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Prashant Bhargava

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Prashant Bhargava (January 12, 1973 – May 15, 2015) was an Indian-American filmmaker and designer. He died of a heart attack from a history of heart trouble. Bhargava's short film Sangam , described by Greg Tate of the Village Voice as "an elegant and poetic evocation of immigrant angst, memory and haunted spirituality", premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and PBS. His other directorial efforts include the documentary portrait of his grandmother Ammaji , experimental Super 8 short Backwaters and the poignant and meditative Kashmir , an audiovisual performance with band Dawn of Midi

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81-533: Bhargava's feature-length directorial debut, Patang : The Kite (2012) was premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival . The film was subsequently released in the U.S. and Canada, garnered much attention with rave reviews from the New York Times, and Los Angeles Times. Movie critic Roger Ebert gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, inviting Prashant to present

162-573: A FIAPF guideline that said: "All film festivals should contribute to better understanding between nations". Stevens claimed that the film, which includes a gang rape of a Vietnamese woman by American soldiers during the Vietnam War , was anti-American . One jury member, Dušan Makavejev , protested against this measure, stood up for the film and supported Verhoeven and producer Rob Houwer . Verhoeven defended his film by stating in these terms: "I have not made an anti-American film... The biggest part of

243-404: A Monte Carlo hotel, the same young woman, serving as a paid companion to the pompous aging Mrs. Van Hopper, again encounters the debonair widower de Winter. Aspiring to social prominence, Mrs. Van Hopper is obsequious to the aristocratic de Winter, but is soon confined to her room due to illness. Maxim invites the companion on excursions, which she conceals from her employer as tennis lessons, and

324-400: A 45-page double-spaced "storyline" which he submitted to Selznick on 3 June 1939. Selznick responded with a lengthy memo, describing himself as "shocked beyond words" and criticizing the ways in which the treatment diverged from the source material. Of the unnamed protagonist, Selznick wrote: Every little thing that the girl does in the book, her reactions of running away from the guests, and

405-560: A Bronze Berlin Bear, determined by audience vote, were also awarded from 1952 to 1955. After the FIAPF ruled to allow it, an official international jury determined the prizes from 1956 onwards, and in the same year a second Golden Bear was added, for best short film , as well as a second category of award, the Silver Bear, for individual achievements in acting or directing. In 1965, a runner-up prize to

486-456: A Silver Bear International Prize. As of 2022 , the Golden Bear for Best Film is awarded to the producers of the best feature film . As of 2022 , the categories of Silver Bear awards are: The Honorary Golden Bear has been awarded for lifetime achievement since 1982, when it was awarded to James Stewart . It is presented to someone with an exceptional artistic career, and is given to

567-461: A West German panel, and there were five winners of the Golden Bear , divided by categories and genres. Cinderella , which won the Golden Bear for a Music Film, also won the audience award. The FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films) banned the awarding of jury prizes at the festival, so between 1952 and 1955, the winners of the Golden Bear were determined by

648-449: A costume party as Maxim and Rebecca had done annually. Danvers suggests she copy the dress that one of Maxim's ancestors is seen wearing in a portrait. However, when she appears in the costume, Maxim is appalled as Rebecca had worn an identical dress at her last ball, just before her death. When Mrs. de Winter confronts Danvers about this, Danvers tells her she can never take Rebecca's place and tries to persuade her to jump to her death from

729-404: A large stage. It was used for relatively close shots, such as the views of flames through the windows during the burning of Manderley. The size of this miniature made it impossible to position a camera to encompass the full house and grounds, so a smaller version was constructed for long shots. This half-size miniature was used for the opening of the film. Hitchcock later said that Selznick wanted

810-618: A live score to it working with the International Contemporary Ensemble. Bhargava died at the age of 42 in 2015. In memory of him Vijay Iyer as the music director of the 2017 Ojai Music Festival has staged the film score in 2017 as an live act with members of the Oberlin Ensemble and the International Contemporary Ensemble conducted by UC San Diego music professor Steven Schick while the film

891-412: A new treatment which hewed closer to du Maurier's novel. A first script was completed on 29 July 1939. In the final weeks before shooting was to begin, Selznick hired Robert E. Sherwood to make some final revisions to the script and rework the story's climax, paying him $ 15,000. A final shooting script was dated September 7. Charles Bennett , who was in close contact with Hitchcock and Selznick at

