2024 Blind Spot Series: Rebecca

 

Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca is the story of a woman who falls in love and marries a widowed aristocrat as he takes her to his mansion where she is haunted by the presence of his late wife. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison and adapted by Philip MacDonald and Michael Hogan, the film is the exploration of a woman who finds herself in a new world as she copes with her husband’s grief over his late wife as well as the presence of his late wife whose shadow looms large over the mansion. Starring Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, George Sanders, Judith Anderson, Gladys Cooper, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, Florence Bates, Leo G. Carroll, Leonard Carey, Edward Fielding, and Philip Winter. Rebecca is an evocative and rapturous film from Alfred Hitchcock.

The film follows a woman who meets and marries a widow aristocrat only to be haunted by the presence of his late wife who looms an immense shadow over his estate. It is a film that does not just explore a woman inhabiting the new role of a wife but also to become the mistress of an estate where she deals with the stories and presence of her husband’s late wife. The film’s screenplay starts off in a reflective narrative where the voice of an un-named woman (Joan Fontaine) talks about how she met George Fortescue Maximilian “Maxim” de Winter (Laurence Olivier) while she was working as a companion to the wealthy Mrs. Van Hopper (Florence Bates) during a vacation in Monte Carlo. She sees him looking down at a cliff as if he is to jump off as she says something to him as he would stop as they would later meet again at a hotel lobby. The two begin a relationship and then marry where he takes her to his estate known as Manderley which is run by its housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) who takes a dislike towards the new Mrs. de Winter.

The script does not just feature some stylish dialogue but also intrigue into those who talk about Maxim’s late wife Rebecca as his sister Beatrice (Gladys Cooper) and his estate manager Frank Crawley (Nigel Bruce) are both vague in wanting to talk about her knowing that anything about her would upset him. Even as Mrs. de Winter deals with some of the mysteries of the home including a small cottage on the beach as well as a room that belonged to Rebecca. Mrs. de Winter would notice something in the room as well as an unexpected visitor in Rebecca’s cousin in Jack Favell (George Sanders) whom Maxim hates. Things would start to unravel with Maxim becoming angrier while Mrs. de Winter becomes troubled by the comparisons of Maxim’s late wife where revelations would emerge about what happened on the night she died.

Alfred Hitchcock’s direction is stylish in its presentation from the opening sequence of him panning the camera around an estate that is now in ruins as it sets up the tone of what to expect through Mrs. de Winter’s narration in that opening scene. Shot on various locations in California including Big Sur and the Culver Studios in Hollywood for many of its interiors. Hitchcock would use wide shots for some of these exterior locations including scenes set on the beach including the opening shot of the house that was shot at the studio. Hitchcock’s direction also has some unique compositions in the way he shoots scenes in Manderley as it is a character in the film. Even as he would have these interior wide and medium shots that highlights the space of the room including an office where Mrs. de Winter converses with Crawley about Rebecca where it is shot in close-ups and medium shot, and it then moves back to a wide shot. It is among the many visual ideas that Hitchcock would imbue into the film.

Then there is the titular character as there is not a single picture of her nor any flashbacks as it relates to her as she is this unseen presence whose shadow looms large over everyone and the world they inhabit. There is also a lot of allusions as it relates to Rebecca’s relationship towards both her cousin Favell and Mrs. Danvers with the former implying an incestuous relationship while the latter is considered taboo during the time of its production in the late 1930s/early 1940s. There is sexual tension that occurs though it is very subtle due to the production code of those times where Mrs. Danvers tries to get Mrs. de Winter to wear Rebecca’s clothes and such to create discord between Maxim and his new wife. The film’s third act does have Maxim reveal to his wife about Rebecca and their marriage following a discovery that makes Maxim uneasy. Even as Favell and Mrs. Danvers it would bring ruin to Maxim and his new wife being ousted though there are many complications that would be unveiled leading to an ending that is grand. Overall, Hitchcock crafts a riveting and mesmerizing film about a woman who marries a man whose late wife casts a large shadow over their lives.

