Rebecca

While not the best Hitchcock movie it is the only one to win Best Picture. I was very excited to see it. Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors and has made some of the greatest movies. I started watching it and the DVD kept skipping. I finished the movie and realized I had missed parts. And it was some of the most important parts that explain the mystery. But I was able to rewind and see most of what I missed. Just to be safe I went to Target and bought a copy for myself.

The movie is about a young girl who marries a rich older man. This mans previous wife Rebecca died in a boating accident. After the new wife(she never is given a name) moves into the large mansion she is surrounded by the memories of Rebecca and strange things start to happen. The ghost of Rebecca seems to be haunting her. As the mystery unfolds it takes some twists and turns but is very satisfying at the end.

Hitchcock is the master of atmosphere and mood and he really shows it here. Rebecca demonstrates exactly why Hitchcock has a whole genre named after him. The whole mood of the movie is dark and foreboding. You never know what to expect and he keeps you on the edge of your seat. Somehow even though it won best picture Hitchcock didn't win best director he lost to John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath. While the acting and story were good I feel that it was Hitchcock's direction that made it great.

Besides Grapes of Wrath, Rebecca beat one of my favorite classic comedies The Philadelphia Story. The Philadelphia Story is a very funny movie with some of the best actors, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, and Katherine Hepburn in it. Its a lot of fun and just great to see all those amazing actors interact with each other.