First images from the surely misbegotten remake of "Rebecca"
Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 1:25PM by Nathaniel R
Armie Hammer and Lily James as Mr and Mrs de Winter
Netflix has released the first four images from their remake of Hitchcock's Rebecca which begins streaming on October 21st --- Excuse us, Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. People will be quick to note that it's less sacrilegious to adapt the novel than the 1940 best Picture winner. Now, we understand that remakes are not automatically "bad," but there are numerous reasons why remaking Hitchcock films, of all things, is a spectacularly dumb thing to do. For one, auteurs that get adjectives named ever them are inimitable and so you lose the distinct personality. For another, Hitchcock movies have (mostly) aged terrifically well; there's a reason people still watch a wide swath of them and so many are still easily available to the public, referenced in so many modern movies, and an intrinsic part of culture...
Lily James is a decent enough substitute for Joan Fontaine's Mrs de Winter, and because we're not fans of Sir Laurence Olivier (the most overrated thespian of all Old Hollywood superstars?) we're fine with Armie Hammer. But still... there never is and never will be any replacing of Alfred Hitchcock, easily one of the two or three best movie directors that ever lived. Sorry Ben Wheatley. You're talented but Hitchcock is Hitchcock! Why would you do this to yourself?
The only piece of this we're truly interested in is Kristin Scott Thomas's take on sinister lesbian lady servant Mrs Danvers. Half of Judith Anderson's Oscar-nominated power in the original is the crazily haunting black and white cinematography and that movies in the 1940 were so elegant about suggestions of sexuality and evil rather than just plainly broadcasting both.
Still, if the fates of past remakes of Hollywood classics (and Netflix originals for that matter) are any indication people will talk about this new film obsessively for a week or two in late October and then it will vanish from the public consciousness by, say, spring 2021. Afterwards people will return to the Hitchcock classic again and again as if no remake had ever happened (see also The Manchurian Candidate, All Quiet on the Western Front, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Rosemary's Baby, and many many many more throughout history).
Reader Comments (39)
Lily James and Armie Hammer are one of the most boring couple I´ve recently heard of. They don´t really have energy in their acting souls. The costumes, or the actors in them, look straight from a school play, just people in disguise. Kristin looks interesting, though, but she always does. She is pure heaven. I´ve recently saw her in Fleabag and loved every second of every scene. She brings this fire and inner life to every character she plays, that´s exactly what I feel both of the lead actors lack, they are unconvincing, even Armie in CMBYN.
I disagree with you on this one, Nathaniel. I don't think, when enough time has passed, that remakes take away from the brilliance of an original film. Hitchcock's Rebecca is eighty years old, so, though I don't think a remake is a must, a fresh take, to my mind, is welcome. And, yes, Hitchcock is a legend, but despite Rebecca being the only Best Picture winner he ever directed, it's not as if it's one of his best movies. Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window, the Birds, and North by Northwest, are all more vivid in the public imagination. In my opinion, Hitchcock's Rebecca is a good movie but hardly a masterpiece; in fact, there are a number of points in the original movie on which Wheatley could improve. The relationship between the two central characters in the original is actually pretty dull and everything that happens in the movie after the costume ball seems almost like the Cliff Notes of Rebecca; it's as if Hitch was trying to rush through all the leftover plot points before the curtain came down. (Really, when neither Judith Anderson nor Florence Bates were on screen, I often found myself a little bored.) If Wheatley can make the heart of the story, the relationship between Max and Mrs. de Winter, electric, then, to me, this adaptation will be welcome. And, though it's hard to imagine even an actor as good as Kristin Scott Thomas bettering Anderson's performance, that doesn't mean she can't offer an interesting interpretation. In short, I don't know anything about the Netflix adaptation, but I hope it's good and, if it is, I look forward to watching it!
I'm an Olivier fan, but to each his own, though I don't see him as the greatest actor of his generation. While Max de Winter is no Heathcliff he is a brooding somewhat threatening character and I think Olivier brought that out. I just can't see that in Armie Hammer's wheelhouse.
I don't see Lily James doing much with I. Of all the things I've seen her in she's never left me with the impression that she has deep internal reserves to pull from the way Joan Fontaine did.
But the casting of KST is spot on and I have every confidence that she'll blow those other two off the screen every second that she's on it.
In the matter of remaking Hitchcock I agree that taking another crack at his classics is foolish as it is with all true classics i.e. The Maltese Falcon, Shane, Casablanca etc. where the alchemy of all the elements came together and couldn't be better. The job is done move on to something else.
However even a master doesn't hit it out of the park every time and there are some of Hitch's movies with the germ of a good idea that didn't turn out as well as they could. The Wrong Man and especially Topaz come to mind. If the filmmakers are looking for something that they can attach his name to those would be worthy of another pass but leave perfection alone.
I wonder what they will do with the character of Mrs. Danvers. In the novel, she isn't really painted as a sinister lesbian but as a mother figure still grieving but not coping with the death of a woman she basically raised. That back story was almost completely scrapped for the film.
I read Rebecca for the first time recently, and with the images of du Maurier's novel fresher in my head than Hitchcock's adaptation, I think Armie Hammer and Lily James are terribly miscast.