Cinematographer George Barnes does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography in creating unique lighting for the daytime interior scenes as well as the scenes at night for the scenes at Manderley. Editors Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom do excellent work with the editing in creating rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as some montages to play into Maxim and Mrs. de Winter’s growing relationship in Monte Carlo. Production designer Joseph B. Platt, with set decorator Howard Bristol and art director Lyle Wheeler, does incredible work with the look of Manderley in its many interior settings with the shape of a room as well as its dining hall and the mystery that is Rebecca’s bedroom. Costume designer Irene does fantastic work with the design of the clothes including a costume that Mrs. de Winter would wear for the costume ball.

The special effects work of Jack Cosgrove is terrific for some of the visuals that include blurry images as well as backdrops for some scenes where characters are walking or driving. The sound work of Jack Noyes and Arthur Johns is superb for the sound effects that are created as well as the atmosphere of a location to help build up its suspense. The film’s music by Franz Waxman is brilliant for its soaring orchestral score that plays into the suspense and drama as it helps heighten the tension as well as some small moments to help build up the suspense.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Forrester Harvey as an innkeeper who appears in the third act, Philip Winter as the Manderley servant Robert, Edward Fielding as the head Manderley butler Frith whom Mrs. de Winter likes, Lumsden Hare as the boat builder Mr. Tabbs, Leonard Carey as a hermit named Ben who stays at Rebecca’s cottage, Leo G. Carroll in a one-scene performance as a doctor who saw Rebecca the day she died, Melville Cooper as a coroner late in the film, and Florence Bates in an excellent performance as Mrs. de Winter’s employer in Mrs. Edyth Van Hopper who appears in the film’s Monte Carlo sequences as she always has something to say as she is a total delight to watch. Gladys Cooper and Nigel Bruce are superb in their respective roles as Maxim’s sister Beatrice and her husband Major Giles Lacey with the former as someone who knew Rebecca though she admits that there’s things about Rebecca’s relationship with her brother that didn’t feel right while the latter is a comic relief who takes a liking towards the new Mrs. de Winter.

C. Aubrey Smith is fantastic as Colonel Julyan, this police authority figure who comes in during the film’s third act where he investigates what has happened while trying to make sense of why Maxim is being targeted. Reginald Denney is brilliant as Frank Crawley as the estate manager of Manderley and a friend of Maxim who knew Rebecca during her marriage to Maxim while vague about wanting to talk about her. George Sanders is amazing as Jack Favell as Rebecca’s cousin as he is this charming yet devilish figure that only appears in a few scenes as he is someone that has his own motives to create discord for Maxim and Mrs. de Winter. Judith Anderson is tremendous as Mrs. Danvers as the housekeeper of Manderley as she is this woman that is cold towards the new Mrs. de Winter as she is someone who loved Rebecca as she would also create chaos in Maxim’s marriage to his new wife as an act of devotion towards her late mistress.

Finally, there’s the duo of Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in great performances in their respective roles as Maxim and Mrs. de Winter where Olivier displays a man in anguish as someone who is consumed with guilt and grief over the loss of his first wife while is desperate to hold on to his new life with his new wife. Fontaine brings a livelier performance as a woman who is excited in the new life she has given but is troubled by the shadow of Maxim’s late wife. Even as she then deals with the stories of Rebecca and tries to understand everything that had happened with Maxim where she and Olivier have great rapport in the way two people deal with a ghostly presence who tries to destroy their happiness.

Rebecca is a spectacular film by Alfred Hitchcock that features phenomenal leading performances from Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine as well as an outstanding supporting performance from Judith Anderson. Along with its ensemble cast, thrilling music score, entrancing visuals, and its study of loss. It is a film that explores a couple dealing with the presence of a man’s late wife as well as secrets about this woman that is never seen in the film’s entirety. In the end, Rebecca is a sensational film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) – The 39 Steps - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) – The Lady Vanishes (1938 film) - (Jamaica Inn) – (Foreign Correspondent) – (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) – Suspicion (1941 film) - (Saboteur) – (Shadow of a Doubt) – Lifeboat - Bon Voyage - (Spellbound) – Notorious – (The Paradine Cage) – Rope - (Under Capricorn) – (Stage Fright) – Strangers on a Train - I Confess - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) - (The Wrong Man) – Vertigo - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) – (Topaz) – (Frenzy) – (Family Plot)

© thevoid99 2024

2022 Blind Spot Series: The Bigamist

 

Directed by Ida Lupino and screenplay by Collier Young from a story by Lawrence B. Marcus and Lou Schor, The Bigamist is the story of a traveling salesman from San Francisco who has a life there but another life in Los Angeles where an adoption agent discovers this man’s immoral act. The film is an exploration of a man caught between two lives as well as the fact that he’s in love with these two women. Starring Edmond O’Brien, Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino, and Edmund Gwenn. The Bigamist is a riveting and somber film from Ida Lupino.

