “I”. After meeting a rich, enigmatic and moody widower, Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), the pair have a fairy tale, whirlwind romance in Montecarlo that leads to their wedding. The newlyweds return to his Cornish manor house, Manderley. There she is haunted by the idolised memories of the “perfect” spectral figure of her new husband’s former wife, Rebecca.

This film was like the perfect “cake” that I’ve always craved and longed for. As I watched this black and white film for the first time, I was engaged and mesmerised by Alfred Hitchcock and David O Selznick’s atmospheric and hypnotic cinematic on-screen retelling of this always popular Daphne du Maurier novel. It had all the ingredients of a successful film adaptation, in the right amounts of input from this director, producer and author and their attributes together easily destined it for its addition to classic film history.

Comparing this film to its numerous subsequent film and television adaptations, I felt that these seemed like inferior copies. Despite some great acting talent involved, it appeared none of these conveyed the credibility, atmosphere and essence found in this first film. This 1940 film version, made days after World War II started, won Best Picture and swept the board with eleven nominations at the 1941 Academy Awards. It garnered well deserved “Best” nominations for the three acting leads and was Hitchock’s only Oscar win.

Rebecca by Patricia White advocates this film should be recognised as a classic. The contents of her book which explored this film in great detail literally added the icing to this particular brand of “cake”. I believe this book was the perfect complement to this movie.

White’s book is one from the British Film Institute’s Film Classic series. White easily and beautifully joins its predecessors with her credible and supported reasoning for adding this movie to this book series. This author’s perspective, analysis and thoughts were backed with extensive research, illuminating facts and well selected photographs.

Written during the current pandemic, this book demonstrates White’s strengths as a researcher and collator. Despite the restrictions, she continued to research this book obtaining extensive material from archives, articles and books. These sources all added fuel to her writing and added more substance to her passion and understanding of this subject.

In this book’s introduction, White shares a rich telling of the history surrounding the novel’s inception before its 1938 publication. Interestingly, in her brief biography of the novel’s author, it is inferred Rebecca may have been a thinly disguised biographical piece as White shares the striking similarities between the authoress and the unnamed protagonist from Du Maurier’s novel.

White’s writing is filled with a deep comprehension of this film in relation to its place in film history and of its varying descriptions and themes. White outlines that familiar on-screen adapted Daphne du Maurier story and adds her detailed analyses of the production and creativity used in telling this story.

This production tells of those who collaborated on the production of this film “aesthetically” and “technically”. Her fascinating insights into this film are also added to this detailed and illuminating book. She finally tells of the reception on the film’s release and of its never ending legacy.

In her telling of this film’s beginnings and production, White adds some previously unadded names to this rich tapestry weaved by Selznick and Hitchcock. She advocates for the inclusion of a third ever-present collaborator, suggesting that the novel’s authoress Du Maurier should be included. White shares that Du Maurier was given more control of the film content and she argues for the recognition of unnamed and named women in the making of this film from before its inception.

In this vein, she tells how Hitchcock and Selznick’s wives and these men’s female colleagues brought Du Maurier’s novel to their attention. These women convincing these men of its viability as a film project. White asserts this then led to both men exploring making it as individuals, then after Selznick bought the film rights, he invited Hitchcock to direct this film. This was their first collaboration after Hitchcock moved to America.

White believes the film then became a film male lead brand movie in the names of this director and producer but argues women who had a part to “play in the production, text and reception” of the film. White easily justifies this as a film for women – Selznick’s niche – and created by women.

Supplementing her text, White’s well-chosen carefully selected photographs captured this film’s plot. The film came to life with many wonderful shots supporting her vivid descriptions interspersed throughout this book. Other photographs aided White’s rich account of the film’s production and demonstrated the film’s impact after it was produced. These retold this film as a whole without the need for words.

White tells how writers and filmmakers are challenged when writing about this novel, film and phenomenon. This quandary is what to call the female protagonist, as she has no name. White uses “I” to describe this character and she skillfully uses this label in her book. This “I” she believes is not a “fixed” name, and that it “shifts” then changes to Mrs De Winter. This transformation is echoed in the novel and the film.

White’s narration of events shows the tactics used by Hitchcock and Selznick in recreating this first person perspective. She believes that this was achieved by Selznick in his using the famous initial opening narration from the protagonist. Hitchcock then directed the scenes as seen from this protagonist’s point of view and this was felt in the larger than life imposing set pieces representing Manderley.

She then skillfully outlines the production of this film in a recounting of the action and filming techniques. In this detailed examination of the film, she breaks it down into smaller manageable parts. Her insights into this film contribute to and add more substance to the film in her rich description. These naturally from scene to scene as you relive this film in White’s powerful descriptions and her creative descriptions.

