This is one of the most satisfying screen adaptations of a novel I've ever seen, and I've seen a great many. Part of the credit goes to Simon Langton's direction and Hugh Whitemore's excellent script, which is as faithful to the novel as one could wish. The bulk of the credit goes to absolute perfect casting: Jeremy Brett simply IS Maxim, brooding, enigmatic, and attractive. Joanna David manages to portray the second wife's insecurity and shyness without being annoyingly nervous (none of Joan Fontaine's jittery mannerisms here). The very first shot of Anna Massey took my breath away--I thought, "THAT is Mrs. Danvers!" All three give wonderful performances, and the secondary characters are marvelous as well. Locations are exactly as I imagined them to be, and the use of Debussy for much of the musical score is a brilliant stroke.
Why on earth isn't this available on DVD???
Why on earth isn't this available on DVD???