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972-433: A previously rejected screenplay, in which he altered virtually the entire story. In the novel, Mrs. Danvers is something of a jealous mother figure, and her past is mentioned in the book. In the film, Mrs. Danvers is a much younger character (Judith Anderson would have been about 42 at the time of shooting), and her past is not revealed at all. The only thing known about her in the film is that she came to Manderley when Rebecca

1053-413: A replacement, but, finding him unavailable, instead hired Toland's mentor, George Barnes . Art director Lyle Wheeler designed 40 sets for Rebecca , 25 of them interiors, mostly of Manderley. Matte painting was used to fill out shots of the sets with hand-painted details such as upper walls, ceilings and chandeliers. Two miniatures of Manderley were created. The larger miniature occupied most of

1134-592: A score of 86 out of 100, based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Rebecca won the Film Daily year-end poll of 546 critics nationwide naming the best films of 1940. Rebecca was the opening film at the 1st Berlin International Film Festival in 1951. The Guardian called it "one of Hitchcock's creepiest, most oppressive films". In a poll held by the Empire magazine in 2008, it

1215-502: A specific film. The three Spanish films which were screened at the festival and won it were short film Ascensor directed by Tomás Muñoz and feature films La palabras de Max by Emilio Martínez Lázaro and Las truchas by José Luis García Sánchez . The 1978 festival also saw the start of the European Film Market as well as a new section, "Cinema for People Six and up" (which later became "Kinderfilmfest"). Just before

1296-537: Is a major industry meeting for the international film circuit. The trade fair serves distributors, film buyers, producers, financiers and co-production agents. The Berlinale Talents , a week-long series of lectures and workshops, is a gathering of young filmmakers held in partnership with the festival. During the peak of the Cold War in 1950, Oscar Martay , a film officer of the Information Service Branch of

1377-579: Is a picture that has the mark of quality in every department - production, direction, acting, writing and photography - and should have special appeal to femme fans. It creates a new star in Joan Fontaine, who does fine work in a difficult role, while Laurence Olivier is splendid." Harrison's Reports declared: "A powerful psychological drama for adults. David O. Selznick has given it a superb production, and Alfred Hitchcock has again displayed his directorial skill in building up situations that thrill and hold

1458-648: Is independently awarded by European Film Promotion at Berlinale Palast. There are also many other prizes given by independent juries (not connected to the Berlinale) at the event. These include, among others: Rebecca (1940 film) Rebecca is a 1940 American romantic psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock . It was Hitchcock's first American project, and his first film under contract with producer David O. Selznick . The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison , and adaptation by Philip MacDonald and Michael Hogan , were based on

1539-728: Is no line which she could not improve on". Before Selznick purchased the rights to Rebecca , he submitted a synopsis of the novel to the Production Code office, an industry body administered by Joseph Breen which strictly policed the morality of films released by major US studios. In the final act of the novel, Maxim de Winter confesses to the narrator that he shot Rebecca to death after she taunted him with her infidelities and claimed to be pregnant with another man's child. The discovery of Rebecca's body triggers an inquest into her death. Maxim avoids being charged, despite Jack Favell, Rebecca's cousin and lover, suspecting his guilt and directing

1620-462: Is still tormented by thoughts of his beloved dead wife, Rebecca. She asserts that her companion is ill-prepared to be the second Mrs. de Winter and cannot hope to succeed as the mistress of the stately Manderley . Maxim takes his new bride back to Manderley, his grand mansion by the sea in Cornwall . Manderley is dominated by its housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, a chilly individual who had been a confidante of

1701-744: Is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. In its first year in 1951, it was awarded to the best film in each of five categories, by an all-German jury. From 1952 to 1955, the Golden and Silver Bears were awarded by audience voting, as the FIAPF had determined after the first festival that only the Cannes and the Venice film festivals were allowed to appoint official juries. A Silver Bear ( Silberner Bär ) and

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1782-501: Is the story of a murderer, who is permitted to go off "scot free." 2. The quite inescapable inference of sex perversion. 3. The repeated references, in the dialogue, to the alleged illicit relationship between Favell and the first Mrs. de Winter, and the frequent references to the alleged illegitimate child-to-be. To remedy the first issue, Breen demanded that either de Winter be punished for his crime, or that Rebecca's death be rewritten to be accidental. The latter solution, which

