4 years ago To all those who say Charles Dance is too old and Emilia Fox too young, that is the whole point of the story. We're told in the book that Max de Winter is 46 with his new wife being half his age. So the casting is spot on. More importantly, the chemistry between them is electric.
Phoenix Johnson
3 years ago (edited) I love Emilia Fox as the 2nd Mrs. de Winter. She plays her with a lot of spunk but it’s not too much that it takes away from the character’s shyness and lack of self confidence. She really balanced the two sides of her well showing strength when needed and showing timidness at just the right moments. I used to hate Charles Dance as Maxim because he was just a bit too old but every time I watch this again I warm up to him more and more. He’s actually really good. Diana Rigg is a queen as always :).
Monika Szymanowska
1 year ago I love Charles Dance and Emilia Fox as the perfect leads but Faye Dunaway is the one who really shines here: the beautiful actress who slipped much too early into roles of middle-aged gold diggers or disillusioned divas. Her acting is fantastic!
Caroline Bond
1 year ago There are 3 superb versions of this - the above, Fontaine and Olivier and Emila's Mum Joanna with Jeremy Brett. I love them all.
Niharika
2 years ago As an admirer of the Novel Rebecca and after watching the 1979 version starring Joanna David & Jeremy Brett, everything else seems Pale. The Novel's character is that of a thriller, suspense and not Romance per se. This version adds alot of things that are not authentic to the book (esp the romance), just to add to the commercial appeal, nevertheless its a fairly good version. The 1979 version is the closest to the book, word by word. Its follows even the feelings of the characters & even dialogues just BY THE BOOK, AS IT IS. The casting is done absolutely as described in the Books. Actors are more authentic and brilliant.
Unprofessional Critic
2 years ago (edited) I can't help but compare this to the 2020 version. This is so much better. In 2020 one the young Mrs. De winter is overly sexualised. The age difference is laughable too. The actor and actress are only 3 years apart. As opposed to this version where it's true to the book and they have a big age gap, she is naive and innocent.
glassheartnerd
2 years ago Coincidentally, Emilia Fox's mother Joanna David played the same character "Rebecca" in 1979 (with Jeremy Brett as Maxim)
another version of Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine "Rebecca"
Rachel Kristine
10 months ago Anyone here ever seen Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle?! Well, just an FYI, Joanna David played Mrs Gardner, Lizzies charming Aunt, who she went with to the Lake country in Derbyshire & went to Pemberly to visit & ran into Darcy. Emilia, Jonna's daughter here, played Georgianna, Darcy's sister! []
**
Daphne du Maurier (English) was a very talented author, known for her gothic and suspenseful stories, including "Rebecca" (published in 1938) "Jamaica Inn," and "The Birds." There have been several film adaptations of the novel "Rebecca" - the most famous of which is the 1940 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock - Maxim de Winter is indeed a central character.
PrincessA
2 years ago (edited) Emily Fox looks just like her mother, Joanna David when she played Mrs De Winter in the 1979 version. I read Joanna was nervous on her behalf, and Emilia had to rely on the 1940 version because the 1979 one is not on DVD and BBC 1 haven't aired it in years. I can imagine her disappointment not seeing her mother's turn as Mrs de Winter.
wildthornrose
4 years ago (edited) Fun fact: Emilia Fox who plays the main character is the daughter of Joanna David who plays her in the 1979 version. Personally, I prefer the older version, although I enjoyed this one too. I really like Emilia, however, I'm not quite feeling the casting of Charles Dance. I fear 1979 Jeremy Brett has spoiled me for any other Maxims. There is an intrinsic cool hardness about Dance but without the seductive charm of Brett, at least for me, anyway. (They are both, of course, excellent actors.) Diana Rigg is terrific, no surprise there. (Edited, thanks to Mrs Rosencrantz pointing out they played the young Mrs de Winter, not actually Rebecca!)
