The Oscar project- "Rebecca"

[blue_lotus13]

I've discovered a technical glitch in the Oscar project. It has to do with the transition from video cassettes to DVDs. Two of the films I need, specifically "Cavalcade" and "Cimarron", still haven't made it to DVD. The library doesn't have the VHS versions, so I will have to try some of the larger chain stores near my house. If not, I'll be waiting until the movies are re-issued on DVD. Zip has them listed as upcoming releases, so they should be released eventually.


1940's best picture winner Rebecca is the only movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock to ever win a Best picture for an Oscar. It was produced by David O Selznick, fresh off his sweep from "Gone with the Wind" which cleaned up the year before.

Sadly, "Rebecca" is the first Hitchcock movie that I've ever seen. From the opening sequence, I knew I was going to love the film. It begins with a voice speaking about how they used to love "Manderley" originally, but now it brings back bad memories. This hooked me immediately.

The film stars Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier . It's the story of a young woman who marries a strange man and then moves into his mansion. There she discovers a series of secrets, which really drive the plot. Initially, I thought I was going to be annoyed by Joan Fontaine, but then I realized that her seeming innocence and bubbly nature was supposed to be part of the character. She quickly loses that as the movie goes on. It turns out that Laurence Olivier wanted his lover Vivien Leigh to take the role, so he was incredibly mean to Joan Fontaine on the set. Hitchcock realized that this was making Joan uncomfortable and uneasy, so he told the entire cast to be mean to her so that she seemed more nervous in the film. A weird technique, but it seemed to work.

I LOVED Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers. She was so fucking creepy.

All in all, I loved this film and it made me want to watch more Hitchcock. Actually, the minute that I finished watching this movie, I said, "Holy fucking shit!" and picked up the phone so I could talk to my parents about it.

Unfortunately, I can't talk much more about the plot, but suffice it to say, it's a doozy.


What other Hitchcock films have you seen and liked? I'm looking for opinions, except I refuse to watch "The Birds" because I love birds and I think that movie might make me afraid of them.

(Also, Alfred Hitchcock, Fidel Castro, Annie Oakley and I all have the same birthday- August 13)

Comments

[alexeye.livejournal.com]

i love hitchcock, nasty old man that he was. vertigo might be my favorite, but i also love marnie (young sean connery!), the trouble with harry (young shirley maclaine!), notorious, spellbound, shadow of a doubt (young joseph cotton!), psycho . . . i haven't seen all of them, but i like almost every one i see. the exception would be rear window - many people consider it his best film, but i find it horribly dull. i think i've only been able to stay awake through it once, but i'm also not much of a jimmy stewart fan. rope is b's favorite, partly because it's a weird experiment - the entire film is shot with a still camera, and takes will last 10-20 minutes, with no cuts. it's not entirely successful, but very interesting.

whew.

[kickarse.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen too many I haven't liked, but some favorites are:

Rear Window
Vertigo
Psycho (of course!)
North by Northwest
Saboteur

[alexeye.livejournal.com]

north by northwest is great. i forgot to list that one. there are so many!

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Rebecca. This version is fantastic, the book is fantastic, I even love the BBC version with Jeremy Brett. So glad you enjoyed it!

[protoainsley.livejournal.com]

The only Hitchcock I've seen is The Birds which I watched outdoors in the autumn. Everyone on my blanket jumped when a leaf fell on us.

It was really good, but not too scary, I think because of the evolution of scary movies since them.

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

I love Vertigo. I love The Birds, too, so I do think you should see it -- maybe wait till you've seen a few Hitchcock's so that the style alone doesn't freak you out. You know, desensitize a bit and then it'll be fine.

[sadie6.livejournal.com]

I realy liked Rope, as someone mentioned above it is all done in long takes and I thought it was great. I remember liking Lifeboat a lot but I don't remember much about it. I went through a Hitchcock phase a few years ago and these two really stuck out. I liked Rear Window too, but mostly because I like Jimmy Stewart. But Mr Smith Goes to Washington is by far his best work (in my opinion) and nothing else has ever lived up to that one for me.

[angharad.livejournal.com]

I have not seen very many Hitchcocks, but my favourite that I have seen is The Lady Vanishes. It's a romantic comedy bickering thing more than a suspense film, but I love those, so.

[idella]

Notorious and North by Northwest. They're both pretty tame.

[idella]

Oh, and Dial M for Murder.

[applehangover.livejournal.com]

Psycho may be my favorite.

The Birds is a great movie! It's pretty difficult to be scared by the old school special effects.

[diablos73.livejournal.com]

Geez, what hasn't been mentioned yet? Strangers on a Train is one of his best, and Suspicion is pretty good and has Joan Fontaine, to boot. And I'll throw another vote behind Shadow of a Doubt; it doesn't get the hype of your Psychos or Vertigos or Rear Windows, but for my money it may be my very favourite Hitchcock that I've seen (and having taken a course on him, I've seen my share).