1863-774: The Berlinale ( German pronunciation: [bɛʁliˈnaːlə] ), is an annual film festival held in Berlin , Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europe's " Big Three " film festivals alongside the Venice Film Festival held in Italy and the Cannes Film Festival held in France. Furthermore, it is one of

1944-452: The Golden Bear and Silver Bears , are decided on by the international jury, chaired by an internationally recognisable cinema personality. This jury and other specialised Berlinale juries also give many other awards, and in addition there are other awards given by independent juries and organisations. The European Film Market ( EFM ), a film trade fair held simultaneously to the Berlinale,

2025-470: The Noack Foundry . The main prizes in the festival are those awarded by the international jury since 1956, which today include the Golden Bear and various Silver Bears. In 1956, apart from the Golden Bear, there were also Silver Bears awarded by the new international feature film jury for best director, best actress, best actor, best outstanding single achievement, outstanding artistic contribution, and

2106-550: The festival was re-formed and a new International Forum for New Cinema was created. 1975 saw the first East German film to be entered into the festival, Jacob the Liar . At the premiere of In the Realm of the Senses in 1976, the film was confiscated in the projection room by Berlin police and the "Forum" management criminally accused of the public screening a pornographic film. Bauer

2187-471: The " Big Five ", the most prestigious film festivals in the world. The festival regularly draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. About 400 films are shown at multiple venues across Berlin, mostly in and around Potsdamer Platz . They are screened in nine sections across cinematic genres, with around twenty films competing for the festival's top awards in the Competition section. The major awards, called

2268-409: The "murder angle". Selznick subsequently pitched actors Melvyn Douglas , Walter Pidgeon , Leslie Howard , and William Powell , before he and Hitchcock ultimately settled on English actor Laurence Olivier . The casting of the second Mrs. de Winter was contentious and no fewer than 126 actresses, ranging from major stars to unknowns, were considered for the role. Relative newcomer Joan Fontaine

2349-419: The 1938 novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier . The film stars Laurence Olivier as the brooding, aristocratic widower Maxim de Winter and Joan Fontaine as the young, never-named woman who becomes his second wife, with Judith Anderson , George Sanders and Gladys Cooper in supporting roles. The film is a gothic tale shot in black-and-white . Maxim de Winter's first wife Rebecca, who died before

2430-548: The 1979 festival, Donner announced that he was resigning. The festival also saw further controversy that year when the Soviet Union and other socialist states withdrew their films and delegates in protest at the selection of The Deer Hunter and their solidarity with "the heroic people of Vietnam". Donner was followed by Moritz de Hadeln , who held the position from 1980 until director Dieter Kosslick took over in 2001. In 1981, de Hadeln only nominated one German film for

2511-594: The 2022 event, still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic , 156,472 tickets were sold. About 400 films are shown in several sections across cinematic genres, with around twenty films competing for the festival's top awards, the Golden Bear and Silver Bears. In 2022, festival was receiving €10.3 million from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. There was consideration given by

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2592-676: The American High Commissioner for Germany stationed in Berlin, proposed the idea of a film festival in Berlin. The proposal was put through a committee, which included members of the Senate of Berlin and people from the German film industry , on 9 October 1950. Through his efforts and influence, the American military administration was persuaded to assist and to give loans for the first years of

2673-450: The American people today is against the war in Vietnam". Other directors taking part in the festival withdrew their films in protest, and the jury was accused of censorship and eventually disbanded, so no prizes were awarded and the competition was suspended. This scandal had such a big effect that it was unclear if the festival would continue to take place the next year. The following year,

2754-547: The Berlin International Film Festival, which commenced in June 1951. Film historian Dr. Alfred Bauer was the festival's first director, a position he would hold until 1976. Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca opened the first festival at the Titania-Palast in Steglitz on 6 June 1951. The festival ran from 6 to 17 June, with Waldbühne being another festival venue. The winners of the inaugural awards in 1951 were determined by

2835-463: The Golden Bear was added. The statuettes awarded as trophies are based on the Bär first created by sculptor Renée Sintenis (1888–1965) in 1932. The bear, based on the coat of arms of Berlin and depicting a bear standing on its hind legs with its arms raised, became popular in the 1930s, bringing wealth to Sintenis. Since the 3rd edition of the festival in 1953, replicas of the bear have been produced by

