Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1349602
Ben very much wanted Manderley to be seen from the second Mrs. de Winters' point of view, she is like a visitor, overawed and intimidated, lost and made to feel small. Add into this toxic mix, the ghost of Rebecca, and all the supposed style and wit that she imposed on this house. This to be highlighted through the malevolent gaze of Mrs. Danvers. Rebecca is such a force and such a presence in this house, a character that doesn't even appear in the film except as a rotting body. Adam (supervising location manager), myself and atie Spencer set decorator set out to find our Manderley, starting with the sea…written as a classic Cornish cove. We spent a week scouting on the tale of ferocious storm Dennis travelling right around Cornwall. From Exeter to Land's End and back up the Bristol Channel to Devon. We saw many beautiful coves…and there in lay the problem. Beautiful golden sands, craggy rocks, thousands of tourists and the legacy of Poldark and so many other shows. So we moved on and eventually settled on Hartland Quay in Devon. (Not Cornwall but very close, apologies to Du Maurier purists here.) What really appealed about this location was the extraordinary geological rock formations. It looks like some angry giant has twisted and shaken the landscape, perfect to represent the torment that was Rebecca's and Max de Winters' relationship and the place of Rebecca's ultimate demise. A. COVE LOCATION, HARTLAND QUAY IN DEVON. B. BOAT HOUSE EXTERIOR. C. BOAT HOUSE INTERIOR. A B C