Les Diaboliques

Starring: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Paul Murisse, Charles Vanel, Jean Brochard
Directed by: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Thriller
1955

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A long-suffering wife (Ver Clouzot) and her husband's (Paul Murisse) mistress (Simone Signoret) decide to murder the man who has caused them both so much pain.

Review:

Tim: I'm a big fan of director Henri-Georges Clouzot and I also love when he casts his wife, Vera Clouzot in their films. So, Les Diaboliques was already off to a strong start. This film is a twisty, thrilling, intense drama that ratchets up the suspense and weaves an unforgettable tale. The film is dark, unexpected, and at times, brilliant. I wouldn't go so far as to call the film great, but it's thoroughly enjoyable.

The film starts off with a stunning a premise- there's this horrible man, who emotionally abuses his wife and cheats on her openly with another teacher. The man's mistress and his wife have a (shocking!) close relationship and decide to murder him. This is already dark and unexpected. Not a lot of films in the United States tackled subjects like this in the mid 1950s, so thank goodness for the French. This film feels like a perfect vehicle for Alfred Hitchcock, and I read that he just missed out on the rights. These two women are very different from each other. One has a weak heart- she must marshal courage and strength at every turn of the plot. The other is the rock, bitter but hardened by the world. Their relationship is fascinating- to see their close bond (not without its own antagonistic moments) despite the fact that they "should" be mortal enemies. To see the cruelty of one man bring two women like this together, well, that's great just cinema. It helps that the actresses both bring a lot to their roles. Simone Signoret is tough, hard- her unsympathetic character is the foundation for this partnership. Signoret peppers this stoic performance with a slight cruelty streak, but shows vulnerability in small moments as well. Contrast this with Vera Clouzot, who is wounded, weak. She suffers mightily throughout the course of this film, both physically and emotionally. These women couldn't be more different, yet are brought together both as teachers in the same boarding school, and accomplices to a potential murder. I thought Clouzot was effective in the role- she had this sparkle to her performances that drew audiences in. This is only her second film role, after a small (but memorable) role in her husband's excellent The Wages of Fear. Sadly, she'd make only one other film. Now, I admit that Clouzot has limitations as an actress. I'm not sure she would have been cast had her husband not been making the film. Yet, for someone with so little film experience, I thought she did a decent job. Signoret has to carry patches of the film, but I thought she and Clouzot worked well together. Paul Meurisse is terrific as the cruel, monstrous husband. He makes the audience dislike him immensely through his strong performance. I thought Charles Vanel was incredible. He was one of the best parts of The Wages of Fear and delivers a scene-stealing performance here. He was excellent and I loved his work in this film.

This film is helped by a wonderfully written script that throws so much uncertainty and ambiguity at the audience. We know this is perhaps a murder story, but there are unexpected mystery elements throughout. There is a tinge of the paranormal here- is it actually a ghost story? Clouzot (the director) moves the film quickly enough and throws a great deal of mystery elements at the audience so that we're continually kept guessing. For a film that's 1 hours and 57 minutes, it moves at a solid clip. The story is really the highlight of the film and we're spellbound, waiting to see how it all comes out. There are some terrific macabre moments throughout the film- the bathtub scene is unforgettable. Who could look at a dirty pool the same way, after seeing this film? And, that little boy- was he lying, or did he see a ghost? There's so many wonderful, unexpected moments throughout this film. It all builds toward the eventual conclusion, which is especially unforgettable.

Clouzot does a nice job of directing a film that feels stripped-down, simple. There's not a lot of unnecessary flourish. The music is never overwhelming. There's some melodrama, but some understated aspects of the script as well. The cinematography works. It's a well-made film from a talented and confident director.

Now, I'm not sure Clouzot got quite the same level of character depth here as he did in The Wages of Fear, but this film stands as an especially memorable, well-made psychological thriller. I enjoyed the film immensely.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Wages of Fear, The Spies