Throughout his career, Armie Hammer has deftly split his talents between Oscar-winning dramas
like 2017's Call Me By Your Name and blockbusters like 2015's The Man From U.N.C.L.E., as well
as appearing alongside other A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio in 2011's J. Edgar and in
2013's The Lone Ranger.
Hammer's seemingly effortless prowess as an actor is evident, and now he's taking his
talents in yet another new direction: Director Ben Wheatley's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's
Gothic novel Rebecca.
In this new spin on the timeless classic, Hammer plays the leading role of the handsome,
mysterious widower Maxim de Winter, who whisks the unnamed protagonist off to his English
mansion after a brief, whirlwind romance.
Though Maxim seems like the perfect man on the surface, the facade begins to crack when
he and the second Mrs. de Winter arrive at his estate, Manderlay.
Hammer's performance is pitch-perfect throughout Rebecca, but there's one scene in particular
that makes us love him even more.
Beware...spoilers ahead...
"You know I don't like surprises."
"Well, you'll love this one."
During the scene in question, Maxim is all set to host a costume ball, a former Manderley
tradition that died with Maxim's first wife, Rebecca.
"I've been thinking I might revive the ball."
"Oh."
"Hmm..."
This year, he prepares to introduce his new bride to his friends and guests.
He has no idea that his wife, who is getting ready upstairs, has been tricked by the devious
housekeeper Mrs. Danvers into dressing up in the same costume that Maxim's first wife,
Rebecca, once wore.
"Brilliant choice.
Clarice informed me.
And if I may say so, one worthy of the lady of this house."
Even before the scene reaches its most shocking moments, Hammer proves exactly why he's so
suited for this type of role.
While the new Mrs. de Winter gets ready for her big entrance, Maxim entertains his guests,
clearly right at home at his upscale gala.
Based on Hammer's other roles, it should come as no surprise that he's comfortable portraying
people who exist in the upper echelon of society.
Just look at Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in The Social Network.
As the wealthy twins, Hammer created two effortless, lived-in characters.
Playing Cameron and Tyler gave Hammer a chance to show off his versatility and range, whether
they were competing in a race or staring Zuckerberg down in court.
Hammer knows how to play posh, there's no doubt about that.
When Mrs. de Winter finally makes her grand entrance, the room falls into silence.
But while the guests are simply embarrassed for her, the camera focuses closely on Hammer's
face as he seamlessly moves from shock to anger to what seems to be fear.
""How do you do, Mr. De Winter?"
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"Of course not. It's the painting. I thought..."
"Go and change."
"What is it? What have I..."
"Go and change, now."
"I don't understand. What have I done wrong?"
"I said, NOW."
Maxim can't control his immediate gut reaction to seeing his new wife dressed like his old
one, and Hammer sells the scene perfectly, providing a full spectrum of emotion over
the course of just a few seconds.
The entire moment is reminiscent of one of Hammer's recent high-profile roles as Oliver
in Call Me By Your Name, where he and Elio have to hide their relationship from Elio's
parents.
Throughout that film, Hammer shows off his ability to mask his real emotions while still
letting the audience in on the secret, a skill he pulls off beautifully once again in Rebecca.
It could seem like Maxim is simply angry in this scene - which is exactly what the protagonist
believes - but after you learn exactly who Rebecca was and what transpired between her
and Maxim long ago, it makes total sense that seeing her image projected onto his new wife
would send Maxim into an emotional tailspin.
Though the audience and the second Mrs. de Winter don't know this quite yet, the truth
about Maxim and Rebecca's marriage is intensely complicated, a fact which Maxim worked hard
to conceal from everybody around him.
Despite his staff's enduring devotion to the late Rebecca, Maxim's own memories are marred
by manipulation, cruelty, and abuse.
In fact, the reason this performance is so great is because it works amazingly well from
multiple perspectives.
During your first viewing of Rebecca, at this point in the film you'd read Maxim's face
and see anger mixed with a sense of betrayal as he thinks his new bride presumably tries
to step over the memory of his beloved Rebecca.
Yet if you watch it again knowing the whole story, you see an entirely different side
to his emotions.
He's reacting to the fact that the object of his fear and hatred has just come to life
before his eyes.
He might as well be seeing a ghost.
"It was uncanny, wasn't it."
In this one scene, Hammer provides two entirely different performances.
The only thing that changes is how much you, as a viewer, know.
Maxim de Winter is a tough role, but throughout his career, Hammer has proven time and time
again that he's capable of difficult and complex parts that push him creatively as a performer.
It's impossible to imagine another actor nailing this role - and this scene - so well.
You can watch Armie Hammer and Lily James in Rebecca, which is streaming on Netflix
now.
Thanks for watching.
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