The film is the story of a traveling salesman from San Francisco whose wife wants to adopt a child where an adoption agent becomes suspicious and learns that this man has another wife and a child in Los Angeles. It is a film with a simple premise as it also has a unique structure in Collier Young’s screenplay where the first 20 minutes is about this traveling salesman in Harry Graham (Edmond O’Brien) as he is meeting this adoption agent in Mr. Jordan (Edmund Gwenn) who notices something is off about Harry during their meeting that included Harry’s wife Eve (Joan Fontaine). Mr. Jordan goes to Los Angeles to know more about Harry in his business trips to the city where he finds a name similar to Harry in an address where he makes this discovery.

It is where the film’s tone becomes a reflective one where Harry tells his story to Mr. Jordan about the fact that he has another wife in Phyllis Martin (Ida Lupino) whom he had met at a bus tour as they just clicked despite not romantically being interested in one another. During the course of the film, Harry struggles to do the right thing for both women but circumstances beyond his control as it relates to Eve’s own family issues and Phyllis’ health forces him to be with both whenever he can as both women are unaware of each other’s existence.

Lupino’s direction is largely straightforward in its visuals though there are bits that do play like a noir film of sorts though it is largely a dramatic film set and shot in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. While there are wide shots to establish some of the locations, much of Lupino’s direction is intimate as it play into the drama with the usage of medium shots and close-ups. Lupino also maintains this tense atmosphere in the conversation between Mr. Jordan and Harry with the latter talking about how he met Phyllis and how their relationship only began slowly because both of them were lonely with Harry often feeling secondary to Eve who is dealing with her ailing father. Lupino’s direction showcase the conflict that Harry is dealing with where he thinks about leaving Eve because she’s been distant in order to be with Phyllis but then Eve calls him to be more involved emotionally as things get more complicated. Even in the third act where Mr. Jordan processes Harry’s story where Lupino showcase how complicated things are as its ending is heartbreaking not just for the women but also for Harry who knew things weren’t going to end well. Overall, Lupino crafts a compelling yet haunting film about a man who is married to two women.

Cinematographer George E. Diskant does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography where it is largely straightforward for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as the usage of some lights for some of the scenes at night. Editor Stanford Tischler does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some nice usage of transitional dissolves to play into the drama. Art director James W. Sullivan and set decorator Edward G. Boyle do fantastic work with the look of the home that Graham lives with Phyllis as well as the Chinese restaurant where Phyllis worked at. The sound work of Dick Tyler Sr. and Howard Wilson is terrific for its natural approach to the sound from the way some noise is presented at a party to the quieter moments in the film. The film’s music by Leith Stevens is wonderful for its lush orchestral score that ranges from its dramatic and somber themes to suspenseful themes with the string arrangements to play into Harry’s plight.

The film’s superb ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from George Lee as the Chinese restaurant head waiter Sam, John Maxwell as the judge in the film’s final scene, Lilian Fontaine as Phyllis’ landlady, Peggy Maley as a phone operator that works in the L.A. building where Harry would work at, Jane Darwell as Mr. Jordan’s cleaning lady Mrs. Connelley, and Kenneth Tobey as Harry’s lawyer Tom Morgan. Edmund Gwenn is brilliant as Mr. Jordan as an adoption agent who is suspicious about Harry as he tries to figure him out as he would later listen to Harry’s story where he makes his own assessment revealing to be a man who has a job to do but is sympathetic to Harry’s issues. Joan Fontaine is amazing as Eve as Harry’s wife/business partner as a woman who was emotionally-detached for a time due to her ailing father as she is someone who is always good to him and hopes adopting a child would bring them closer.

Ida Lupino is amazing as Phyllis as a woman who works at a Chinese restaurant as she befriends Harry through mutual loneliness as they have a tryst that at first meant nothing until she realizes she is pregnant while also realizing how much they care for each other. Finally, there’s Edmond O’Brien in an incredible performance as Harry Graham as a traveling salesman who is in love with two women as he puts himself in an awful situation as it is largely driven by uncertainty and loneliness where O’Brien displays that vulnerability of a man who knew he had done something wrong but couldn’t help but try to make things right for these two women.