2916-570: The audience members. In 1956, FIAPF formally accredited the festival and since then the Golden Bear has been awarded by an international jury. Prior to the erection of the Berlin Wall in 1961, a selection of the films were also screened in East Berlin . The fifth edition in 1955 saw the first German film to win the Golden Bear, Robert Siodmak 's Die Ratten . In 1957, the Zoo Palast became

2997-501: The beginning of World War II, Britain having declared war on Germany on 3 September. Hitchcock and the mostly British cast feared for their families in Britain, with fears circulating that London might soon experience German bombing. Selznick initially assigned Harry Stradling as cinematographer, but he withdrew from the project after the distressing experience of being fired from Intermezzo by Selznick. Selznick sought Gregg Toland as

3078-456: The competition, Der Neger Erwin , and other German producers and directors called for his resignation and proposed a boycott although no boycott took place. In 1986, Gina Lollobrigida was invited to head the jury at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival , which awarded the Golden Bear to Reinhard Hauff 's film Stammheim . She said the majority decision was "prefabricated", and opposed it. Kosslick started making some changes to

3159-446: The competition. Werner Herzog 's first feature film, Lebenszeichen , premiered at the festival in 1968. The 20th edition of the festival in 1970 was cut short and awards not issued following controversy over the showing of Michael Verhoeven 's anti-war film o.k. . The jury, headed by American film director George Stevens , decided after a 7–2 vote to remove the film from the competition, justifying their decision by citing

3240-428: The end; he is seen walking, back turned to the audience, outside a phone box just after Jack Favell completes a call. In 1938, Hitchcock read the galley proofs of Rebecca whilst filming Jamaica Inn , an adaptation of another Daphne du Maurier novel. Hitchcock considered independently purchasing the film rights, but was unable to match the high amounts offered by major studios. The high projected sales figures for

3321-446: The events of the film, is never seen. Her reputation and recollections of her, however, are a constant presence in the lives of Maxim, his new wife and the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers . Rebecca was theatrically released on April 12, 1940, to critical and commercial success. It received eleven nominations at the 13th Academy Awards , more than any other film that year. It won two awards; Best Picture , and Best Cinematography , becoming

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3402-488: The federal government to help compensate for revenue lost and additional expenditure owing to the pandemic, with funds drawn from the Neustart Kultur programme. Since 2019, Mariette Rissenbeek has been the festival's executive director; Carlo Chatrian is its artistic director . In September 2023, it was reported that artistic director Carlo Chatrian will relinquish his post after 2024 Berlinale. On 12 December 2023 it

3483-505: The festival, moving the emphasis from Hollywood in order to focus more on German and international cinema. He introduced various events to assist the development of emerging talent in German cinema. In 2010, for the 60th edition of the festival , Werner Herzog was appointed president of the jury. Also in that year, the city of Berlin unveiled its Boulevard of the Stars  [ de ] , with

3564-491: The film Rebecca was stolen from her novel Blind Windows , and sought an undisclosed amount of accounting and damages. The complaint was dismissed on January 14, 1948 and the judgment can be read online. The production credits on the film were as follows: The film earned $ 3 million in theater rentals from the U.S. and Canada and $ 1 million in Britain on its initial release. It was re-released in Britain in 1945 and made $ 460,000. According to Kinematograph Weekly , it

3645-497: The film at Ebertfest. His film "Radhe Radhe" (2014) has been dealing with springtime rituals in India. So he asked Vijay Iyer to contribute the sound track based on the coincidence of the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky's "[The] Rite Of Spring". And the jazz musician and 2014 appointed Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts at Harvard University said okay and contributed as film composer and created

3726-532: The final cut of the film, as well as Rebecca's illegitimate pregnancy, though the character of Dr. Baker, implied in the book to be an abortionist, is portrayed in the film as a respectable physician. Principal photography on Rebecca began on 8 September 1939, having been postponed twice from 30 August and then 5 September. The film was budgeted at $ 800,000 and 36 days of shooting, but went significantly behind schedule, ultimately concluding after 63 days on 20 November 1939. The start of production coincided with

3807-550: The first Mrs. de Winter and who resents her "usurper". Danvers feeds the bride's insecurity by showing her Rebecca's grand bedroom suite, preserved unchanged and denied to the new wife, and by retaining items throughout the house that carry Rebecca's monogram. Eventually, constant reminders of Rebecca's glamour and sophistication convince the new Mrs. de Winter that Maxim is still in love with his tragically drowned first wife, which could explain his restlessness and irrational outbursts of anger. She tries to assert her new role by holding

