Rebecca

Main Plot

"Rebecca," directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is a psychological thriller based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. The story begins with a young woman who works as a companion to a rich American woman vacationing in Monte Carlo. Here, she meets the wealthy and brooding widower Maxim de Winter. After a whirlwind romance, the couple marries and returns to Manderley, Maxim's large country estate in England. Upon arrival, the new Mrs. de Winter finds the mansion overshadowed by the presence of Rebecca, Maxim's first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, is particularly devoted to Rebecca and remains deeply loyal to her memory, making life increasingly difficult for the new mistress of the house. As the young woman struggles to find her place in the imposing environment, she becomes increasingly haunted by the legacy of Rebecca. The tension escalates as she begins to uncover dark and startling secrets about her predecessor's life and death, leading to dramatic revelations that challenge her relationship with Maxim and her perception of herself.

Characters

• Laurence Olivier played Maxim de Winter, a widower whose secretive past with his deceased wife, Rebecca, haunts his new marriage.
• Joan Fontaine plays the second Mrs. de Winter, a naive young woman who struggles with the haunting legacy of her husband's first wife.
• George Sanders played Jack Favell, Rebecca's cousin and lover, who complicates the investigation into her mysterious death, threatening to expose dark secrets.

Ending Explained

In the conclusion of Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 film "Rebecca," based on Daphne du Maurier's novel, the central mystery surrounding the death of Rebecca, the first wife of Maxim de Winter, is resolved. Throughout the film, the second Mrs. de Winter, played by Joan Fontaine, struggles with the shadow of Rebecca, whose presence haunts the mansion of Manderley. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Maxim, portrayed by Laurence Olivier, actually despised Rebecca due to her manipulative and deceitful nature. The climax reveals that Rebecca's death was not a suicide as previously believed but that Maxim killed her in a fit of rage after she provocatively claimed she was pregnant with another man's child. This revelation occurs when Maxim and the second Mrs. de Winter return to Manderley and find it engulfed in flames, set by the deranged housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, who was obsessively loyal to Rebecca. The film concludes with Maxim and his new wife escaping the burning estate, symbolizing their liberation from Rebecca's destructive influence. The destruction of Manderley represents a cathartic end to the haunting legacy of Rebecca, allowing the couple to potentially rebuild their lives free from the shadows of the past.