The Second Mrs. de Winter is not a model Maxim plucked off the streets of London, but a plain, orphaned, insecure girl with no prospects if her marriage is not successful. A central theme of the novel is the relationship between a powerful man and a vulnerable woman; casting someone as pretty as James, who radiates confidence even in these stills, is a betrayal of the character. The whole dynamic is thrown off.
Hammer also bears no resemblance to the brooding, patriarchal, domineering figure of the book. I find him boring, beige, bland, and curiously sexless despite being classically handsome.
Kristin Scott Thomas is a wonderful actress who deserves more opportunities to show her gifts, but I can't imagine her being able to save such an obviously misguided project. Her casting in this particular role also isn't very imaginative.
I love KST and like Hammer and Wheatley and that combo has me seemingly much more curious about this than you are. But that said the material means this likely turns on Lily James and, well, guess we'll see.
Here's why I'm interested in a fresh take. As great as the Hitchcock movie is, it was made at a time when the Hays Code was very strictly adhered to and therefore had to change several things from the novel for the sole purpose of appeasing it, so I'm interested to see a version that follows the original story more closely. I'll leave you the Lost in Adaptation episode for those who want to know what that is (since blurting it out here would constitute a spoiler for those who haven't seen it and I would still like to encourage those who haven't seen Hitchcock's version to do so).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hPQ6EvHZ_Q
Whenever I see a photo of Armie Hammer, my first thought is the phrase “white men failing upward”. My second thought is that the offspring of wealthy families will always have work whenever they want it, although there are many many more people with more talent, skill, training, and intelligence.
Artistically, actors like him used to be classified as “adequate” or “perfectly acceptable”. But are they really acceptable anymore?
I always forget Laurence Olivier is in Rebecca and Rebecca is one of my favourite Hitchcock movies.
My main complain is that, in the film, Olivier was made up to look quite older than Rebecca. An older actor should have been cast. And I still would have preferred Lesley Manville for Mrs. Danvenrs.
Marcos, Manvilel has been there and done that in Phantom Thread, and she has a lot more strings to her bow. KST seems altogether too regal for Mrs. Danvers - maybe Imelda Staunton would have been a more interesting choice.
I can't believe you almost compare Hammer to Olivier.He might not be a fave but Sir Larry contribution to cinema is immense surely that must be worth something more.
I mean, we can all see how this will turn out. Sensationalist touches will be added (sex and violence - after all it's a modernization !) and the most needless aspects of the book that Hitchcock chose not to use will be included (we are faithful to the source novel !). Some nods to Hitchcock's 1940 film won't be missing (aren't we so hip!). And every single facet of the retelling will fade in comparison to the original. I'll be glad to be proven wrong.
Also KST is definitely having a blast with this one.
I'm not against remakes in principle, but these photos don't work for me. For starters, the visuals look so flat. The inside of Rebecca's bedroom is overlit, as is every other location. Also, something about Hammer and James comes across as too modern for this period. KST will be good, I'm sure, this is pretty disappointing.
Here for the Queen, KST.
Period pieces these days look so glossy and all the stars in them look plucked directly from 2020 because of all the plastic surgery. Truly a plague on modern society. But that's just my opinion.
Great cast but can anyone beat Hitchcock?
I'm not opposed to a remake. The first film was very good up to the "big twist" and then lost some of the magic. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised by the two leads, but not expecting it. I'm much more interested to see Kristin Scott Thomas and Ann Dowd in support.
I'd be more intrigued to see a remake of Suspicion. Considering how the true ending was altered for the movie and Cary Grant's persona, a more faithful adaptation would make comparisons fun.
Yes to KST! She is always a treat to watch
But if they really wanted to cast someone under the radar, I would have suggested Olivia Williams, Kathy Burke, Emily Watson or Samantha Morton
Armie Hammer is too handsome and one dimensional as Maxim. My choice would have been between Ralph Fiennes or Mads Mikkelsen
I would have gone for an older actress like Rosamund Pike, Rachel Weisz or Naomi Watts instead of Lily
KST deserves SO much better than she gets from film. she's a dynamo onstage--i wish she'd really revel in stage work, like laurie metcalf and imelda staunton have been doing lately.
i'm ok with some remakes, recently the BBC did "And Then There Were None" and it was better than both the previous versions. But Hitchcock's "Rebecca" is a higher bar to surpass.
Armie Hammer is no Laurence Olivier, Lily James is pleasant enough, and KST is terrific.
So it will come down to direction and script adaptation. Ben Wheatley hasn't done anything previously that gives me the feeling this will be an interesting and creative remake.
Unfortunately a rather mediocre director has been handed a plum assignment.
Sam Taylor Johnson (who worked with KST on "Nowhere Boy") would have been a far more interesting choice for director.
While I agree a remake of this classic can easily end up forgettable, I can't help but laugh at the generous slack that's cut for Hammer (one of the most bland actors ever) and the cursory regards of Olivier's legacy. Yes the latter may not be the greatest ever but he did shine in quite a number of roles. I can't say the same for Hammer (he was even lifeless to look at in CMBYN).
