Rebecca

This was an excellent production of a famous story. The acting was just as good as the previous versions and the photography was the best, far better than most theatrical movies. One thing that made this version special was seeing Rebecca and hearing her in a flashback sequence.

First of all, I enjoyed the old classic version of the 1940s REBECCA with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine and I have seen it over 100 times in my lifetime. However, I find myself very captivated by this 1997 version by Masterpiece Theatre and with its great actors, the assemble cast, the music score, the filming location and the more detailed storyline, which is simply superb and very well done. I believe the 1997 version is the best version of Rebecca, second to the book. Further, I have seen ALL the versions of Rebecca and have read the book by Daphne Du Maurier and can actually comment in good faith that this is simply the best adaptation with more details about the characters that you don't see in the 1940s version.

With this superb 1997 adaptation, you are able to see a more deeper version of both Max and the second Mrs. DeWinter's characters played by Charles Dance and Emilia Fox. You see that they are in love in this version whereas in the Hitchcock version, it's not so obvious. You also get a better sense of Mrs. Danvers' character who you almost feel sorry for in this adaptation. Additionally, you'll see a few glimpses of what the beautiful Rebecca might look like.

I believe this 1997 version of Rebecca stands alone as a great love story and great mystery that will keep you captivated.

I enjoyed this version very much, the actors in the main roles were very good. I especially liked the young Emilia Fox as the new Mrs DeWinter. She started out as the shy young girl and became the strong young wife fighting for her love. Charles Dance was very well cast as Maxim, not as stuffy as Olivier. I found Diana Rigg a bit over the top, but the supporting cast were very good, especially Faye Dunaway. The locations and overall look of the show was very pleasing to the eye. I liked this longer , more adult version as it covered the whole story and was very true to the novel. But, like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice I will always now and again go back and watch the original black and white versions.

I appreciated the romantic aspect of this version, even if it may not have followed the spirit of the book entirely. Maybe that is because I think Charles Dance is hot, and any chance I have to see him in a romantic situation is OK with me! On the whole, I think this "Rebecca" is very good - and stands its ground along side Hitchcock - not as a comparison, but as a different approach. I did get the British version (I have a region-free player) because the PBS version cut out 18 minutes. I do believe the British version (with the honeymoon scene) may have been shown originally on Masterpiece Theatre, but in the US release DVD, it (along with a couple other scenes I like) were cut. Glad to have that region-free player!!

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.