3888-544: The first of 40 stars devoted to actors and filmmakers of the German-speaking film and TV industry. First to be honoured in the Boulevard was German-American actress Marlene Dietrich . In 2012 the 100th anniversary of the historic Studio Babelsberg was celebrated at the 62nd edition of the festival , with the screening of 10 classic films made at the studios. A new Series section, devoted to longform television series ,

3969-594: The guest of honour of the Homage section which has been run since 1977 by the Berlinale and the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen . Awards for short films are awarded by a separate international short film jury consisting of three filmmakers and artists. As of 2022 , the short film award are: There are also awards given by separate juries or via other routes at the Berlinale. These include: The Shooting Stars Award for young European acting talent

4050-534: The main venue for the festival, and remained so until the move to Potsdamer Platz in 2000 (see Venues below). In 1963, two years after the Berlin Wall had been erected, a daily show of the Berlinale was shown on television in East Germany, with five films in competition broadcast. Controversy arose in 1964 with the rejection by Bauer, on insistence from the church, of Vilgot Sjöman 's second film, 491 , from

4131-517: The minor role of Mrs. van Hopper, the protagonist's social-climbing employer in the beginning of the story. Hitchcock ultimately selected Florence Bates for the role after seeing her in a theatrical production at the Pasadena Playhouse . Bates, a lawyer by training who had only appeared on camera once before, required an unusually large number of retakes for some of her scenes. Selznick was displeased with her line readings, stating "I think there

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4212-414: The most innocent of viewers" in the present day, though it is unclear whether this interpretation would have been accessible to audiences in 1940. Asked about it later in life, Judith Anderson denied intentionally playing Mrs. Danvers as a lesbian, stating that "we never thought of such things at that time". The references to the extramarital affair between Favell and Rebecca de Winter remained explicit in

4293-505: The novel made Rebecca a highly desirable property, and the rights ultimately went to Selznick International for $ 50,000 - the same price Selznick had paid for Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind . Selznick officially assigned Hitchcock to direct the adaptation in September 1938. Hitchcock and David O. Selznick clashed over the adaptation of Rebecca , with Selznick favouring fidelity to

4374-628: The novel while Hitchcock wished to make changes, particularly hoping to add some dynamism to the character of the second Mrs. de Winter. Selznick first offered the job of writing the screenplay to Daphne du Maurier, but she declined. Selznick unsuccessfully pitched a number of writers to Hitchcock to script Rebecca including Clemence Dane , John Balderston , Ben Hecht , and Hugh Walpole . By November 1938, Selznick eventually agreed to pay Hitchcock $ 5,000 to write an initial outline. Hitchcock worked with his wife, Alma Hitchcock , assistant Joan Harrison , and British writer Michael Hogan to produce

4455-636: The only film directed by Hitchcock to win the former award. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". On the French Riviera , Maxim de Winter stands at a cliff edge, seemingly contemplating suicide. A young woman shouts at him to stop him in his tracks, but he curtly asks her to walk on. Later, at

4536-477: The perfect wife and hostess for the sake of appearances. When Rebecca implied she was pregnant by her cousin and lover, Jack Favell, she taunted Maxim that the estate might pass to someone other than Maxim's line. During a heated argument, Rebecca fell, struck her head, and died. Afraid he would be blamed for her death, Maxim took the body out in a boat which he then scuttled; some days later, he identified another body that washed ashore as Rebecca's. The crisis causes

4617-606: The picture. But Selznick relished the post-production process; he personally edited the footage, laid in Franz Waxman 's score, and supervised retakes and extensive re-recording of the dialogue of Sanders, Bates and Fontaine. Rewrites and reshooting were called for after a rough cut was previewed on December 26, 1939. The Hollywood Reporter reported in 1944 that Edwina Levin MacDonald sued Selznick, Daphne du Maurier, United Artists and Doubleday for plagiarism. MacDonald claimed that

4698-503: The police to investigate him. The Production Code office described this as "a clear violation of the Production Code, since it apparently justifies and condones murder". Selznick proceeded with the adaptation despite this warning. Breen's office rejected an initial script, outlining three chief issues (along with a long list of objectionable phrases to be excised such as "for God's sake", "you ass" and "lovers"): 1. As now written, it

