Rebecca

In the end, Wheatley’s adaptation of Rebecca reveals that Rebecca’s death was not the tragic accident everyone believed it to be, but rather a carefully orchestrated act of revenge and psychological manipulation. Rebecca was seriously ill with cancer, not pregnant, and chose to pretend she was pregnant to taunt Maxim and trap him into helping her stage what seemed like a suicide. She wanted Maxim to be responsible for her death so she could have the last word—making him a murderer in the eyes of the law. To cover her tracks, Maxim burned her body and pushed her boat out to sea, hoping to make her death look like an accident. However, the discovery of her body and a note from Rebecca revealed the truth—that she was already dying from her illness, and her “death” was self-inflicted under her own manipulative design, allowing Maxim to be cleared of murder.

This revelation shifts the story’s perspective, casting Rebecca not as a victim but as a villain who used her death as a weapon. Meanwhile, Mrs. Danvers, still loyal to Rebecca’s memory, finally destroys Manderley in a fiery act of obsession and anger, attempting to eradicate Rebecca’s influence altogether. Her final act of arson symbolizes her desire to exorcise the ghost of Rebecca and deny her any presence in Manderley’s future, even at the cost of her own life.

Wheatley’s ending concludes with the couple’s escape from the ashes, emphasizing that love and hope triumph over Rebecca’s dark influence. The final shot, of Mrs. de Winter embracing Maxim in a hotel room, suggests that love, understanding, and resilience ultimately win out, leaving behind the haunting shadows of the past. Instead of the novel’s final image of Manderley engulfed in flames, this version offers a more personal victory—affirming that human connection can transcend ghostly fears and manipulations, even in a story as dark and gothic as Rebecca.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:58