Diabolique (1955) User Reviews

Mystery Extraordinaire

[Lechuguilla · 9/10 · 26 August 2007]

Set in a French boarding school for boys, "Les Diaboliques" tells the story of two teachers, Christina (played by Vera Clouzot), and Nicole (played by Simone Signoret), who conspire to kill the sadistic headmaster, a man who also happens to be Christina's abusive husband.

Like most murder mysteries, the story is highly improbable; nevertheless, the film is still hugely entertaining, thanks in part to plot twists and turns that even Agatha Christie would admire, and to the film's B&W lighting, that renders a noirish, sinister atmosphere.

The first half is interesting and tightly plotted. But the real strength of the film's underlying premise begins at the mid-point plot turn. The second half is riveting, because the tight plot begins to ooze with mystery and suspense. It builds to a final ten minutes that are as frightening as almost any ending in film history; dark interiors, shadows, ominous light at the end of a long hallway, a general absence of sound, a gloved hand, a scream, and an unexpected image. It's the very definition of spine-tingling suspense.

There is a clue to help solve the story's mystery in the film's first ten minutes; but like any good mystery, that clue is very subtle. All the film's acting is excellent, even down to the children actors. And, Simone Signoret is as wonderful here as she is in all of her other movies.

English subtitles require a little more work for viewers who cannot understand the French dialogue; yet, the story, the acting, and the cinematography should more than offset this minor irritation. Background music occurs only during the film's title sequence and closing credits; this general absence of music thus enhances suspense.

Although not strictly speaking a whodunit, "Les Diaboliques" is a classic murder mystery that has earned a well-deserved reputation for setting the standard for cinematic suspense. The story is riveting, and the film is technically well made. More recent films have tried to copy it; but this is the original.

Devilishly Devious & Cadaverous...

[Xstal · 9/10 · 31 October 2021]

The wife and the mistress of a headmaster pool their resources to scotch his wicked antics, pull the plug on his mathematics, but the corpse does a runner and tensions arise, as events unfold with increasing surprise, a basket case, a zombie face, a cracking French facade, what a spectacularly original and engrossing film to devise!

Good movie

[851222 · 8/10 · 20 December 2018]

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Diabolique" (1955) is a really good mystery drama. It starts as a drama and then later some of the characters must done something horrible, but the true suspense comes after something very "not according to a plan" happens.

I liked the performances in this movie. Directing and writing was also great, as well as the involving story. The ending was surprising as well.

Overall, "Diabolique" isn't a horror movie as its genre description says - its a very solid mystery drama. It has involving story and it is very well done. Good movie overall.

Watch this film alone......and be afraid.

[terraplane · 10/10 · 6 July 2003]

Are you alone? good. Have you turned off the lights? good.Is there a storm brewing in that dark foreboding sky?Excellent. Do you like brilliant black and white movies? Wonderful.Now, sit back and enjoy the best of the best. This is quite simply the best psychological thriller ever made.Often imitated but never bettered. If you have a problem with subtitled films then don't worry because you will understand this film without reading them. If you want slash and gore, go elsewhere.If you want sophisticated entertainment,you've come to the right place.Georges Cluzot's finest work is a thing of beauty as is his wife Vera, who stars opposite Simone Signoret as the schoolmaster's wife.From the very start it is very clear that all is not as it seems. But why? and who? What is the terrible secret of the swimming pool and later on, the bathtub? As the tension builds to an unbearable climax, we sit and hide behind our hands, peering through the gaps in our fingers.Oh my God!! it can't be!.....it is! Do not confuse this movie with the disgraceful remake starring Sharon Stone. All copies of that disaster should be burned. Watch this movie if you are a serious film buff. Rent something else if you have the attention span of a goldfish.Brilliant. 10/10

Hold your breath suspense

[mantone · 10/10 · 18 December 1998]

Les Diaboliques is one of the tightest, pure suspense movies I have ever seen. The story starts out slowly, but as it moves on, peculiar things start to happen. This movie keeps you guessing in such a way, you are riveted to your seat, hoping for a quick resolution to the suspense. Yet, as the story unfolds, the suspense deepens. The final scene of the movie had me sitting back holding my breath.

This movie does not offer cheap, pop out and scare you tactics. Rather, it makes the viewer expect things to happen that don't. You wait on the edge of your seat for the quick jump out and scare you event to take place, but instead, it sneaks up from behind you. What an effect!

Les Diaboliques is a classic film that delivers the complete suspense package. It's not surprising that many suspense movies of the modern era have tried to copy the plot. This movie is well worth renting in a video store, if you can find it.

A Great Thriller - See It As Soon As You Can

[Snow Leopard · 23 May 2001]

"Les Diaboliques" has one of the best plots you will ever find in any mystery or suspense thriller. The excellent directing, acting, and writing combine with the story itself to make it a memorable experience.

If you enjoy quality mysteries or thrillers, you will almost certainly enjoy this one - and if you have not seen it yet, you might just want to buy or rent it now, before you read any more reviews. This comment will avoid any discussion at all of the actual plot itself, because the less you know in advance, the more you will enjoy it. The few implausible elements in the story do not detract at all from the enjoyment.

A great plot does not all by itself make a good movie, and everything works especially well here because of the expert pacing by director Henri-Georges Clouzot and good, mostly understated acting by the main actors. We are drawn into their world very nicely. Everything about the characters and events is built up perfectly, to give the brilliant climax its full effect. Once again, see it before you find out any more.