Remakes are a fact of life. Sometimes a remake of a (borderline) classic pays off (THE THING, Jackson's KING KONG--don't 2 me!). And there have been a number of remakes that actually work as companion alternative takes of the original in very interesting ways (Van Sant's queer positive PSYCHO) Zombie's uh... non-reactionary HALLOWEEN (sorry, Carpenter fans, I'm with Robin Wood here. The original film's right-wing SOME THINGS ARE JUST EVIL theme needed to be challenged. When have you heard a progressive say "some things are just evil?" Zombie's revision is a humanist gem that's being reappraised left and right in Film Academia these days). All this said, the new REBECCA might be good, it might be bad, but I think Netflix knows what it's doing. It will bring eyeballs to the streaming service and may even sell some subscriptions, and they could probably care less if people are still watching it in 80 years. I also agree with those who say the original isn't one of Hitchcock's top ten or even 15, so I don't feel it's a desecration. I actually remember really liking the 1979 television version of REBECCA with Jeremy Britt, Joanna Davis, and a memorable Anna Massey as Mrs. Danvers. It didn't replace Hitch's but it was a fun 3 hours and 25 minutes. Now if someone tries to remake VERTIGO or NORTH BY NORTHWEST you can put me down for a basket of "Why? Why? Why? Why?" and two crates of "why aren't there any original ideas in Hollywoods?!?"
Second line in my previous post should have read “don’t @ me,” not “don’t 2 me.” Ugh!
And if anyone’s wondering (pro’lly not!) 15 Hitchcock films that are better than REBECCA are:
1. THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
2. THE 39 STEPS
3. THE LADY VANISHES
4. SABOTAGE
5. SPELLBOUND
6. SHADOW OF A DOUBT
7. NOTORIOUS
8. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
9. ROPE
10. REAR WINDOW
11. MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (remake!)
12. VERTIGO
13. NORTH BY NORTHWEST
14. PSYCHO
15. MARNIE
Again, stay away from VERTIGO and NORTH BY NORTHWEST, Netflix!
“I mean, we can all see how this will turn out. Sensationalist touches will be added (sex and violence - after all it's a modernization !) and the most needless aspects of the book that Hitchcock chose not to use will be included (we are faithful to the source novel !). Some nods to Hitchcock's 1940 film won't be missing (aren't we so hip!). And every single facet of the retelling will fade in comparison to the original.”
OMG. This. Exactly.
Don't be so precious. BBC and the brits remake the great classic novels all the time. If this version offends you ignore it and wait for the next version to hate on again lol. You are dead right about Olivier though!
Another recent remake of a filmed Daphne Du Maurier novel, “My Cousin Rachel”, was quite interesting. Of course, it had the luminous Rachel Weisz as Rachel, perfectly calibrating an elusive character that you weren’t quite sure what to think of.
Lily James isn’t a bad casting choice. James has the ability to get an audience to identify with her. She creates her own energy. She is an actress of increasing skill, due to her hard work, applied intelligence, and willingness to take risks.
That said, if we consider that “I” could have been cast with someone like Janelle Monae, Naomi Harris, or Hong Chau, we realize the paucity of imagination involved in this remake, including the casting of the stodgy Armie Hammer.
With the current dearth of releases I wouldn't be surprised if this walks away with quite a nice haul of nominations!
Rebecca already inspired a contemporary masterpiece that is better than the original, Phantom Thread. It's doubtful this will compare.
I had to google Lily James to even remember who she was. I thought she was Phil Collins's daughter, but that's another similar-looking Lily who shares his last name. Armie Hammer tries very hard.
Lily James resembles Mia Wasikowska, no?
Dan Humphrey: you forgot THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY and THE WRONG MAN.
@Jonahan. Right. I agree with that. REBECCA is middling Hitchcock. Too much Selznick influence, clearly.
They're going to give her a first name aren't they.
To me, Rebecca is indeed just middlingly-good Hitchcock and not something untouchable (like Rear Window or Vertigo). Lily James is an okay actress but sort of boring (she played Eve onstage in the London production of All About Eve and I can't really remember her doing all that much with the role) and though I find Armie Hammer kind of hot (well, when he's scantily clad he's nice to look at), he's not a terribly interesting actor. I really like the suggestion above of Mads Mikkelson as Maxim. The role calls for someone with a darker persona. So yeah, remake Rebecca but do it w/ different people at the helm.
I’m open to a remake of this, especially as its adapted from a novel and as others have noted a more contemporary retelling is surely worth the time. My issue is with how UGLY this damn thing looks. This is a movie, why is every still lacking completely in any cinematic style? They look like cheap fashion shoot.
For people complaining about the stills: this is pretty much how all stills look that are released purely for promotional purposes. They're likely just set photos meaning they haven't been properly color graded. The finished product will probably look different.
Casting someone charismatic would have helped but you won’t get it from these two.. maybe Keira Knightly and ??
Ryan Gosling.
Could they not have found some actors of the correct ages? In the book the girl was 21 and de Winter early forties. The two leads in this look about the same age.
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