MY COUSIN RACHEL

UK, 2017, 106 minutes, Colour.
Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Iain Glenn, Holliday Grainger, Simon Russell Beale.
Directed by Roger Michell.

Daphne du Maurier’s novels were very popular in the earlier decades of the 20th century. Several of them were filmed, most notably Hitchcock’s version of Rebecca (Oscar-winner as best film of 1940). There was also a version of her smugglers story, Jamaica Inn, later filmed in two television miniseries as well as Frenchman’s Creek. She was also the author of the novel which was the basis for Hitchcock’s The Birds. But, there was another version of the novel, My Cousin Rachel, 1952, with Olivia de Haviland in the title role and the young Richard Burton playing her cousin. Now, 65 years later, here is another version.

The film takes us back to Cornwall in the 19th century, the kind of location that many audiences enjoy (thinking of versions of Thomas Hardy’s novels like Far from the Madding Crowd). The film opens with helicopter shots of fields, jagged cliffs, the beach and a bay. And, the central character, Philip Ashley, wondering about what Rachel has done and her responsibilities. And this is where the action comes back to at the end.

Audiences will enjoy the recreation of this 19th-century world, a country mansion, an estate and farm, the local town, costumes and decor, and attention to detail of life in those times. And, there is also an excursion to Tuscany.

The story is told from the point of view of Philip Ashley, played in a brooding manner by Sam Claflin, about to turn 25, an orphan adopted by his cousin who, for health reasons, went to Italy where he met Rachel and married her. Now he is dead. Philip peruses letters that his cousin Ambrose had written, strong suggestions that Rachel had conspired to kill him. Angrily, Philip goes to Italy, meets Rachel’s advisor, Rainaldi, but fails to meet Rachel.

Suddenly, he discovers that Rachel is in England and is coming to visit, enraging him the more. As might be expected from this kind of melodrama, Rachel is not at all what he thought she was, she is able to control him, charms everyone at the farm, Philip’s Godfather and his daughter, and Philip is infatuated. With Rachel Weisz as Rachel, there is no difficulty in appreciating why Philip becomes infatuated.

Of course, the importance for the audience is that we are never sure of what Rachel has done or not done, but how she controls Philip, about his motivation, willingly giving her his mother’s jewels, wanting to hand over the whole estate to her.

So, the film is about appearances, innuendo, suspicions, obsessions – which may or may not be justified and which lead to some unforeseen disastrous consequences.

There is a good supporting cast including Iain Glenn as the godfather and Holliday Granger is his daughter he would like Philip to marry. British theatre actor, Simon Russell Beale, appears as the local solicitor. Adaptor-director is Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Changing Lanes).

The appeal is to an older audience, one which relishes revisiting the British past and which is willingly caught up in emotional melodrama.

1. The novels of Daphne du Maurier? Popularity in the past? Succeeding decades? Her novels, versions?

2. The Gothic 19th-century atmosphere, melodrama? The appeal to audiences with the settings and melodramas?

3. Recreation of period, costumes and decor, the mansion and its interiors, the farm and the fields, the town? Country locations, the cliffs, the sea, the beach? Atmosphere? The score and the piano themes?

4. The framing, Philip and his questions, the aerial shots of the cliffs of the sea? In the aftermath with Philip, his reflection, married to Louise, in the carriage, the two children?

5. Philip’s story, orphan, his cousin, Ambrose, adopting him, giving him a life, family? Memories of his mother, the jewels? His being an heir to Ambrose? Inheriting at the age of 25?

6. Ambrose, ill, going to Italy, the sun and recovery, his letters, his becoming ill, marrying Rachel, the correspondence against her, her conspiracies, his death? Philip and his suspicions, his anger against Rachel? His decision to travel to Florence, examining the house, meeting Rainaldi, not seeing Rachel, his anger and upset, the death certificate, return home?

7. His life and the property, not wanting to study, enjoying the farming, his home, his appeal to the workers and promising them benign rule, their applauding? The special workers? Seecombe, the attendant in the house, at his meals, knowing the past, taciturn? The news that Rachel was coming?

8. His reaction, arriving late, Rachel and her room, his meeting her, her not fulfilling expectations, manner, charm, his change of heart, the tour of the property, talking with her, her knowledge about him, about the locations? At home with Rachel, her explanations about Ambrose? The visit of Rainaldi and their talking Italian – and arousing Philip’s suspicions?

9. The indications of ambiguity, the contents of Ambrose’s letters, his death, the certificate, the using his money, but her refusing Philips offer, not wanting charity?

10. Philip’s Godfather, protection, friendship, the documents, his support, the hopes for Louise and Philip to marry? Louise, her friendship, helping him clean house for Rachel, talking to him in the church, indicating that Rachel could twist him around her finger? The visits, the meals, celebrations, Christmas, songs? The visits to the church? The pastor, his daughters?

11. Philip and his growing infatuation, his impending birthday, his behaviour, preparing the documents, giving Rachel the jewels, her wearing them, the promise of the property? Climbing to the window on his birthday, the sexual encounter, the next day in the woods? His hopes?

12. His decisions, the visits to the lawyer the preparation of the documents? Giving Rachel his property? His godfather signing? The conditions about his birthday?

13. Rachel, her reaction, discussion about age, her wanting to be free? Manifesting the years? Her becoming afraid of Philip? Getting the pastor’s daughter to stay with her? Philip following her into town, seeing her embracing Rainaldi? The tisana, the potential poison, his illness and collapse? Louise the visit and the tisana?

14. Philip and Louise searching Rachel’s room, the discovery that Rainaldi was homosexual, letters of Rachel’s concern about Philip, his age, the property?

15. Philip, his anger, the previous ride and fall of the, urging Rachel to go there, her fall and death?

16. The death, Philip on the beach, contemplating? Questions of conscience?

17. The aftermath, Philip and his family – his brooding about Rachel?