The Bigamist is a phenomenal film from Ida Lupino that features great performances from Lupino, Edmond O’Brien, Joan Fontaine, and Edmund Gwenn. Along with its simplistic presentation as well as its study of bigamy and a man’s conflict in the decisions he’s made. It is a film that definitely explore a subject matter with great sensitivity while also knowing the implications it would cause in the lives of three people. In the end, The Bigamist is a sensational film from Ida Lupino.

Ida Lupino Films: (Not Wanted) – (Never Fear) – Outrage (1950 film) - (Hard, Fast, and Beautiful) – The Hitch-Hiker - (The Trouble with Angels)

© thevoid99 2022

Suspicion (1941 film)

Based on the novel Before the Fact by Francis Iles, Suspicion is the story of a woman who falls for a charming playboy as she notices that something about him is off as he is believed to be a killer. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and screenplay by Samson Raphaelson, Joan Harrison, and Alma Reville, the film is a romantic-psychological thriller that plays into a woman who is the last person that catches the eye of a playboy which only adds to their offbeat yet troubling relationship. Starring Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, Isabel Jeans, Heather Angel, and Leo G. Carroll. Suspicion is a gripping yet riveting film from Alfred Hitchcock.

After meeting and falling for a notorious playboy/gambler, a shy heiress marries the man in hoping to find happiness until certain things in her life including people she knows start to disappear as she suspects that her husband is actually a killer. It’s a film that plays into this woman who has been very reserved in her life as she meets this renowned playboy at a train on her way home as she becomes smitten by him but with a sense of caution. Yet, their subsequent meetings turn into a romance where they elope in secrecy as their marriage becomes troubling due to the amount of gambling debts that Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant) has amassed himself where Lina McLaidlaw (Joan Fontaine) becomes suspicious over the loss of a few objects. The film’s screenplay explore a woman not only becoming suspicious about her husband and what he does but also in some of things he wants to do in his life. Even as his plans to do something for himself which only makes Lina feel more confused and paranoid about what is going on following the death of her father and later a family friend.

Alfred Hitchcock’s direction is very engaging for the way it plays into a simple drama that has air of suspense and intrigue. Notably as he goes for something that is simple in some of his compositions and how he would frame his actors for a scene. While there are a few wide shots in the film which includes images of a seaside cliff, much of the direction is intimate with its usage of close-ups and medium shots where Hitchcock play into the romance as well as Lina’s anguish over Johnnie’s gambling and activities that she doesn’t know much about. The direction would maintain a sense of intrigue where Hitchcock would create some intimate conversations such as a dinner scene with a suspense writer about poison where it is about Lina’s reaction and paranoia. Even as a supporting character dies suspiciously where it plays into what could happen as Hitchcock’s mastery of suspense becomes so engrossing as it plays to a chilling climax of what could really happen to Lina and what Johnnie has been doing all along. Overall, Hitchcock creates an intoxicating yet eerie film about a woman questioning her marriage and the man she had married.

Cinematographer Harry Stradling Sr. does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography where much of it is very simple to play up some of the drama and light-hearted moments but also create some unique images as well as some key lighting schemes to help create some suspense. Editor William Hamilton does amazing work with the editing with some stylish usage of dissolves as well as some rhythmic cut to plays into the suspense. Art director Van Nest Polglase and set decorator Darrell Silvera do excellent work with the design of the home that Johnnie and Lina would live in as well as some of other places they go to including the home of the suspense author.

Costume designer Edward Stevenson does fantastic work with the design of the gowns that Lina would wear in some of the social gatherings as well as the clothes she wears at home. Sound recordist John E. Tribby does terrific work in the sound to help create an air of suspense which heightens some of the drama including some of its very quiet scenes. The film’s music by Franz Waxman is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that plays into the drama with its lush string arrangements along with some eerie pieces for its suspenseful moments.

