DIABOLIQUE (1955)

A.K.A.: Les Diaboliques / The Devils

Country: France

Genre(s): Crime / Drama

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Cast: Vera Clouzot / Simone Signoret / Paul Meurisse

Plot

Tired of his physical and emotional abuse, two women plot to murder the headmaster of a boarding school.  One woman is the man’s wife, the other his mistress.  However, when the body goes missing unexpectedly, the two women are overcome with paranoia.

What I Liked

By effectively combining the perfect-crime-gone-wrong element of the American noir films that the French loved so much and the psychological thrills of Alfred Hitchcock, director Henri-Georges Clouzot created one of the most enduring thrillers in film history, one that stands the test of time without becoming passé.  With three well-rendered, believable characters navigating complex relationships, the film seethes with underlying emotional tension from start to finish.  The simplicity of its plot, matched with well-timed plot twists, brings a timeless universality that allows its chills to remain intoxicating into the twenty-first century.

This is genre-bending at its best.  Noir-inspired angular shadows disorient the eye.  A private school is transformed into a labyrinthine haunted house. And the motives of all involved, even the children, are called into question as each and every person seems to have his own psychological agenda.  The film’s unpredictable switching back and forth between the conventions of noir, mystery, and ghost story genres allows the filmmakers to play games with their audience, never letting us know which genre will win out in the end, even to the very last, haunting line.

What I Disliked

I did watch the 90s remake starring Sharon Stone years ago.  I remember liking it, although it got bad reviews.  While this isn’t the first time I’ve seen the original, it’s been a long time, and despite seeing both versions I had completely forgotten how the ending turned out.  However, I was able to figure out the answer to the mystery about half way through.  Whether this came from the last vestiges of my remaining memory or whether I deduced it on my own, I can’t be sure.  Either way, that deadened the “ah ha!” factor of the big reveal at the end.  Nonetheless, “Diabolique” remained a compelling viewing experience thanks to the evocative atmosphere and interesting characters.

Most Memorable Scene

Just when everything seems to be wrapped in a nice Scooby Doo-ending package, Clouzot cleverly weaves the mystery back into the film with an unsettling conversation between a member of the school staff and one of the students.  Then the movie fades out just as we’re beginning to think, “Wait, what?”  Suddenly, we’re left to wonder what has really happened and this time we won’t have an answer to the twist but our own imagination.

My Rating: 4 out of 5