TOP 300 MOVIES OF ALL TIME: #268 "REBECCA" (1940)

Winner of the Best Picture Oscar for 1940, "Rebecca" was the first American film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, having finally been enticed by David O Selznick.

Joan Fontaine marries enigmatic widower Laurence Olivier. Of course things turn for the worse as she becomes fixated on the late Mrs de Winter. This fixation is driven aggressively by JUdith Anderson as Mrs Danvers, who worshipped the late mistress.

The tension between Olivier and Fontaine is palpable until a dramatic revelation by Olivier about his true feelings concerning his deceased wife. This film would be melodramatic soap operatic drivel if not for a stellar cast and direction. It has, of course great supporting performances by Anderson and George Sanders. This is a must watch movie.