White provides her thoughts, facts and research to back her research arguments which all beautifully complement her detailed analytical look at the movie. This book amplifies this film story with not just a narrative account but provides an empathetic understanding of this film as a whole and in doing so its historical legacy and classic status can be assured.

White also explores the filmmakers’ difficulties in conveying the oppressiveness of the unseen character, Rebecca in this film. This was felt in the ambience of the sets and conveyed in the many props. These including Rebecca’s personal possessions such as her monogrammed stationery.

At its most haunting extremes, it was supported in the set for Rebecca’s room. This room was like a shrine and filled with her glamorous, feminine and personal possessions many of which have physical traces of her. Other memories of this “perfect” wife and idolised mistress were conveyed in the script – particularly in the taunting from Danvers the housekeeper – and significant others in the film.

This film version of the novel was adapted to fit in with the then Hays code. This meaning that two of the more defining plotlines of the novel were altered. White explains these controversial themes were hinted at rather than exploited or adapted to fit in with these regulations.

In the final chapter, she looks at how this film was received after its release and talks of women’s contribution to its rich legacy. White believes this film has endured in that it has a large number of remakes and reboots. Additionally, women identified with the thoughts and feelings of its protagonist. Many award ceremonies honoured its cast and production, and it spawned a wide range of merchandise.

I felt White’s book was a perfect introduction to the British Film Institute Film Classics series and this book was a valuable document of this film and its production. In her approach to writing her book, White stayed consistent with and met the guidelines that related to this book series. In doing so she created a sterling contribution to inform future BFI writers, scholars, film buffs and fans of the film and the novel.

To conclude, on a personal note, when I read this book, this process reminded me of the protagonist’s first narration as she returns to Manderley. As like that author in those opening words, I returned to this book after seeing the film. I was stuck in my many thoughts on it buzzing around my head. White opened the gate and assisted with these stumbling blocks.

Her thoughts, facts, photographs and arguments added to and adorned this film’s familiar story, production, and legacy, like the nature that had returned on the path to Manderley. White expertly and effortlessly recounted the twist and turns of the plot and the development of the film. These were like the ever-present path to Manderley.

Then like the film led the protagonist to her final destination, Manderley, this book convinced me of its suitability as a classic film. In this now published book, an enduring guide to this classic film that will haunt its viewers and filmmakers, reboots and remakes for many years to come.

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Yet another title in the venerable BFI Film Classics series of books examening, well, classic films, and I was surprised to see that Hitchcock's Rebecca hadn't been covered before. So I decided to first read Daphne du Maurier's original novel, then rewatch Rebecca (and I also watched Ben Wheatley's new Netflix version).

I loved du Maurier's novel, with its rippling subversiveness regarding the traditional role of women in the UK and female relationships, and having the reader more or less sympathise with the narrator and her murderous husband. Watching the film, it is notable that a lot of the novel's subversive elements are forced out by Hollywood's censorship board - Maxim's murder is now manslaughter, and any hints at lesbianism are pushed down (although not completely). But the film is a classic for a reason - Hitchcock correctly saw that Manderley was a character in itself, and Judith Anderson is a perfect Mrs. Danvers.

And so we come to Patricia White's Rebecca, which consists of three parts. First she looks at Rebecca's story, and the production of the film. Here she takes special care to shine a light on the role of female authorship on the film - the many women who worked on the production and had a great amount of influence on it, while practically being forgotten (a recurring theme on many a Hitchcock production). She focuses especially on screenwriter Joan Harrison and the uncredited Alma Reville (Hitchcock's wife).

The second part consists of a close reading of Rebecca's key elements, being the absent and always present Rebecca, and the underlying erotic tension. The third part looks at the reception of the film, and how it is perceived now, how it is being remade and the influence on other works.

I enjoyed the book's focus on the role of gothic architecture on the film, and its focus on lesbian relationships - something I noticed, but didn't think about very much. The book is filled with interesting observations - for example, in the scene where Mrs. Danvers basically forces the new Mrs. de Winter to look at Rebecca's garderobe, that a lot of what Mrs. Danvers to show her is related to fetish objects.

If I had one bit of very practical criticism, it is that White has decided to refer to the unnamed main character as 'I'. It's not impossible or hard to parse the text, but it did trip me up a couple of times. It just slows down the flow of reading. A minor annoyance.

If you basically view the film as a gothic romance, you might be unpleasantly surprised by this book - but then I can't really imagine seeing Rebecca as no more than that. A valuable addition.

For fans of the movie Rebecca or the book by Daphne du Maurier or even Alfred Hitchcock. This is the book for you. For all fans of the 1940 film Rebecca this book follows through the film from preproduction all the way upto after the film and the books that were released after the film. It contains lots of black and white pictures. Reading this book brought back so many memories for me. Learning the stories behind it all was so interesting. I haven't read the book but have watched the film. Since finished the book I have decided to listen to the audiobook. I can't to read further books from this series.