4779-548: The preceding year. As of 2024 the festival is composed of eight different sections: "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" (Perspectives on German Cinema) was created in 2002 by incoming director Dieter Kosslick with Alfred Holighaus. This was dropped from 2024 Berlinale due to budget cuts. A section called "Culinary Cinema" had also been introduced by Kosslick in 2007, as well as a series called "NATIVe" (for indigenous filmmakers) in 2013; however, these were dropped after his departure in 2019. The Golden Bear ( Goldener Bär )

4860-452: The role to go to his lover (and later wife) Vivien Leigh . Among the actresses Hitchcock tested for the role were Lucile Fairbanks , Marjorie Reynolds , and Jean Muir . By August 19, the list of finalists for the role had been narrowed to Margaret Sullavan , Anne Baxter , Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine . Selznick ultimately offered the role to Fontaine, announcing her casting on 5 September 1939, just three days before filming

4941-434: The second Mrs. de Winter to shed her naïve ways. When the inquest considers the possibility of suicide, Favell attempts to blackmail Maxim, threatening to reveal a letter from Rebecca hinting at a pregnancy that made suicide improbable. When Maxim informs the police of the attempted blackmail, they must investigate Favell's accusations that Maxim murdered Rebecca. Further investigation with a doctor, however, reveals that Rebecca

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5022-514: The second point was in reference to the implied lesbian attraction felt by Mrs. Danvers toward Rebecca. Breen complained of the impropriety of "Mrs. Danvers' description of Rebecca's physical attributes, [and] her handling of the various garments, particularly the night gown". Breen insisted that in the final cut "there must be no suggestion whatever of a perverted relationship between Mrs. Danvers and Rebecca." Scholar David Boyd describes Danvers' attraction to Rebecca as "inescapably clear to all but

5103-418: The second-story window of Rebecca's room. At that moment, however, the alarm is raised because a ship has run aground due to the fog and, during the rescue of its crew, a sunken boat with Rebecca's body in it has been discovered. Maxim now confesses to his new wife that his first marriage had been a sham from the start. Rebecca had declared that she had no intention of keeping to her vows but would pretend to be

5184-424: The smoke from the burning Manderley to spell out a huge "R", which Hitchcock thought lacked subtlety. While Selznick was preoccupied by Gone with the Wind (1939), Hitchcock was able to replace the smoky "R" with the burning of a monogrammed négligée case lying atop a bed pillow. Hitchcock edited the film " in camera " (shooting only what he wanted to see in the final film) to restrict the producer's power to re-edit

5265-496: The spectator in tense suspense." John Mosher of The New Yorker wrote that Hitchcock "labored hard to capture every tragic or ominous nuance, and presents a romance which is, I think, even more stirring than the novel". The film holds a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 104 reviews, with an average rating of 8.90/10. The site's consensus describes it as "a masterpiece of haunting atmosphere, Gothic thrills, and gripping suspense". On  Metacritic  it has

5346-416: The time they were working on Rebecca , stated that the final script was "ninety percent the work of Michael Hogan, although some rewrites were done by Joan. Very little, at the end, was contributed by the one who is most famous and therefore most credited, Sherwood". Although Selznick insisted that the film be faithful to the novel, Hitchcock did make some other changes, though not as many as he had made in

5427-403: The tiny things that indicate her nervousness and her self-consciousness and her gaucherie are all so brilliant in the book that every woman who has read it has adored the girl and has understood her psychology... We have removed all the subtleties and substituted big broad strokes. In response to Selznick's notes, Hitchcock, with Joan Harrison and Scottish writer Philip MacDonald , began work on

5508-403: The young woman soon becomes infatuated, though puzzled by such attention. On her recovery, Mrs. Van Hopper decides to leave Monte Carlo; her companion furtively informs Maxim of her departure, and Maxim unexpectedly proposes marriage. After being informed of the proposal by Maxim, a shocked Mrs. Van Hopper privately tells her companion that Maxim is marrying her as a desperate distraction because he

5589-426: Was a bride. The process of casting Rebecca occurred in parallel with the development of the screenplay over the course of several months leading up to the beginning of shooting in September 1939. For the role of Maxim de Winter, Selznick and Hitchcock originally sought Ronald Colman , whom Selznick had under contract. Colman declined the role over concerns that the film would be a "woman-starring vehicle" and over

