Join Katy and I as we unravel the spellbinding layers of this 1940 cinematic masterpiece, tracing its lineage from a gripping novel to its triumph at the Academy Awards. The episode peels back the curtain on the captivating performances and the delicate balance between psychological tension and spectral allure that never crosses into horror, proving how Hitchcock's craftsmanship continues to enthrall audiences, whether they're seasoned cinephiles or young students.
As we dissect the film's iconic twists and the haunting symbolism laced throughout the story, we delve into the peculiar significance of our protagonist's lack of a given name, perpetually overshadowed by the formidable Rebecca. The conversation takes a twist of its own, exploring the curious potential of the 2020 remake to reimagine this timeless tale for modern viewers. Whether you're a Hitchcock aficionado or simply someone who appreciates a well-woven story, this discussion offers a riveting journey through the nuances of a film that refuses to fade into obscurity.
Join Katy and I as we unravel the spellbinding layers of this 1940 cinematic masterpiece, tracing its lineage from a gripping novel to its triumph at the Academy Awards. The episode peels back the curtain on the captivating performances and the delicate balance between psychological tension and spectral allure that never crosses into horror, proving how Hitchcock's craftsmanship continues to enthrall audiences, whether they're seasoned cinephiles or young students.
As we dissect the film's iconic twists and the haunting symbolism laced throughout the story, we delve into the peculiar significance of our protagonist's lack of a given name, perpetually overshadowed by the formidable Rebecca. The conversation takes a twist of its own, exploring the curious potential of the 2020 remake to reimagine this timeless tale for modern viewers. Whether you're a Hitchcock aficionado or simply someone who appreciates a well-woven story, this discussion offers a riveting journey through the nuances of a film that refuses to fade into obscurity.
One's a movie buff, one watches movies, just enough Together. Fun will be had by all. This is Nady and Katie at the Movies.
Speaker 3:Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new episode of Nady and Katie at the Movies. I'm your host, nathan aka Nady, of course, and with me, as always, is my good friend Katie. Hi, katie, how are you?
Speaker 4:I had a long day because I substituted talk today at a theater school, which was actually pretty fun, and I asked them if they knew about the movie we were reviewing today. And I did have one little seventh grade girl so seventh grader and she had actually seen what we're reviewing today, which came out in 1940. And she says one of her favorite movies of all time. Isn't that random?
Speaker 3:That is extremely random because, like you said, it came out in 1940. It is directed by the classic director Alfred Hitchcock, and that movie is Rebecca, the classic 1940 thriller. Not really scary, but it's. It has some pretty good twists and turns to it. So, katie, before we get into it, I know you like to do your research about the movies that we watch. Do you have any like tidbits that you want to share before we get into Rebecca? Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:Well, and I do like to research. I try to watch research after Remember. I tell you I want to come in with like, no expectation, no, no prior knowledge, prior thoughts. So I liked the movie. I will say that to get to go. So my research was more just wanting to know details of what made us popular. All I could really find was it did win an Academy Award for Best Picture. I would agree with that. And I also just noticed that it was written based on a book. So, again, we can't give Alfred Hitchcock all the credit, because this is not his story. It was someone else's story, so kudos to the author that wrote this book. And then I'm kind of curious. I may go and watch. There's a 2020 version that just came out. So this is 1940 and this is a 2020.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'd be interested in watching that as well. I remember when I was talking about watching the remake, my sister, who is like big on the classic movies, was like why would you want to watch the remake? Why would you do that? It's? It's already, it's already made, it already exists. Like because I was just part of the research of the episodes. She's like why would you do that? It's already there. So I have not watched the remake yet, but I probably will. Will be watching it shortly after we record this episode. Well, before I can get into what we're going to be talking about today, I got to go over the synopsis. Rebecca is about a self-conscious woman who juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrats wife and avoids being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence. Rebecca stars the classic actor Lawrence Olivier, joan Fontaine, george Sanders and a really creepy lady who plays a really creepy maid. So let's get right into our likes and dislikes of this classic Alfred Hitchcock classic Katie. What did you like and what did you dislike about this movie?
Speaker 4:Speaking of the scary creepy lady, she was possibly my favorite part of the movie. She is terrifying. She's not like officially bad. Well, until the end she does do something really bad at the end, but she just gives you the heebie-jeebies the whole movie and I had the heebie-jeebies from her within the like first two times seeing her. Like you know that the acting is good and that her character is good. When I am already terrified when you've entered the scene. I did read somewhere that Alfred Hitchcock asked her, as part of her character, to not blink, to like do her best to not blink, and then I thought like it was like wow, that was a good choice. I mean, that's part of what makes her creepy. She's just never blinks and is always staring off. Really creepily, but again. So number one for me is the acting, but especially our creepy.
