Rebecca
A shy lady's companion, staying in Monte Carlo with her stuffy employer, meets the wealthy Maxim de Winter (Sir Laurence Olivier). She and Max fall in love, marry, and return to Manderley, his large country estate in Cornwall. Max is still troubled by the death of his first wife, Rebecca, in a boating accident the year before. The second Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine) clashes with the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Dame Judith Anderson), and discovers that Rebecca still has a strange hold on everyone at Manderley.
Despite its limited budget of $1.3M, Rebecca became a commercial success, earning $7.6M worldwide—a 489% return. The film's compelling narrative engaged audiences, confirming that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
2 Oscars. 10 wins & 10 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Rebecca (1940) exhibits deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Alfred Hitchcock's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 10 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The unnamed narrator dreams of Manderley, establishing her haunted psychological state. She is timid, invisible, a companion to the wealthy Mrs. Van Hopper in Monte Carlo.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Maxim suddenly proposes marriage. The protagonist is shocked but elated. This event disrupts her ordinary world as a paid companion and offers escape into a fairy tale.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Arrival at Manderley. The protagonist enters the grand estate as the new Mrs. De Winter, crossing into a world dominated by Rebecca's memory. Mrs. Danvers awaits, cold and unwelcoming., moving from reaction to action.
At 66 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat The costume ball disaster. Mrs. Danvers manipulates the protagonist into wearing the same costume Rebecca wore, causing Maxim to explode in anger. The protagonist realizes she cannot escape Rebecca's shadow through imitation., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 96 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Mrs. Danvers nearly convinces the protagonist to commit suicide by jumping from the window. At the moment of death, flares signal a ship has run aground, discovering Rebecca's sunken boat with her body inside., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 102 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. The protagonist chooses to support Maxim unconditionally. For the first time, she steps into her own power, no longer intimidated by Rebecca's memory. She becomes his partner and protector., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Rebecca's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Rebecca against these established plot points, we can identify how Alfred Hitchcock utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Rebecca within the drama genre.
Alfred Hitchcock's Structural Approach
Among the 20 Alfred Hitchcock films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.6, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Rebecca represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Alfred Hitchcock filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Alfred Hitchcock analyses, see Family Plot, To Catch a Thief and The Trouble with Harry.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The unnamed narrator dreams of Manderley, establishing her haunted psychological state. She is timid, invisible, a companion to the wealthy Mrs. Van Hopper in Monte Carlo.
Theme
Mrs. Van Hopper dismissively tells the protagonist she'll never fit into Maxim's world: "You're not the type." The central question is posed: Can she claim her own identity or remain in others' shadows?
Worldbuilding
Monte Carlo courtship. The protagonist meets the mysterious Maxim de Winter, still grieving his dead wife Rebecca. She is a paid companion, invisible and insecure. Maxim is charming but volatile when Rebecca is mentioned.
Disruption
Maxim suddenly proposes marriage. The protagonist is shocked but elated. This event disrupts her ordinary world as a paid companion and offers escape into a fairy tale.
Resistance
Honeymoon period and journey to Manderley. The protagonist debates whether she belongs in this world. Mrs. Van Hopper warns her. Maxim is evasive about Rebecca. The protagonist is nervous but hopeful about her new life.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Arrival at Manderley. The protagonist enters the grand estate as the new Mrs. de Winter, crossing into a world dominated by Rebecca's memory. Mrs. Danvers awaits, cold and unwelcoming.
Mirror World
First major interaction with Mrs. Danvers, who makes clear her devotion to Rebecca and contempt for the new bride. The housekeeper becomes the embodiment of the past that must be overcome.
Premise
The protagonist tries to navigate life at Manderley but is constantly undermined by comparisons to Rebecca. She fumbles social duties, feels inadequate, and Rebecca's presence looms everywhere. Maxim grows distant when Rebecca is mentioned.
Midpoint
The costume ball disaster. Mrs. Danvers manipulates the protagonist into wearing the same costume Rebecca wore, causing Maxim to explode in anger. The protagonist realizes she cannot escape Rebecca's shadow through imitation.
Opposition
The protagonist spirals into despair. Mrs. Danvers intensifies psychological torture, showing Rebecca's preserved bedroom. Rebecca's influence seems insurmountable. The marriage appears doomed.
Collapse
Mrs. Danvers nearly convinces the protagonist to commit suicide by jumping from the window. At the moment of death, flares signal a ship has run aground, discovering Rebecca's sunken boat with her body inside.
Crisis
Maxim confesses the truth: he hated Rebecca, never loved her, and killed her in a rage. The protagonist processes this revelation and must choose whether to stand by him despite his crime.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The protagonist chooses to support Maxim unconditionally. For the first time, she steps into her own power, no longer intimidated by Rebecca's memory. She becomes his partner and protector.
Synthesis
The inquest and investigation. The protagonist stands by Maxim as Rebecca's depravity is revealed (terminal cancer, affairs, cruelty). Mrs. Danvers' final act of burning Manderley destroys the past literally.
Transformation
Manderley burns as the protagonist and Maxim escape together. She is no longer the timid girl but a confident woman who claimed her identity. Rebecca's shadow is destroyed, and the future belongs to them.