5670-487: Was announced by the German culture ministry that Tricia Tuttle, formerly director of the BFI London Film Festival , will be the sole director of the Berlinale from April 2024. The festival is open to films of every length and genre, but there is priority given to international and European premieres, and the films need to have been completed within the year preceding the festival. Submissions open in September of

5751-557: Was introduced in 2015. In June 2018, it was announced that Mariette Rissenbeek would serve as the new executive director alongside artistic director Carlo Chatrian. They assumed their posts after Kosslick's final edition in 2019. Rissenbeek became the first woman to lead the Berlinale. A shortened 71st festival took place virtually in March 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . 73rd Berlin International Film Festival held in February 2023,

5832-421: Was not pregnant but terminally ill due to cancer, so the suicide verdict stands. Maxim realizes Rebecca had been trying to goad him into killing her to ruin him. As a free man, Maxim returns home to see Manderley on fire, set ablaze by the deranged Mrs. Danvers. All escape except Danvers, who dies when the ceiling collapses on her. Hitchcock's cameo appearance , a signature feature of his films, takes place near

5913-538: Was shown at the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood in 2019. The screening was introduced by Christopher Nolan . Rebecca won two Academy Awards : Best Picture and Best Cinematography; and was nominated for nine more: It is the only film since 1936 (when awards for actors in supporting roles were first introduced) that, despite winning Best Picture, received no Academy Award for acting, directing or writing. Rebecca

5994-756: Was shown on a large screen above the heads of the musicians. Bhargava was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, a graduate of Kenwood Academy. His interest in the arts began in his youth, when he was a graffiti artist. Bhargava studied computer science at Cornell University and theatrical directing at the Barrow Group and at the Actors Studio MFA program. Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival ( German : Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin ), usually called

6075-418: Was succeeded by film journalist Wolf Donner in 1976, who gave German films higher priority. After his first Berlinale in June 1977, Donner successfully negotiated the shift of the festival from the June to February (22 February – 5 March 1978), a change which has remained ever since. That festival, the 28th edition , saw the jury award the Golden Bear to Spain for its contribution to the festival rather than

6156-467: Was the first completely in-person Berlinale since the 70th in 2020. The Berlinale is considered one of the five major film festivals in the world, alongside Venice , Cannes , Sundance and Toronto , and is the largest based on attendance. As of 2020, around 325,000 tickets were sold, and nearly 16,000 film industry professionals from 130 countries attended the festival. It is held in Berlin. It attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. For

6237-474: Was the most popular film of 1940 in Britain. When it premiered at the Radio City Music Hall , Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times called it "an altogether brilliant film, haunting, suspenseful, handsome and handsomely played". Variety called it "an artistic success" but warned it was "too tragic and deeply psychological to hit the fancy of wide audience appeal". Film Daily wrote: "Here

6318-488: Was to begin. Australian stage actress Judith Anderson was cast in the role of Mrs. Danvers at the suggestion of Kay Brown of Selznick International. As a condition of auditioning, Anderson insisted that Hitchcock personally direct her screen test. Other actresses who had been considered for the role included Flora Robson , Elsa Lanchester , and Alla Nazimova . Lucile Watson , Laura Hope Crews , Mary Boland , Alice Brady , and Cora Witherspoon were considered for

6399-507: Was ultimately adopted, had been first proposed by Hitchcock in a meeting with Breen and his assistant at the Victor Hugo Restaurant. Selznick, a strident critic of the Production Code, was annoyed at having to make this concession, complaining that "the whole story of Rebecca is of a man who has murdered his wife, and it now becomes the story of a man who buried a wife who was killed accidentally!" The "sex perversion" mentioned in

6480-488: Was ultimately selected less than two weeks before the start of principal photography. Selznick initially argued for English actress Nova Pilbeam , having been impressed by her performance in Hitchcock's Young and Innocent (1937). Hitchcock rejected her, arguing that while she was "correct casting according [to the] book", she was not appropriate for his vision of the character. Laurence Olivier unsuccessfully advocated for

6561-558: Was voted 318th 'Greatest Movie of All Time' from a list of 500. In 2016, Empire ranked the film at No. 23 on their list of "The 100 best British films" because although it was an American production the film was set in England and mainly starred English actors and actresses. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". A restored nitrate print of Rebecca

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