Patricia White, Rebecca, BFI Bloomsbury Publishing Plc London and New York, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to receive this thorough interpretation of Rebecca, a film with which I have grappled, and the novel with which I became reacquainted during a tour of Cornwall visiting locations with which Daphne Du Maurier was associated. A visit the Daphne Du Maurier Literary Centre in Fowey dedicated to her and her writing provided me with a wealth of information to which I shall gladly add this book. I have also read Sally Beauman’s afterword to the Virago Modern Classics with great interest. Rebecca, the novel, and Rebecca, the film, have been interpreted in Patricia White’s book. However, I must be honest and acknowledge that I feel more sympathetic to Sally Beauman’s commentary on the novel than I do with the glimpses White provides of her interpretation of the Du Maurier original. At the same time, I feel that it is possible to consider the film and the novel separately, and in doing so, find White’s understanding of Alfred Hitchcock’s portrayal of Du Maurier’s work, persuasive.

White’s use of authors familiar to me through women’s studies’ interpretation of texts was a pleasant feature. These include Tania Modleski, Teresa de Laurentis, Susan Gubar and Sandra M. Gilbert, Alison Light, Laura Mulvey, Mary Ann Doane, Desley Deacon and Janice A. Radway. It was also interesting to see the links made with Phantom Thread, the 2017 film – setting me thinking about that again. Of course, there are also the familiar film world images looming as large as Hitchcock, Gone With the Wind, David O. Selznick, the cast and crew members of Rebecca, discussions about casting, lighting, sets, the British Director transported to America and its impact on both, the impact of Hollywood morality on the novel’s clarity about de Winter’s guilt and Mrs de Winter’s complicity – all the paraphernalia of the world of film. Most importantly, there are so many pertinent photographs. I cannot labour this point too much: each image is integral to the written text, drawing the reader into the film world of Rebecca, and away from what they might think about the novel. This book is essentially demanding that we enter the film, and interpret the world thus presented as the real Rebecca realm.

Patricia White deals deftly with the role of the second Mrs de Winter by referring to her as ‘I’ throughout. She argues well for that device – I has no ‘fixed identity except in “the present instance of discourse”’; she is not the only Mrs de Winter; she declares ‘I am Mrs de Winter now’. White declares: ‘I call her I. I do this to signal the identification the viewer is encouraged to feel for this character and to echo the theme of possession’. She makes a strong and detailed case for the lesbian theme that she feels underlies the women’s relationships in the novel and was ever present in Hitchcock’s film. The way and why of the current de Winters’ ability and necessity to evade the impact of the culpability for Rebecca’s death in the film version is explained, not only in outlining necessary compliance with the Production Code Administration but discussing the way in which the film dealt with these requirements.

Could Rebecca the film be studied and interpreted without recourse to Patricia White’s Rebecca? I think that it would be difficult. There are insights that White lays out and must be examined, whatever the decision on whether these conform with a viewer’s own interpretation of Rebecca. As well as the overarching value of this part of the text there are also the delightful pieces of information conveyed through notes between the participants in bringing the film to fruition. An indifferent researcher would not have found these or recognised their value in drawing the reader into the story of filming Rebecca. Although the bibliography was not available in this uncorrected proof, the citations demonstrate the use of a range of material that is encouraging to the academic reader.

I have been a big fan of Rebecca ever since I first saw the 1940 film and read the book in my teens. There is just something so captivating about the story. This exploration of the film by Patricia White was interesting in a number of ways. I particularly enjoyed the first chapter, which looked into the history of the production of the movie and from which I learnt many new things about the casting and adaptation process. Also interesting was the discussion of the movie as a queer text, alongside its other themes. White briefly mentioned other screen versions and the stage play adaptation, but I was disappointed she made no reference, even in passing, to the awesome musical version, which began in Austria but has since played around the world. I had thought the fact that the musical chose to follow the film rather the book in some key points would have been an interesting comparison. But maybe that's just because I love the musical so much. Getting back to this book, I would conclude by saying I believe it is a work that will be of interest to those studying film and also to fans of Rebecca in any of the story's incarnations. I am giving it four stars.

Rebecca, Patricia White (BFI Film Classics) 4/5

White steps back through Rebecca, both novel and Oscar winning film. Rich with history and analysis Patricia White helps the reader to discover why the film and book have endured so long and academically she looks at the themes of the story, the underlying erotic power between Rebecca/Danvers and the narrator. The strings of desire that push throughout and in a film adapted by two men how contributions of women were incredibly important.

This was a fascinating in depth read about a story that continues to endure.

I absolutely love the movie Rebecca and this book is a great guide for it. Rebecca was a trailblazing film as it showcased several different types of feminism. This book elaborates on all that and more.