The film’s phenomenal cast include some notable small roles from Lumsden Hare as Inspector Hodgson, Vernon Downing as Hodgson’s assistant, Gavin Gordon as the dinner guest Dr. Sedbusk who is also the brother of the author Isobel, Reggie Sheffield as Lina’s dance partner at a ball early in the film, Isobel Jeans as a friend of Johnnie early in the film, Auriol Lee as the suspense author Isobel Sedbusk, and Leo G. Carroll as Johnnie’s cousin Captain George Melbeck who would give Johnnie a job which wouldn’t go for very long. Heather Angel is terrific as Johnnie and Lina’s maid Ethel who takes care of their home as she wonders what is wrong with Lina. Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Dame May Whitty are excellent in their respective roles as Lina’s parents General and Mrs. McLaidlaw as a couple who are befuddled by Johnnie as the former is the most suspicious of the two.

Nigel Bruce is brilliant as Gordon Cochrane “Beaky” Thwaite as a friend of Johnnie who tries to assure Lina that everything is alright just as he and Johnnie are planning something that will help them financially. Cary Grant is amazing as Johnnie Aysgarth as a playboy/gambler who falls for the shy Lina as he tries to cope with the changes in his married life while secretly doing things in an attempt to start something new for himself. Finally, there’s Joan Fontaine in a remarkable performance as Lina McLaidlaw as this shy heiress who falls for a man with a notorious reputation yet sees the good in him until certain activities and things that he do arouses some suspicion which would play into her anguished performance as it’s really one of the film’s highlights.

Suspicion is a sensational film from Alfred Hitchcock that features incredible performances from Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. The film isn’t just one of Hitchcock’s more intriguing suspense-dramas but also a study of identity and marriage which would play into a woman dealing with who she has married. In the end, Suspicion is a marvelous film from Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) - The 39 Steps - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) - The Lady Vanishes - (Jamaica Inn) - Rebecca - (Foreign Correspondent) - (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) - (Saboteur) - (Shadow of a Doubt) - Bon Voyage - Lifeboat - (Spellbound) - Notorious - (The Paradine Cage) - Rope - (Under Capricorn) - (Stage Fright) - Strangers on a Train - I Confess - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) - (The Wrong Man) - Vertigo - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) - (Topaz) - (Frenzy) - (Family Plot)

© thevoid99 2015

Jane Eyre (1943 film)

Based on Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre is the story of an orphaned girl who goes through abuse as a child and delve into lots of turmoil in her life until she meets and falls for a man while serving as a governess at mansion. Directed by Robert Stevenson and adapted by Robert Stevenson, Aldous Huxley, John Houseman, and un-credited work from Henry Koster. The film explores a girl’s life into womanhood as she grows into different periods of her life being loveless and mistreated. Starring Orson Welles, Joan Fontaine, Margaret O’Brien, Peggy Ann Garner, John Sutton, Sara Allgood, Henry Daniell, Agnes Moorehead, and an early appearance from Elizabeth Taylor. Jane Eyre is mesmerizing and intoxicating film from Robert Stevenson.

Losing her parents at an early age and living with her cruel aunt Reed (Agnes Moorehead) and cousin John (Ronald Harris), Jane Eyre (Peggy Ann Garner) is sent to Lowood Institution where she endures more cruelty from its headmaster Mr. Brocklehurst (Henry Daniell). Finding friendship in a young girl named Helen Burns (Elizabeth Taylor) and sympathy from Dr. Rivers (John Sutton), Jane eventually becomes educated as she leaves the institution 10 years later as an adult (Joan Fontaine). Taking a job as a governess for a mansion called Thornfield Hall, she meets its housekeeper Alice Fairfax (Edith Barrett) as she would care for a young French girl named Adele (Margaret O’Brien). Walking outside of the house, Jane sees a horse coming by as a man falls off the horse as he is revealed to the house’s owner in Edward Rochester (Orson Welles).

While Rochester maintains a very brooding yet mysterious persona as he treats Jane coldly at first. He starts to confide in her in the way she takes care of Adele as well as dealing with some of the mysterious things at home. Particularly when a fire happens in Rochester’s room where Jane heard a laugh and footsteps happening. The two forge a friendship as Jane still ponders about what Rochester might be hiding as she and Fairfax organize a party that is to be attended by many guests including Rochester’s fiancee Blance Ingram (Hillary Brooke). Jane watches from afar at the party as she tries to cope with her feelings towards Rochester while a surprise visit from a man named Mr. Mason (John Abbott) appears. Rochester tries to deal with Mason, who is later injured by an attack, while Jane wonders what Rochester is hiding.

