Rebecca (1940)

Entrancing Gothic thriller that builds its unease from the awkwardness of its lead actress. It doesn't feel particularly Hitchcockian (at least not compared to later works), but that doesn't mean it's not great. Plus, there are a few stray Hitchcock touches. In particular, the scene of the second Mrs. DeWinter descending a staircase in a costume we just know has other meanings attached to it is very much in the vein of his 'bomb-under-the-table' suspense setpieces. Note too the barely disguised lesbian subtext -- one wonders how audiences in the '40s responded to this. The acting is uniformly excellent, Olivier in particular (his high-wire act between sympathetic and creepy is masterful); also, Joan Fontaine is fucking gorgeous. Hitch had an eye for women, man...

Grade: A-