Rebecca

The film Rebecca, by Alfred Hitchcock, is based upon the novel of the same title by Daphne du Maurier. The plot revolves around a young, shy lady's companion (Joan Fontaine) who is miraculously wed to the handsome master of Manderley, Maxim de Winter, played by Laurence Oliver in the film. Maxim's first wife has died under mysterious circumstances and the shy second Mrs. de Winter lacks confidence and feels inadequate upon arriving at the ostentatious family mansion. The first Mrs. de Winter's best friend is the sinister and domineering housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, whose cold, resentful manner toward the second Mrs. de Winter increases her lack of self-confidence. Mrs. Danvers, or "Danny", torments the new wife until sordid details about Rebecca's death are revealed which causes her to set Manderley ablaze and commit suicide. The new Mrs. de Winter is now free of her torment. If we analyze three scenes of "consumption" in the film, we see how image is able to advance narrative. This analysis will cover the two opening scenes of consumption that occur in Monte Carlo and one later at Manderley to demonstrate how image drives narrative.

In the first scene of consumption we are in the lobby of the Monte Carlo hotel where Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper is vacationing with her paid companion, the soon-to-be second Mrs. de Winter (she has no name other than Mrs. de Winter in the novel). Van Hopper and her companion are seated on a chaise in the lobby.

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The restaurant frames the scene and the action and imagery propel the narrative. Initially, we see the companion awkwardly and insecurely walking toward her table alone. As she is seated she clumsily knocks over a vase of flowers. All of this is meant to define her character as one that is shy, insecure and awkward in social settings (something that will work against her when she meets an adversary of a higher level than Van Hopper, Mrs. Danvers). It sets up believability for later in the story when the companion will be dominated by Mrs. Danvers as Maxim's wife. At this point, the motif of Maxim as white knight comes into play again as he rescues the companion in her moment of embarrassment and insists they have breakfast together. She thinks he is being polite, a notion he disabuses her of but one that is important because her insecurities will make her believe eventually that this is why he also married her. They sit down to eat and their mutual consumption is important because instead of both eating alone, they now have companionship (something of which they both are in need). In a high class French restaurant, the companion utters, "I'll just have some scrambled eggs." This is meant to demonstrate her simple charact

Category: Film - R