Article contributed by Kate Rhoton
Many people have been anticipating the release of the new Netflix adaptation of Rebecca, directed by Ben Wheatley and starring Lily James and Armie Hammer, since it was first announced back in 2018. Some of those who were most excited are the fans of the original 1938 novel written by Daphne du Maurier. Would this film adapt Du Maurier’s story faithfully? Would it contain the same gothic tones that made the novel so beloved? Would it – gasp! – be even better than the book? (Spoiler alert: it’s not.)
In case you are unaware, Rebecca tells the story of an unnamed woman with no money, family, or connections who is swept away and married by a well-known, wealthy man named Maxim de Winter. Maxim is a widow whose wife, Rebecca, died less than a year ago under mysterious circumstances. When the new Mrs. de Winter moves into Maxim’s esteemed family home, Manderley, she is confronted by a slew of unanswered questions and a stern and bitter housekeeper who compares her every move to that of the late lady of the house.
Spoiler alert: from this point on, there will be references to characters and plot points that many may consider spoilers.
First up: how do the characters compare to those in the book? Let’s start with the second Mrs. de Winter. Lily James’s character is much more assertive than the original. In the novel, Maxim’s new wife is meek and timid. She is intimidated by everyone she meets, hides like a child when confronted with the task of meeting her new family members, and never asks the valid questions she has about her strange new living situation. In the movie, Mrs. de Winter is much more self-assured. She asks Maxim about his dead wife within the first 15 minutes of the film whereas her book counterpart doesn’t buck up the courage to address this elephant in the room until nearly the end of the novel. Movie Mrs. de Winter also takes control of the running of the house, suggesting and planning the revival of a once-revered annual ball at Manderley and even attempting to fire Mrs. Danvers, the strict housekeeper that she fears so much in the novel. While these changes take away important character-defining traits from the book, it’s not too shocking that the people behind the film would want to make Mrs. de Winter a more feminist character in this updated retelling.
And what about Maxim? Well, he’s definitely younger in the film than he’s described in the book. In the book, it’s made clear that Mr. de Winter is about twice the age of his new wife, yet anyone who’s seen pictures of Lily James and Armie Hammer knows that there’s not a 20+ year age gap between them. A big difference between the two versions of Maxim is that, in the book, he treats Rebecca almost as a child or a pet, literally patting her on the head on a number of occasions. He’s also a much more passionate character in the movie. In the book he’s rather monotonous, albeit mysterious, and we don’t learn much about what’s going on in his head until the conclusion of the novel. In the movie, however, he’s not as reserved with his emotions, showing quite a lustful passion for his new wife as well as a pretty prominent anger problem.
And lastly, how does Mrs. Danvers compare to her book counterpart? First off, Kristin Scott Thomas’s casting was perfection. She displayed all of the inscrutability and quiet rage that has made this character so memorable over the years. Mrs. Danvers is the character that most closely resembles their original iteration. At the beginning, she’s the picture of professionalism. She won’t let anyone disrupt her work, including the new lady of the house. The grief she is feeling results in a fury that is terrifying in its simplicity. The most noticeable difference in the movie is that Mrs. Danvers expresses more freely her deep love of Rebecca and her dislike of the new Mrs. de Winter than she does in the book. Which leads to the next point…
Many of the narrative subtleties of the novel are missing from this new adaptation. There were many important plot points prematurely hinted at throughout the film. This took away the eerie feeling of unknowing that has made the novel so beloved and made it so that even those new to the story could easily guess the twists that were so notably shocking when reading the book for the first time.
There was also a lack of character development in the film. As noted above, Mrs. de Winter is much more assertive than her book counterpart. However, this made her ultimate maturation much less impactful. In the book, there’s a jarring shift when she goes from being a spineless child to a stalwart woman in the blink of an eye after the revelation of what really happened to Rebecca and the part her husband played in her death. Maxim even expresses his regret that his actions have led to the loss of her innocence and youthfulness. This same regret is expressed by Maxim in the movie, however, because the character of Mrs. de Winter was made much more self-asserting from the get-go in the film, her “growing up” is much less significant. I mean, she takes up smoking, so I guess that means the things she’s witnessed have aged her, right?
Another thing lacking from the film that was so prominent in the book is the gothic tone of the story. The novel is revered as a quintessential piece of gothic literature, but the film was missing much of the dark tones and eeriness that have made the novel so famous. The overly passionate characters, blatant foreshadowing, and bright cinematography all took away from the disquiet and suspense one would expect when watching an adaptation of Rebecca.
In trying to update the story for a more modern audience, the filmmakers ignored many of the aspects which have made the story resonate with audiences for over 80 years. While those new to the story may find much to appreciate here (after all, it is a beautifully shot movie), those who know and love the novel may find themselves underwhelmed by the shifts in the tone and the narrative paths of the characters in this interpretation of Rebecca.
