Watch Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier – 3 Film Adaptations

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier proved to be an enduring story. Published in 1938, it is still in the market and spawning so many film adaptations.

I was surfing Youtube when I happened upon the 1997 TV drama Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

The full-length version!?

Rebecca was a novel written by Daphne Du Maurier and published in 1938. It is a story about a young girl who married Maxim De Winter, a widower, and had to live in a huge mansion under the immense shadow of De Winter’s first wife, Rebecca.

I remember trying to read this novel when I was a teenager. But, I couldn’t finish it. Therefore, I decided that I could at least watch a film adaptation. The 1997 adaptation stars Emilia Fox as the young wife. And, it wasn’t too bad.

I did a little digging around and discover that Rebecca has been adapted several times, the earliest being 1940 starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.

Besides the 1940 movie, there were adaptations in 1962, 1979, 1997 and apparently, an Italian version in 2008. What makes this novel so interesting to filmmakers?

I suspect it is the twist at the end of the story. No, I am not going to spoil it for you.

Here’s a little list of all the adaptations as found on Youtube.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier – 1940

This movie version was produced in the US. As mentioned, it stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier – 1979

This is the playlist for the TV version by Britain. Stars Jeremy Brett and Joanna David.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier – 1997

A BBC production starring a very young Emilia Fox. Unfortunately, the video was taken down for copyright infringement.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier – 2008 (Italian Version)

This version looks interesting. Unfortunately, the Youtube clip that I can find is dubbed into Russian. Quite strange to watch Italians mouthing Russian.

Differences

I watched the 1940, 1979 and 1997 versions and couldn’t help making comparisons.

Interestingly, all three began with the same scene, which is also how the book began. It testifies to Du Maurier’s writing prowess when filmmakers need not “adapt” too much.

Some have accused Daphne of plagiarism. But, I think that even if the plot is similar, the way she wrote and developed her characters is unique.

Now, I remember why I couldn’t finish the book.

I thought the young wife whine too much about living in the shadow of a perfect dead wife. Du Maurier did a terrific job of developing her characters. But as a teenager, I couldn’t appreciate it.

It seems the filmmakers thought the same because the films reduced the protracted negative self-talk and self-doubting that the female protagonist engages in throughout the book.

The other really interesting thing about Rebecca is that the first name of our young female protagonist was never revealed.

Read the Book

• Find it at Amazon (affiliate link)
• Find it in a library

We have come to the end of this post. If you have found it useful, let me know. It is a form of encouragement.

Happy viewing