DiaboliqueJust what kind of bastard does a guy have to be to motivate both his wife and his mistress to conspire to kill him? Director Henri-Georges Clouzot's Diabolique provides us an answer in the form of Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse), a petty tyrant and vindictive snake of a man who ostensibly runs a boarding school for young boys. Alongside his wife/financier/prey for his malicious whims, the kind yet timid Christina (Véra Clouzot), and his mistress, the bold and confident Nicole Horner (Simone Signoret)--as well as a couple of other instructors--life at the boarding school is oppressive and bleak for all...except Michel, who seems to thrives in his cruelty. Something's got to give.
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Is there truly such a thing as a "perfect murder"? Right from the start, Christina and Nicole are hatching a plot to rid Michel from their lives. Not overtly, but in hushed whispers and behind closed doors. Their plan is sophisticated and elegant, but simple and manageable--I dare not say more about it, but suffice to say that they take advantage of Michel's poor maintenance of the school, and make it evident to Michel that Christina is no longer going to tolerate being married to a man who uses and abuses her. Christina is a Catholic--raised in a convent, as a matter of fact--and the events of Diabolique are a challenge to her...not just a fear of getting caught, but of the cost to her immortal soul, between the murder and her desire for a divorce. Christina is also stricken with a weak heart, and that is common knowledge to her husband, Nicole, and others. For Christina, the anxiety of this truly harrowing experience is a physical trial as well, one that might kill her, instead. And as events start to spiral out of control--as they often do when a perfect murder turns out to be less than perfect--the terror ratchets upward for her, and the physical threats to her body mirror those to her soul. Whereas Christina doesn't seem built for this kind of business, Nicole comes across as strong and unassailable. She begrudgingly pulls the weight--often literally--when Christina falters from strain, and keeps the cart moving (so to speak) to ensure their plot's execution--for Nicole has as much invested in the resolution as Christina does...maybe more. But even Nicole appears distraught and confused as well, when events that should not happen--do happen--in the course of the thriller, and the two women begin to argue and blame one another, their tenuous alliance dissolving fast in the absence of their mutual burden.
Diabolique remains surprisingly fresh and shocking for a film that is almost sixty years old (1955, to be precise). And while that is also true for many movies of that era, this one remains so for many good reasons. For one, the plot is a nail-biter, full of surprises, in large part because, like any great thriller, Diabolique sets expectations about what will happen, and then subverts them with mishaps, requiring course corrections, unexplained phenomena, and other mysteries that--especially for first-time viewers--delightfully pulls the rug out from under you and keeps you guessing. For repeat viewers, certain tells and other choice words and behaviors give the film a whole new kind of perspective, changing the way you watch the film. The production is outstanding, with crisp, clear mise-en-scène and a musical score that only makes itself known in the rarest of instances, often letting the dread of silence do its part to instill that wonderful tension. A talented cast compliments the film as the colorful collection of characters in Diabolique, including a retired police commissioner assisting Christina, who comes across as an elderly "Columbo"-type, but consequently only adding to her already heightened stress. Clouzot's suspenseful film was adapted from the novel "Celle qui n'était plus (She Who Was No More)" by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, and was at one time considered for adaptation by fellow cinematic fright-meister, Alfred Hitchcock. "Hitch" himself was apparently such a fan of Diabolique, that the story goes that he showed it to his creative team for Psycho--seriously, these guys will have you scared of the whole bathroom--and Vertigo. Coincidentally, authors Boileau and Narcejac also authored "D'entre les morts", which was later adapted by Hitchcock into Vertigo. And like the advertisements for Psycho, which would later proclaim the great need to avoid spoiling anything to your friends about his tale of murder and terror, so too does Clouzot end his film with a similar warning: "Don't be devils! Don't ruin the interest your friends could take in this film. Don't tell them what you saw." And with that in mind...well, you'll just have to see the rest for yourself.
Recommended for: Fans of suspenseful thrillers that positively drip with tension and anxiety, a heart-stopping film with enjoyable scenes that should keep you on the edge of your seat.
Diabolique remains surprisingly fresh and shocking for a film that is almost sixty years old (1955, to be precise). And while that is also true for many movies of that era, this one remains so for many good reasons. For one, the plot is a nail-biter, full of surprises, in large part because, like any great thriller, Diabolique sets expectations about what will happen, and then subverts them with mishaps, requiring course corrections, unexplained phenomena, and other mysteries that--especially for first-time viewers--delightfully pulls the rug out from under you and keeps you guessing. For repeat viewers, certain tells and other choice words and behaviors give the film a whole new kind of perspective, changing the way you watch the film. The production is outstanding, with crisp, clear mise-en-scène and a musical score that only makes itself known in the rarest of instances, often letting the dread of silence do its part to instill that wonderful tension. A talented cast compliments the film as the colorful collection of characters in Diabolique, including a retired police commissioner assisting Christina, who comes across as an elderly "Columbo"-type, but consequently only adding to her already heightened stress. Clouzot's suspenseful film was adapted from the novel "Celle qui n'était plus (She Who Was No More)" by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, and was at one time considered for adaptation by fellow cinematic fright-meister, Alfred Hitchcock. "Hitch" himself was apparently such a fan of Diabolique, that the story goes that he showed it to his creative team for Psycho--seriously, these guys will have you scared of the whole bathroom--and Vertigo. Coincidentally, authors Boileau and Narcejac also authored "D'entre les morts", which was later adapted by Hitchcock into Vertigo. And like the advertisements for Psycho, which would later proclaim the great need to avoid spoiling anything to your friends about his tale of murder and terror, so too does Clouzot end his film with a similar warning: "Don't be devils! Don't ruin the interest your friends could take in this film. Don't tell them what you saw." And with that in mind...well, you'll just have to see the rest for yourself.
Recommended for: Fans of suspenseful thrillers that positively drip with tension and anxiety, a heart-stopping film with enjoyable scenes that should keep you on the edge of your seat.