After helping Rochester deal with Mason, Jane considers leaving as Rochester pleas for her to stay. Just as things between the two go well, Rochester’s secret is unveiled forcing Jane to make a heartbreaking decision of her own.

In this adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s novel about a poor, mistreated plain woman who falls for this mysterious man whose house she runs as she tries to discover what is he hiding and why he is often away from this house. Throughout the film, the story explores this young girl’s journey into seeking love and companionship as she would endure loss and abuse as a child and later deal with a form of indifference as an adult. Yet, there would be people who would care for this young girl that would shape her into becoming this woman who can run things and be this observer to a man who is quite enigmatic and often very cold at times. The screenplay explores the relationship between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester as well as being this very dramatic mystery. It is told largely from Jane’s perspective as if she is reading the actual book which includes an intro made for the film. While some scenes are changed from the book to add more dramatic punch to the film, the script does work in maintaining the tension and longing between Eyre and Rochester.

Robert Stevenson’s direction is very stylish for the way the Thornfield Hall manor and its exteriors are presented to maintain that Gothic look and tone of the book. While a lot of the compositions for the conversations and dramatic portions of the film are straightforward. There is an element of style to the look of those shots while Stevenson does create some amazing close-ups to express the emotions and drama. For the suspenseful moments, Stevenson slowly builds things up while keeping this ambiguous as he doesn’t reveal Rochester’s secret except in little hints and through conversation. The overall work that Stevenson does is pretty remarkable as well as spellbinding for maintaining a look that is true to Bronte’s vision of the story.

Cinematographer George Barnes does an incredible job with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the chilly exteriors of the moors to the more entrancing shades and ominous look for the dark interiors at the Thornfield Hall manor. Editor Walter Thompson does an excellent job with the editing as a lot of it is straightforward with dissolves and transitional fade-outs to help maintain a leisured pace for the film. Art directors James Basevi and Wiard Ihnen, along with set decorator Thomas Little, do fantastic work with the set pieces created such as the eerie manor as well as the spacious yet oppressive Lowood dining hall.

Costume designer Rene Hubert does a nice job with the costumes from the black dress and bonnet that Jane Eyre wears to the more regal look of Rochester. The sound work of W.D. Flick and Roger Heman Sr is terrific for the intimacy it provides in the conversation scenes along with the more terrifying moments involving thunderstorms and winds that occur in a few scenes. The film’s score by Bernard Herrmann is brilliant for its sweeping yet suspenseful score that also swells into dramatic arrangements led by a big orchestra as it’s the film’s technical highlight.

The film’s cast is definitely outstanding for the ensemble created that includes small roles from John Abbot as Mr. Mason, Ronald Harris as Jane’s young cousin John, Hillary Brooke as Rochester’s outgoing fiancee Blanche, Aubrey Mather as Rochester’s party guest Colonel Dent, Sara Allgood as Jane’s old kind maid Bessie, and a young Elizabeth Taylor in a splendid performance as young Jane’s best friend Helen Burns. Other notable supporting roles include Edith Barrett as the helpful Mrs. Fairfax, Henry Daniell as the abusive Brocklehurst, Anges Moorehead as the cruel Mrs. Reed, and John Sutton as the very kind Dr. Rivers. Margaret O’Brien is very good as the lively Adele while Peggy Ann Garner is superb in the role of the young Jane Eyre.

Orson Welles is great in the role of Edward Rochester with his imposing physique and brooding persona. While Welles’ approach to the character is theatrical in its tone, he does maintain the dramatic tropes needed for the character as he delves into despair. Finally, there’s Joan Fontaine in a fantastic performance as the titular character. Armed with a great sense of restraint to the melodrama as well as being a woman who endures all sorts of tribulations as well as refusing to be pinned down for who she is. It’s a very entrancing yet spellbinding performance from Fontaine.

The 1943 film version of Jane Eyre is a wonderful yet eerie film from Robert Stevenson featuring outstanding performances from Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine. The film is definitely an interesting take on Charlotte Bronte’s novel as well as playing to the dramatic style of the 1940s. Notably as it features some amazing technical work to help play to the Gothic mood of the film. In the end, Robert Stevenson’s adaptation of Jane Eyre is a chilling yet rapturous film.

Jane Eyre (2011 film)

© thevoid99 2012