Well, actually Rebecca is not as much a thriller as a drama. Dramatic thriller if you want in the best sense. There is no stupid American aliens, banditti and other staff. It deals with a very limited group of people who seems to be all right at the first sight but soon one notice some strangeness in their behaviour.

Take in consideration that Rebecca is an English film based on the english novel or romance (I'm not quite sure of the exact genre) by Daphne du Maurier who is celebrated for such exciting thrilling stories. I think Englishmen make very good films out of her books and what is evident but still interesting English books are filmes the best by the English and this is true for any other nations. There is something in the notorious national spirit that other nations fail to reproduce no matter how good they try. Yes, Russians and french can make good movies based on teh ebglish books too but they all fail to grasp this peculliar atmosphere, the spirit which can't be grasped by them as it is immanent o the Rnglish nature only.

Unfortunately the film does not contain any famous English humour. I suppose it is because thrilllers should not be humorous . Let it be.

So the story. Rebecca is a rather long film but the story is so involving that it is dynamic and interesting to watch. We aquaint with an English aristocrat Maxim de Winter who has lost his wife Rebecca long ago and still grieves about her. One day he meets the charming girl Caroline (in the film she is called by name only once) who works as a companion for an elderly lady. They soon feel affection for each other and in spite of significance difference in age they get married soon and not long after that Maxim takes her to his mansion Manderville. Here he meets the spooky Mrs. Danvers, the house keeper, who was very fond of the former Mrs. de Winter and can't hide her indisposition for Caroline. The latter is too simple and unexperienced to put the hpusekeeper in her place and they endure a long confrontation. While living there Maxim is gradually getting farther from his young wife and he can't bear the slightest rememberance of Rebecca.

So this mystery about Rebecca grasps Caroline too but she can't find anything. Until one day a ship wrecks right near their house and the new circomstances appear and she finally learns the secret rather unexpectingly from her own husband. It happens that he loves Caroline.

The truth is hideous and one can't really decide who is the victim. Anyway the psycological motives are very convinsing. The scene in teh court seems to open new turn in the lives of our heroes but everything end well. Not happily but just the best possible way, which is rather attractive.

The actors play well. They almost play themselves. Emilia Fox as Caroline is that charming girl, very unexperienced but not stupid and she understands lots. I particularly liked Charles Dance as Maxim de Winter: such a peculiar face. There is a mixture of some viciousness and at the same time gentleness, a face with traces of deep passions that made him so attractive for Caroline. The interesting trick they made with Rebecca: camera showed only her eyes and her mouse with extreme close op but never her face.

This is a well-done movie picture. A strained drama about human relations, how facade is diffeent from the innser essense and the eternal quest for real feelings which are very different for everybody. I liked this film and I recommend it to every one.

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