Speaker 3:I guess you'd call her the villain, yeah she's, she's very devoted to the aristocrats first wife and so she comes off as like the classic I'm gonna use that word a lot because that's what this movie is but she comes off as the classic Alfred Hitchcock Creepy character because you know he's done movies like psycho. We're a window and there's always that character that hit his. His lighting choices Make it known that this person's supposed to be creepy. So there's like a bunch of light on her face and, like you said, she hardly ever blinks and there's always that foreboding music that's always around her. So it's just very Alfred Hitchcock tropes of the creepy villainous character and yes, she doesn't note that very well. I will say some of the acting was a little stale at times, even though Lawrence Olivier obviously is well known. He founded the National Theatre. You know he's very theatrical, stage worthy guy and I just felt like his acting was kind of flat sometimes.
Speaker 4:It's funny you say that again. I really liked all the acting from everybody, but I did feel like our main character, joan, there was. Sometimes she was almost the opposite of flat, like too much, like her eyebrows just going crazy, like it was like, okay, I get, you're trying to be very. It sounded like Alfred Hitchcock said be surprised and she just took it to like the umpteenth level. So sometimes that was a little much for me. Okay, so I know you liked the acting too. How about? Just, I love a thriller, but I don't like scary movies, so that might be. Another big like of mine is I Love that. You may.
Speaker 4:You know they made this lady creepy, but you're still not sure like, is she just straight up creepy but actually not a bad person? I love being on my toes the entire movie. I just I wanted to hurry up and finish it because I needed to know what happened and who was it fault. It's all centered on this woman, rebecca, who's deceased, and you just you're kind of trying to figure out like, is she gonna have a ghost? Is this gonna be like supernatural or just like not supernatural? I had no idea where this movie is gonna go and I loved that.
Speaker 3:I had never seen this movie before, surprise, and but it had the Again classic. I would hitchcock twist to it because the whole movie you're wondering, you know, did the wife kill herself? Because they're you know, they're saying that she committed suicide by drowning, and then you find out. Do we want to spoil it? I don't know. Do we want to spoil this movie? Because I mean, I I think people should watch it because, again, yeah yeah, watch it, it's one
Speaker 3:of those stuff, especially if you're an Alfred Hitchcock fan. I Don't think it's one of his best movies, but I still would recommend it because it's has that twist to it at the end that you think you know something's gonna happen and then he just pulls the rug right out, right out onto you in that way.
Speaker 3:It is a Alvartage Cock movie through and through. So let's go to the dislikes. We like the acting, we like the twists and turns, but of course, because it is a older film, there are some things that I did not like, and one of those is that it was a bit slow. I feel like there was a lot of and again this would go back to the acting that I thought was stale at times. It was just a very like talky movie and a lot of Alvartage Cock movies are, but this one just felt very slow.
Speaker 4:Thank you right, it was a slow burn. I found myself as soon as they got to Mandalay. I was just like okay, who's Rebecca? Where is she? Is she goes? Who's the bag? And you're forced to wait like 45 more minutes until there's any ball rolling. On that I agree with you.
Speaker 3:And so, yeah, the slow pacing of the film and we already mentioned this before it's very much a melodrama, it's very over the top emotions and, to match with the music, like something happens and then Joan Fontaine's face gets like really big and then there's that that kind of music going on and that's like majority of the film and it doesn't really get good until, like you said, they get to Mandalay and they get to the house, the mansion, but then they, and then it's still very like bananana until it gets really good and they reveal actually what happened and how it led to that and like there's this big trial scene, and so it was. It gets really good towards the end of the movie. I probably like the last 45 to 30 minutes of this almost two hour movie.
Speaker 4:Well, yeah, and I think it's still for me. I liked the twists and turns. It kept me engaged enough and again it had me just like pushing, pushing, pushing to get to the end. I think the twists and turns just overtook me. I was to the point where, before they even got to Mandalay, I thought maybe he was the bad guy. Like he was. Just, I thought it was sketchy. He like wants to marry this girl after four days after his wife's dead. I'm like, hmm, what's that gonna be about? There's so many and there's even some plot like dead ends, right. So there's this like creepy guy that's down at the water and the main character comes down there and he's super creepy and weird, but like he doesn't, he's dead end. Like he never nothing really ever comes in Fun.
Speaker 4:Other fact that I realized just now they want you to say the name Rebecca a lot, right, the whole thing is she's comparing herself to the former Mrs Winters or Dwinters, but we never learned her name. Did you catch that? We never learned the first name of the main character? She's always just Mrs Dwinters or Honey or Bade. You'll have to fact check me on that, but I'm pretty sure. No mention of her name, which is symbolic, of course, because Rebecca's presence is everywhere, and I did really like that. I thought it's such a cool idea to have it's called Rebecca, so the whole time you're wondering who is this Rebecca, how she related, and really her presence in death was just as great as it was in life, which was creepy.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I was fact checking you and you are correct. In the casting on the IMDB, joan Fontaine is listed as just Mrs Dwinter and Judith Anderson, who plays the creepy maid, is listed as just Mrs Danvers. So she doesn't even have a first name. So yeah, you are correct, they never. And I think that probably is a symbolic of the fact that you only really hear Rebecca's name, first name basis. And so to kind of solidify the intimidation that this new woman in this man's life is getting is the fact that they never address her by her first name. It's only Mrs Dwinters or whatever lady. So yeah, I do think that's interesting.
