I thoroughly enjoyed this 1997 version of "Rebecca", which recently aired uncut on PBS. Charles Dance played Max DeWinter brilliantly. The character he portrays is a gentleman who seems above the fray but can explode with raw emotion on a moment's notice. Something is clearly eating away at him.
Emilia Fox, the young woman he falls in love with and marries, is perfect - a bit shy but surprisingly mature.
The background photography is superb in both locations: Monte Carlo, where they meet, and on the coast of Cornwall, the site of Max's magnificent estate.
We are introduced to Mrs. Danvers, played by Diana Rigg, who makes the new Mrs. DeWinter as uncomfortable as she could possibly be. I didn't care much for the reinvention of Mrs. Danvers' character in this movie. She cannot let go of the memory of Maxim's first wife but in this movie, her preference has added motivation. Geraldine James, an excellent actor, is Max's sister. I remember her in The Jewel in the Crown, a Masterpiece Theatre show from the 1980's. (More recently she appeared in the Downton Abbey movie as Queen Mary.)
Faye Dunaway, a Hollywood leading lady, has a role as the gossip-prone Mrs. Van Hopper, who employed Rebecca as a companion and has delusions of winning over Max.
The character of the former Mrs. DeWinter and the movie mystery eventually converge and the pace picks up. We encounter some additional characters as the movie takes some interesting twists and turns that will entertain the viewer, even if you've seen previous versions of Daphne duMaurier's novel. All in all, a highly entertaining and beautiful movie.
