In defense of Rebecca (movie 2020)

 
There are so many underwhelming and/or outright negative reviews of this remake out there, seemingly exacerbated by the prurient interest in its lead’s recent amorous behavior and having watched the movie for myself I say…F that noise. Seriously. Because the main thing that’s wrong with Rebecca 2020 is that it is ambitiously and deliberately (albeit misguidedly) has been updated for the #MeToo era. This is Rebecca on Girl Power, which is oh so preciously timely, but completely incongruous with the dark gothic mood of the original. So let’s rip into it, shall we…the original story features a gloomy (medieval to quote) looking widower in his 40s named Maxim De Winter who is saved by a love of a plain girl nearly young enough to be his daughter. The remake , boldly ignoring the current movie standard of 15 to 20 year age difference for romantic leads (one so ingrained in the star’s minds that even Ms. James personal recent offscreen indiscretions have been with a man 20 years her senior) gives us a not an awkward young girl but a lovely young woman, pretty by anyone’s standards, who understandably attracts attention of a positively dashing man of her own age group, albeit a very different social class and financial bracket. Ms. James is Cinderella once again to a man who not only has literally played Price Charming before, but in fact looks like one in real life. Although he seems to only bring one pair of pants for the entire Monte Carlo trip. And they are some shade of orange. They fall madly in love and quickly into marriage and Prince Maxim brings her back to his gorgeous sprawling estate Manderley that gives the novel one of the most famous opening lines in literature. And just like that Ms. James is back to Downton, albeit grander and with a considerably more evil woman in charge of it all named Mrs. Danvers and played to perfection by the usually reliable KST. But Rebecca isn’t a Downton update, it is at its gothic base an update of Jane Eyre, you know a plain girl saves a haunted older man from himself. Rochester had a mad wife in the attic (literally), De Winter has a dead one there (metaphorically). Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca permeates Manderley and all that’s in it. And sooner or later the dark secret of her demise is bound to come out. So once it does, once again girl power thing kicks in and the new and improved Mrs. De Winter sets off sleuthing to get her beloved Maxim free, because no matter what he confesses to her, she loves him unconditionally, in fact, now all the more so. In the original Mrs. De Winter’s approach was much more passive, but hey, this is 2020. And also, let’s remember that this movie adaptation actually does the book justice with the plot twist, as opposed to the 1940 one. So take that, naysayers. Soon enough proof is found to question the accusation’s veracity, Maxim is sprung free. The freshly sprung from employment Mrs. Danvers goes and plays with fire and we are left hoping De Winters had good insurance on Manderley. It seems that they did in their picture perfect international ending, because this is after all a fairy tale and they get to ride off into that sunset together. The end. Oh what…what did you want? The dark gothic atmosphere of the original? More creep factors? Well, you can’t make profoundly woke entertainment and have exact movie adaptation of earlier works. They weren’t written with this era in mind. They weren’t encumbered by modern ethics. You want strong female protagonists shining brightly and admirably on screen, that’s fine, but that’s very far away from gothic ideals and you can’t have both. Otherwise, what’s net…a Dracula remake with Lucy and Mina ganging up on the count to teach him the error of his ways? Rebecca the book is all about the uncertainty of marrying a controlling older man, potentially a major creep, factually a wife murderer and having to live with that. Rebecca 2020 is about marrying a Prince Charming (albeit with one skeleton in his closet) and going on to live happily ever after. Outside of a nightmare or two, gone is the moral ambiguity, gone the fear. Instead there is a certainty of a woman making a life for herself and determined to be happy in it. Before going for her final swim Mrs. Danvers tells her she won’t be happy and the new Mrs. de Winter responds proudly that she will. And she will, indeed, you just know it. Go feminism. Go girl power. Go gothic…nah, just kidding, You can’t have it both ways. And that’s fine. Watch yourself a gorgeous romantic drama with gorgeous talented leads and enjoy. And don’t bitch so much about the source material, this is a brave new world and you wanted it, so there you go. This Rebecca is as modern as it gets. Even if it can’t help but be haunted by the ghosts of the originals. Set comparisons aside and watch it for what it is. The Manderley is still dream worthy.