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Rebecca.

In the last issue of Salient H. W. presented an inadequate and grossly unfair judgment of one of the best of recent films. He "based his criticism on the hackneyed plot and stock cast of characters; and could as easily have produced the same review [unclear: by] reading Daphne du Maurier's novel or the director's script. This flagrant example of the only too [unclear: common content] basis of judgment in film reviews move as to [unclear: wrath].

To review a film fairly, we should take a number of points into consideration; and the plot is the least of [unclear: these], Most' important is the director's handling of a given theme or story. John Ford has said that A great story is bound to come through in the telling. A director must know how to bring out the detail and the touches of action which the anther has used to [unclear: develop] character". He must select, in short, select skilfully and carefully from his material [unclear: to increase] or understanding of the springs of action in s character and create an atmosphere. If' he brings that extra genius of intuition to his task, we acclaim him master.

Such 13 Alfred [unclear: Hitchcock,] who directed 'Rebecca'. The foremost director in England today, he has done more than any living man to create a characteristically English film and to perfect what [unclear: Elizabeth] [unclear: Codhead] has [unclear: called the technique] of pure cinema, He has set his own limit in [unclear: one semi-thriller] type of film - Hitchcock has never produced a film that is socially, important. And theorist of his successes - 'The 39 Steps', 'The Lady Vanishes', and now [unclear: Rebecca], justifies the self-imposed restriction.

In [unclear: 'Jamaica Inn'], a venture into historical [unclear: romance,] the best scenes atmospherically those in which the coach journeys across the for [unclear: forbidding] moor prepares one for the first [unclear: glimpse] of the Inn itself, stark [unclear: against] the night sky. "bolted and shuttered against the stranger.

We grant H.W. - [unclear: for] argument's sake -a well-worn story, a stock set of character. But under Hitchcock's direction what a splendid film emerges; With the opening monologue of Rebecca, a atmosphere is established, which is [unclear: maintained] unerringly though never obtrusively, until [unclear: the climax]. The psychological formula of suspense is skilfully [unclear: as[gap — reason: illegible]] and the characteristic [unclear: Hitchcock] device of subjecting ordinary [unclear: people to the extraordinary circumstances] Hitchcock insists on the [unclear: nomality] of his characters, despite their environment. And he is a [unclear: pass master] in the delicate art of cramming a scene with [unclear: significance without overloading it.] Witness the scenes in [unclear: 'Rebecca' where the bride] breaks a china ornament; where Mrs. Danvers [unclear: insinuates] [unclear: that she lost the struggle] against Rebecca, and had better and everything, the beach on the night of the storm. These [unclear: are remembered.]

The [unclear: medium [gap — reason: illegible], secondly, is] photography, a [unclear: more] plastic medium than the [unclear: printed word, and an infinitely more] temperamental one. [unclear: The instances of effect gained] through magnificent photography in [unclear: 'Rebecca'] were, firstly, the [unclear: striking] glimpse of [unclear: Manderley] photographed through the windscreen of the [unclear: car] as Maxim drives his [unclear: young bride towards her] new home; and secondly, the lighting [unclear: generally] [unclear: in the scene in which] she visits the West wing. In this scene [unclear: particularly.] one [unclear: realized] how much of Mrs. Danvers' sinister appearance was [unclear: due, not] to make-up, but to skilful page break lighting and photography.

Again, there is the standard of acting to be taken into consideration. The outstanding performance in 'Rebecca was that of Joan Fontaine as the young and unsophisticated bride, a difficult role which she played magnificently. Laurence Olivier was better than I remembered him in previous films, giving a splendid interpretation of another difficult role.

A film director has a thousand stunts and devices at his hand with which to achieve effect. Much depends on the use to which he puts these and the selection he makes from them. I mention only the most outstanding experiment in 'Rebecca '—the long opening monologue with its photographic accompaniment. This daring beginning vindicated itself splendidly, because of the good photography, and the lovely quality of Joan Fontaine's voice.

We must consider these points in criticising a film. What the director does with his plot, not the plot itself, is what makes or [unclear: mars] the effect. And, judged thus, 'Rebecca' is one of the best films which I have lately seen.

Robert Frank.