Leofwine_draca This two-part TV adaptation of the famous Daphne Du Maurier benefits hugely from a pitch-perfect piece of central casting: Charles Dance as the mysterious Maxim de Winter and Emilia Fox as his new wife. Dance is all suaveness mixed with a little sensitivity, while Fox is mousey and subdued, and the two actors share a genuine chemistry at all times.Given the nature of the three hour running time, the pacing of this is slow and unhurried. I wasn't bothered: there are enough interesting supporting characters (the friendly gardener, the mad fisherman, the caddish acquaintance) to keep the attention hooked, and the sumptuous locations make this a delight to look at.The nature of the mystery kept me guessing right until the end, and it helped that I hadn't read the novel or seen any of the other adaptations (including the famous Hitchcock film). It also goes without saying that Diana Rigg makes for a masterful villain as Mrs Danvers, putting memories of her pin-up days long in the past. She's truly hissable, and it's testament to the quality of the storytelling that by the end you can only empathise with rather than hate her character.

faith199 If Charles Dance hadn't been the perfect, slightly crotchety, dashingly attractive and aristocratic Maxim de Winter, I wouldn't have even given this 2 stars. Well, okay, the period sets and costumes *were* wonderful, Manderley *was* luscious, and the cold, crashing sea around Manderley gorgeous and ominous! But beyond that ...I think my main problem is with the Emilia Fox as the second Mrs. de Winter. She seemed colorless, insipid and wimpy and lacked what I'd always believed was an essential sweetness which originally attracted Max. Occasionally the chemistry between Fox and Dance was good, especially the marriage bed scenes, but overall the direction and performance created a second Mrs. de Winter that made little sense to me.Also, Diana Rigg's much-touted performance left me cold; although, to be fair, in both her case and Fox's, I suspect that a large part of the problem was in the script and direction, which tended to be cadenced and lingering to the point where it seemed contrived to me.And, sigh, at a certain point Frith's villainy became a bit over the top, and he habitually hit the same note again and again, the same facial expressions, the same sneer, the same smarmy charm, all of which was very effective in his first scene, but didn't wear well with repetition.Essentially, I spent most of the movie, a retelling of a favorite story of mine, checking my watch to see how much longer I needed to endure it.

Garrett Bays The second Mrs. DeWinter has no first name, and she was never given one for the film. Caroline DeWinter was the ancestor that the second Mrs. DeWinter dressed as for the costume ball. If this was not mentioned in the film, it should have been. It is mentioned in Alfred Hitchcock's masterful version of the book, by Dame Judith Anderson. Now, in context of the film, it was definitely closer to the book than Hitchcock's version (which you can blame David O. Selznick for the changes in the plot), and there is some very good acting, but it still seems like what it is, and that is a television film. Christopher Gunning provided a very emotional score though, with a heart wrenching theme for cello and orchestra.

lathabonthala I read the book by Daphne Du Maurier, and after loving it so much, I decided to watch this latest adaptation. All I can say is that this is better than what I expected! It can captivate every possible type of viewer with its rich tapestry of ideas and emotions in the underlying plot. Charles Dance as Maxim de Winter surpasses all expectations one might have (and isn't too bad to look at either!). In this version, he portrays Max as more romantic (perhaps more so than other adaptations), something which adds a touch of realism and allows for a different perspective of his character. Emilia Fox as the second Mrs. de Winter is refreshing and plays her character with the perfect amount of insecurity over the haunting presence of Max's first wife, Rebecca. Fox also presents her character as nothing but loving and dedicated towards her much older husband, with passion and romance that helps justify many a scene in this version, presented very aesthetically and with realism. The romance and chemistry between the two lead actors is incredibly convincing and is also very appealing. Dame Diana Rigg as Mrs. Danvers is superb, as she almost shows Mrs. Danvers to be in love with Rebecca, but not in a socially acceptable manner for that era, as well as being a tragic, lost individual who is clearly struggling to let go. Remaining supporting cast of Faye Dunaway as the pleasantly extrovert Mrs. Van Hopper and Jonathan Cake as the wild living, slightly devilish cousin of Rebecca, Jack Favell, are perfectly suited to their respective characters. 'Rebecca' also highlights many social taboos and difficulties experienced by the upper classes of the late 1920's, something which is executed faultlessly in this adaptation, and is also something which helps you to justify why Maxim did what he did (you'll have to see this to understand what I mean!). All in all, it has everything that makes for compelling viewing: murder, social taboo, romance, tears... it is truly awesome!