""Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again...""
Rebecca - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
— The Second Mrs. de Winter
Context:
The film opens with this line, spoken in voiceover as the camera moves through the ghostly, overgrown ruins of the Manderley estate.
Meaning:
This iconic opening line establishes the film's gothic, dreamlike tone and the central importance of Manderley. It immediately frames the entire story as a memory, colored by nostalgia and trauma, indicating that Manderley, and the past it represents, is a place they can never truly return to but will forever haunt them.
You thought you could be Mrs. de Winter, live in her house, walk in her steps, take the things that were hers! But she's too strong for you. You can't fight her.
— Mrs. Danvers
Context:
Mrs. Danvers delivers these venomous lines to the second Mrs. de Winter in Rebecca's bedroom, after the humiliating costume ball incident. She relentlessly belittles the heroine, pushing her to the brink of suicide.
Meaning:
This quote encapsulates Mrs. Danvers' psychological warfare against the protagonist. It vocalizes the heroine's deepest insecurities, making explicit the idea that she is an unworthy replacement for the perfect Rebecca and that the ghost of the past is an unbeatable foe.
I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool.
— Maxim de Winter
Context:
Maxim says this to the protagonist in Monte Carlo. After she mistakenly believes he is saying goodbye forever, her emotional reaction prompts this abrupt and unconventional marriage proposal.
Meaning:
This line reveals Maxim's complex character: a mixture of genuine affection, aristocratic condescension, and desperation. It's not a traditionally romantic proposal, highlighting the power imbalance in their relationship and hinting at the troubled nature that lies beneath his charming exterior.
Rebecca has won.
— Maxim de Winter
Context:
Maxim says this to his wife after Rebecca's boat is discovered, believing the truth of her death will now come out and ruin them. It precedes his confession about the true nature of their marriage and how she died.
Meaning:
This line expresses Maxim's complete despair and the seemingly total victory of his dead wife's memory over their chance for happiness. It signifies the moment he believes the past has finally caught up with them, and that Rebecca's malignant influence has successfully destroyed their relationship from beyond the grave.