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
Written, directed, and starring Charles Chaplin, Limelight is the story of a washed-up comic who meets a young dancer as he hopes to give her the break that she needed to make it into the big time. The film is an exploration into a man who has been through everything in the world of entertainment as he hopes to help a young woman who feels hopeless in her chance to succeed. Also starring Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Norman Lloyd, Wheeler Dryden, Sydney Earle Chaplin, and Buster Keaton. Limelight is a ravishing film from Charles Chaplin.
Being in the spotlight can give anyone the chance to succeed but there’s also failure as the comedian Calvero (Charles Chaplin) knows that too well as he is washed-up and unable to draw an audience. After meeting a suicidal ballerina in Thereza “Terry” Ambrose (Claire Bloom) whom he saved from a suicide attempt, he decides to help her succeed as she had a lot to live for. It’s a film that is about the old generation helping the new one in some respects but it’s also a love story where Terry falls for Calvero despite his age as he is baffled into why someone so young would fall for him. Calvero would serve as a beacon of confidence for Terry but Calvero himself comes into his own issues as he’s reluctant to return to the stage in fear of failing. At the same time, he’s not sure if he wants to be successful since he’s already done so much and just wants to perform without any kind of pressure.
Chaplin’s screenplay is filled with some very strong dialogue to play into this relationship where Calvero helps Terry to get her hopes up as well as some commentary on fickleness of fame. Notably as there’s scenes of Calvero reflecting on his days when he was a success but finds himself facing a reality when his act that includes him singing and doing things with fleas aren’t captivating audiences like they did back then. Calvero reluctantly accepts that reality as he resigns himself to getting drunk until he smells gas as he finds Terry passed out early in the film as he saves her from death. Terry is a young woman who has experienced a lot of disappointments and such that plays into her despair as she would be unable to walk due to her low self-esteem.
Once she does become a star with Calvero watching from behind as he would play a clown in one of her ballets. He prefers to stay away so she can have her moment in the limelight yet she wants to share with Calvero which he politely refuses. Especially when it involves the presence of a young composer Terry met some years ago when she was working in a store as that man has become successful. The character of Neville (Sydney Earle Chaplin) is a man, who like Terry, also suffered from low self-esteem but success as a composer has made him confident yet still pines for Terry. Terry is unsure about Neville due to her devotion for Calvero but realizes that she has to do things for herself since Calvero won’t be around for long despite the temptation of making a major comeback.
Chaplin’s direction is pretty simple in terms of its compositions yet he manages to create something that is very engaging in his approach to humor and drama. Notably in the way he presents the drama with some very entrancing close-ups and medium shots to convey the unique relationship between Calvero and Terry. Even as much of that relationship is set in Calvero’s apartment where it is filled with posters of Calvero when he was a star as the film is set in the 1910s. The use of flashbacks early in the film is crucial to Chaplin’s vision in not just how good Calvero was but also a brief glimpse into Terry’s life and the moment she first met Neville. The film’s second act begins six months after Calvero and Terry had met where they strive to succeed where Terry gets her break while Calvero is just happy to get a job.
The presentation of the ballets that Terry is in are truly exquisite with Chaplin employing some wide camera angles to present the beauty of her dancing (as it’s performed by dancing-double Melissa Hayden). The film’s climax not only involves Calvero getting one last chance at greatness but it’s also a moment where Chaplin brings in one of his great film rivals in Buster Keaton as Calvero’s partner for this extremely hilarious sequence in their stage performance. It’s a real highlight in the film where Chaplin not only brings in the elements of the past that has made him famous but also to showcase that he can still manage to create something that is still touching no matter how much the times have changed. Overall, Chaplin creates a truly delightful yet heart-wrenching film about two people working together to succeed in the entertainment business during changing times.
Cinematographer Karl Struss does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography for its intricate use of shadows and shading in the scenes in the stage to convey the sense of a world that is changing that Calvero couldn‘t be a part of. Editor Joe Inge does excellent work with the editing in not just creating some stylish dissolves but also use some transitional fade-outs and rhythmic cuts to play with its humor. Art director Eugene Lourie does fantastic work with the look of the apartment as well as some of the stage setting for the ballets. Costume designer Riley Thorne does dazzling work with the film’s period costumes from the suits that Calvero wears to the dresses that Terry wears.
Makeup artist Ted Larsen does nice work with the makeup work in the look of Calvero when he‘s on stage as well as Terry‘s makeup in her ballet performances. Sound editor Harold E. McGhan does terrific work with some of the film‘s sound effects as well as capturing some of the natural sounds in some of the film‘s different locations. The film’s music by Charles Chaplin is exquisite with its rich and delightful orchestral score that ranges from being comical to being somber in order to convey the many different moods in the film.
The film’s cast is marvelous as it includes appearances from Chaplin’s young children including Geraldine Chaplin as the kids Calvero runs into early in the film. Other notable small roles include Wheeler Dryden as the doctor who checks on Terry, Norman Lloyd as Calvero’s agent and Nigel Bruce as the very jovial impresario Postant. Sydney Earle Chaplin is excellent as the composer Neville who has always pined for Terry as he becomes aware of her relationship with Calvero. In a small yet fabulous role, Buster Keaton is hilarious as Calvero’s partner where he gets some funny lines late in the film yet it is the musical duet he has with Chaplin that is just truly unforgettable in its humor that showcases a performance from two great comedy actors that will never be seen ever again.
Claire Bloom is just radiant as Terry as this very troubled young woman who is unsure if she is to succeed as she finally does gain success but wants to share with Calvero as she is determined to become the devoted love of his life no matter how old he is. Finally, there’s Charles Chaplin in a very touching performance as Calvero where Chaplin brings a great sense of humility and wisdom to a man who faces the truth about his career while dealing with changing times as it’s Chaplin showcasing his range as a dramatic actor while also being very funny as he brings element of the Tramp to the performance as it’s certainly one of his most moving performances.
Limelight is a rapturous yet heart-wrenching film from Charles Chaplin that features one of his finest performances along with an outstanding one from Claire Bloom. The film is truly one of his great works not just in terms of its humor but also in the drama that it conveys. The film also features a moment where Chaplin and Buster Keaton show what they can do together as the two rivals create something that is magical. In the end, Limelight is a spectacular film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog’s Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day’s Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - The Idle Class - Pay Day - The Pilgrim - A Woman of Paris - The Gold Rush - The Circus - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Monsieur Verdoux - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