Speaker 4:So this yeah, I liked it. I thought it was good one, nathan, and I really liked my favorite character, other than the scary lady was just watching the new Mrs DeWinters develop, so I felt like the character development was really cool. You watch her being very intimidated. You spend a huge hour of your movie with her being insecure, as you read in the synopsis being super insecure. I'm never going to measure up to Rebecca, I'm never going to measure up. Then you learn that Mr DeWinters actually like low key, did not like his wife, and you literally like the moment he says that you see her whole being like shift to like oh, what am I insecure about? And she just like owns it and she's like no, I'm on the new Mrs DeWinters, it's me now and I really liked watching her character develop.
Speaker 3:But the big question is Katie, were you able to spot Alfred Hitchcock in this movie? So Alfred Hitchcock was known for always trying to put himself into his films.
Speaker 4:No, I didn't see that. No, what did you? I was, I didn't know to be looking, dang it.
Speaker 3:Well, if you ever watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie, be sure to look for Alfred Hitchcock because, like I said, it's kind of like M Night Shyamalan. I'm not, I'm not comparing director wise, I'm just I'm just comparing the fact that in late in night Shyamalan likes to put himself into his movies and so did Alfred Hitchcock as well. So that's a little thing that, if you ever watch another movie of his, to be on the lookout for that. So that is Rebecca. I think we enjoyed it. I think we kind of decided that we weren't that sure if we liked it, just based on talking about it. So let's go ahead and rate this thing. Katie, what would you give Rebecca? One out of six stars.
Speaker 4:It captivated my attention greatly. It was one where I kept any time I had a free moment. I was like pulling it up on YouTube to watch, and that says a lot. Although I didn't really laugh and I don't know, it did have some slow parts. So let's give it a five. I still think it's a very solid movie and I would suggest people watch it.
Speaker 3:What a coink eating because I'm giving it a five as well. It is a classic film, but I don't think it's aged very well, it's 1940s maybe the 2020 remake might be good. I don't know, but don't tell my sister, I said that. So that is Rebecca. So if you wanna know what we're gonna be watching next week, take a listen ["The Hills Are Alive"].
Speaker 2:The hills are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung for a thousand years.
Speaker 5:As I sound your signals, you will step forward and give your names. You, for a line, will listen carefully, learn their signals so you can call them when you want them. The celebrated play that delighted the world Actually photographed amidst the wondrous beauties of Salzburg, austria, with the performance of a lifetime by the screen's brightest star, julie Andrews, in the glorious role of Maria. How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
Speaker 2:How do you find a word that means Maria, a flibbered genital will of a wisp, a cloud. Maria makes me laugh.
Speaker 5:Maria who entered the strange new world of Captain Von Trapp and captivated his seven children with the magical spell of song. Girls in white dresses, with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver, white winters that melt into springs these are a few of my favorite things when the dawn by Friarline.
Speaker 2:did I not tell you that bedtime is strictly to be observed in this house.
Speaker 5:You did, sir, and do you or do you?
Speaker 1:not have difficulty remembering such simple instructions.
Speaker 5:Only during thunderstorms. Sir, here two new numbers, specially written for the picture, by Richard Rogers, plus Rodgers and Hammerstein's immortal songs Do a deer, a female deer ray, a drop of golden sun, me a name? I call myself far, long, long way to run. I am sixteen, going on seventeen, I know that I'm nine. Oh please, captain, love them, love them all.
Speaker 1:I don't care to hear anything further from you or my children. I'm not finished yet, Captain. Oh, yes, you are.
Speaker 5:You will pat your thumb on the back of my head. You will pat your things this minute and return to the abbey. Captain Von Trapp, are you in love with him?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I don't know. The Baroness said I was. She said that he was in love with me, but I didn't want to believe it.
Speaker 5:You're far away. Where are you In a world that's disappearing?
Speaker 2:Fred.
Speaker 5:Is there any way I can bring you back to the world I'm in. I love you.
Speaker 2:So somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good.
Speaker 5:Here is the perfect motion picture that touches every note in the whole scale of human emotions.
Speaker 3:These are a few of my favorite things. We're watching the sound of music starring the incomparable. Julie Andrews as how do you solve a problem like Maria? I think I might try to sing for the entire episode that we reviewed.
Speaker 4:Yeah, for anyone listening that doesn't already know this, nathan was a musical theater major, so I feel like this one hits close to home.
Speaker 3:I mean just theater, but still, yeah, I did do musicals and I teach theater. So there you go. So that's what we're going to be talking about next week. Katie, how do you want to send us off with Rebecca?
Speaker 4:You can't get rid of those things. Those are Mrs DeWinters. I'm Mrs DeWinters now.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to Nadie and Katie at the Movies. Feel free to leave us a review so people can find the show. Follow us on all our social media platforms and if there's a movie that you want us to watch, feel free to contact us at nadieandkateyatgmailcom. Thanks for listening and have a great day.