Films and Feelings

The late 19 th and early 20 th century brought about a newfound interest in human nature within the field of psychology. Of particular note from this era was the development of Sigmund Freud's theory about the human subconscious. This surge in interest in human nature overlapped with another leap forward for mankind, this one of the technological sort, that of moving pictures. It was not long before these two developments converged. The Phantom of the Opera (1925) Film theorists have long typed the medium as a sort of glimpse into the human subconscious, displaying human desires and fears through code in a form that almost resembles a dream. As early as the silent era, you had moving pictures posing on the big screen images that were meant to be frightening yet also frighteningly familiar. Harsh truths about society and human nature that we could not say we did not recognize. And among these was the idea that sometimes the most terrifying monster might not be an invading power,...

Netflix's new film, Rebecca , follows a young woman withering beneath the shadow of her new husband's first wife. In the spirit of life imitating art, this film competes with the memory of not only the acclaimed 1938 novel written by Daphne de Maurier, upon which this movie is based, but an also illustrious film adaptation in 1940 directed by Alfred Hitchcock, a film adaptation that took the 1941 Oscar for best picture. The comparison on its own threatens to drown this new adaptation, but it need not. Whether viewers are returning to the world of Mrs. de Winter once more or setting foot in de Maurier's vivid landscape for the first time, the halls of Manderley are as vibrant as ever in this new adaptation. It may surprise uninitiated viewers to learn that "Rebecca" is not the name of our protagonist. In fact, "Rebecca" is never seen within the film. But that does not stop her from impeding on the life of our leading lady. Despite a thrilling romance with...