1955 ‘Les Diaboliques’ Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
The cruel and abusive headmaster of a boarding school, Michel Delassalle, is murdered by an unlikely duo -- his meek wife and the mistress he brazenly flaunts. The women become increasingly unhinged by a series of odd occurrences after Delassalle's corpse mysteriously disappears.
Véra Clouzot Simone Signoret Jean Brochard Pierre Larquey Michel Serrault Paul Meurisse Charles Vanel Yves-Marie Maurin Georges Poujouly Thérèse Dorny Noël Roquevert Jean Lefebvre Robert Dalban Georges Chamarat Madeleine Suffel Jean Témerson Jacques Hilling Camille Guérini Jacques Varennes Henri Humbert Michel Dumur Jean-Pierre Bonnefous Johnny Hallyday Jimmy Urbain Henri Coutet Christian Brocard Jean Clarieux Zappy Max
室情杀案, 魔鬼双姝, Demoni, Demonen, Zlobnici, The Fiends, Shayateen, Sheytan sefatan, Apsėstieji, De bezetenen, Det onde spill, The Devils, Akuma no yôna onna, Demona, Dábelské zeny, Oi diavologynaikes
Thrillers and murder mysteries Intense violence and sexual transgression Horror, the undead and monster classics film noir, femme fatale, 1940s, thriller or intriguing mystery, murder, detective, murderer or crime cops, murder, thriller, detective or crime horror, creepy, eerie, blood or gothic scary, horror, creepy, supernatural or frighten Show All…
that moment when you, a queen, come across another queen, and discuss how best to maximize your joint slay
"Don't you believe in hell?"
(Christina Delassalle)
THE GREATEST MOVIE THAT HITCHCOCK NEVER MADE
A horror classic! It starts off as a slow burn! The more you watch the more entertaining it gets! It is nicely shot! A becomes very suspenseful! Check it out!
i finished watching this two hours ago and i'm still waiting for the two leads to kiss
Blending together the elements of horror & mystery in a seamless manner, cleverly using its available resources to provide a sense of dread & uncertainty, and efficiently sustaining its tense atmosphere from start to finish, Diabolique (also known as Les Diaboliques) is one of the finest examples of its genre(s) that simply refuses to age despite being nearly 60 years old.
The story concerns the wife of a cruel headmaster who, along with the help of her husband's mistress, devises a plan to murder him, and after careful arrangement manages to successfully execute it without leaving behind any traces. However, things are ultimately set in motion when the body mysteriously disappears from site after which a number of strange occurrences ensue.
Ingeniously…
LOL she was eating a baguette while crying, so relatable. this was so suspenseful, the last 5 mins was fantastic. my 100th film of the year!
A thrilling classic that more than lives up to its name! Taut, suspenseful plot that's wickedly delicious!
Packed with powerhouse performances by Véra Clouzot, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse!
Christina Delassalle (Véra Clouzot) may have something to hide but her see-through nightie reveals all!
Your viewing pleasure would be greatly enhanced if you avoid summaries, reviews and trailers!
With this movie, Hitchcock was briefly dethroned as the "master of suspense" before he went on his epic run of movies in the late 50s. Clouzot absolutely slays this. The twists and turns are all over the place, and you don't quite know where it is going until the end.
I was lucky enough to see this in theaters my first watch and there were audible gasps throughout. It's amazing that a 65 year old movie can still have that effect on its audience.
The lesbian tension is palpable yet never consummated. It is apparently part of the novel, which again increases the tension. There is so much that is unknown to the audience, but when it is finally revealed it doesn't disappoint.
Go in blind! Don't read any more, and appreciate the power of French Cinema! :)
. . .
This is my 300th review! Thank you all for reading my writing, I really appreciate it.
"It doesn't pay to be nice to you."
Sometimes likened to a French Alfred Hitchcock on account of his proficiency at generating suspense, Henri-Georges Clouzot produced his most Hitchcockian effort with 1955's Les diaboliques (known stateside simply as Diabolique). Though it opened to somewhat mixed reviews, the box office receipts were overwhelming from the onset.
Loosely based on the 1952 psychological suspense novel She Who Was No More by the two-man writing team Boileau-Narcejac, Diabolique revolves around the uneasy alliance that develops between Christina Delassalle (Véra Clouzot) and Nicole Horner (Simone Signoret). Though the frail Christina owns a decrepit boarding school outside Paris, she feels trapped in a loveless marriage to its unfeeling, profligate headmaster Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse). Michel…
Wow.
I finished this film just moments ago, and I immediately want to go tell the world what I just saw. But I cant. Because at the end, a little message scrolled past that told me not to ruin the surprise. Diabolique is very interesting in the fact that a movie released in 1955, 58 years ago, is still making its audiences keep quiet about the ending. I have to thank the fans of the movie who didnt spoil this for me, and I will become one of those people who will carry the secret of this film to my grave.
Well, thats a little extreme, but I feel its justified in this context. The twist is simple, but planned…
*seeing her dead husband for the first time*
“what’s the matter?”
“he’s so ugly…”
a blueprint for its genre, henri-georges clouzot’s diabolique, is a reversed who-dunnit about a repulsive headmaster and his wife and mistress who conspire to kill him. clouzot uses a feminine bond to manipulate the audience, subverting all expectations. the mistress, iconically portrayed by simone signoret, stands resolute against vera clouzot’s delicate nature. the dichotomy exhibits the different capacities people have for evil—its wicked scale haunting and compromising even the purest hearts, in their pursuit for personal liberty.
the story’s plodding pace pays off in the end with a diabolical nail-biter. looming darkness and crisp shadows in every shot, the film is a technical marvel. its pristine framing…