Even if you do not normally watch black-and-white films or foreign movies (this is in French), if you enjoy thrillers, watch "Les Diaboliques" as soon as you have the chance.

The Greatest Film Hitchcock Did Not Make.

[nycritic · 10/10 · 10 April 2005]

Hitchcock must have forever wondered how he managed to allow this story to slip out of his hands, but the fact remains: had he filmed CELLE QUI N'ETAIT PAS into his own version of what is known as LES DIABOLIQUES, there very well might not have been a VERTIGO, also an adaptation from the authors of the aforementioned one and D'ENTRE LES MORTES. All in all, this is an excellent horror film that has strong Film Noir overtones and precedes New Wave by a couple of years and its simple yet powerful direction by Jean Georges-Clouzot elevates it from a standard thriller to one to which all others are measured spawning countless imitations with much less satisfying degree. One wonders what treatment Hitchcock would have given it, and interestingly, it's all here: the almost casual presentation of spousal abuse that occurs off-camera in one chilling scene early on, the events that lead the women (Vera Clouzot and Simone Signoret) to make a drastic decision concerning killing Clouzot's husband (Michel DelaSalle), and then the growing, deadly certainty he may not be quite dead after all... and may be after the terrified women. The last 15 minutes are one of the most tension-inducing I've ever seen in any climactic montage (even if it does veer into a certain implausibility but the intent is to tell a suspense story and Hitchcock has often mentioned the "suspension of disbelief" factor) and have long gone into history as one of the most horrific moments in cinema.

To those interested in watching LES DIABOLIQUES, please do NOT watch its American remake, DIABOLIQUE, with Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani. It pays to read the subtitles in this film.

Perhaps the greatest suspense film ever

[andyman618 · 10/10 · 14 October 2004]

Another terrific suspense film from Henri-Georges Clouzot, Les Diaboliques (also known as "Diabolique") is a tense story of murder, suspicion and revenge. The plot revolves around two women, Christina (Vera Clouzot) and Nicole (Simone Signoret) who conspire to murder the brutish man who is Christina's husband and Nicole's lover Michel, played by the delightfully sullen Paul Meurisse. He is the principal of a boarding school for boys who relies on Vera's money to support his excesses, and the two women are both teachers at the school.

Vera has her doubts about committing murder, even though Michel is incredibly abusive. But Nicole convinces her to help drug and then drown Michel. All seems to be going well until Michels body goes missing and the two women turn against each other. The situation is complicated further by the appearance of a retired police inspector who is determined to help Vera find her "missing" husband, despite the poor woman's protests. The tension continues to mount until the hair-raising climax.

This movie is on a par with some of Hitchcock's best work, although Clouzot doesn't mix much humor in with the suspense, as Hitch often did. However, Vera's interaction with the droll inspector does provides some chuckles. Unlike his previous film, The Wages Of Fear, Clouzot doesn't spend a whole lot of time on the set-up of the plot, but gets right to the meat of the matter, and from there Diabolique rolls along very quickly with barely a letup in the action.

I can't believe it took me so long to see this masterpiece. Highly recommended.

Oh wow... this is it!

[MarioB · 10/10 · 25 August 2000]

This is not a legend : after reading Pierre Boileau's novel, Alfred Hitchcock phone the editor in the morning to buy the story for making a film. But another great master, Henri-Georges Clouzot, had phone 30 minutes earlier. Mister Hitchcock was angry! But Hitch couldn't have done better than Clouzot. This is P-E-R-F-E-C-T! The black and white, the dialogues, the acting and even the reclusive French scool of the 1950's. And for the suspense... well every viewer of IMDB had said the same things I could said. So, Diaboliques is the best suspense thriller of all time, and also one of the best movie ever made. Please, I really said please, don't ever watch the remake with Isabelle Adjani and Sharon Stone. There are certains movies that you can't make two times. Like all the Hitchcock and Clouzot films, for example...

It does what a horror movie should do

[Andy44 · 10/10 · 10 February 2006]

Scare the crap out of you!

I don't hand out many 10s. Some movies don't really require much thought or analysis. In the end all that matters is what happened to you when you first saw it.

I remember when I first saw this. Nothing scary at first, but the nastiness of the place and the people is effortlessly shown. And then the bad stuff starts to happen.

Ugliness...shock...suspense...shock...mystery...eeriness...awful shock.

I remember, though it must have been forty years ago, the climactic scenes with my neck hairs standing up, sweat on my face, clutching the theater armrests like I was in danger of falling, and finally realizing I was weeping- not tears of sadness, tears of helpless terror.

I envy anyone seeing this for the first time.

classic thriller

[rupie · 7/10 · 1 May 2003]

A personal recollection: 'Life' magazine (only those of a certain vintage will remember Life magazine) came out with a heavy-duty spread on this flick when it was released, hailing it as perhaps the most frightening movie ever made (remember the film industry wasn't as old then as it is today). I was nine years old and I begged and pleaded with my parents to be allowed to see it, to no avail. I did not get a chance to see it until much later in life, when it showed up on television. By then 'Psycho' and its successors had pushed the envelope of screen horror beyond what this film gives us. Still, the movie stands up pretty damn well on the creepiness scale. It is interesting to know that Hitchcock wanted the rights to this, and intriguing to imagine what he would have done with it. It's interesting to note that the film makers were not above providing some comic relief, in the form of the landlord and his wife in the boarding house where the murder takes place. Well worth viewing, in spite of the trouble of reading subtitles.

An inspector calls

[jotix100 · 10/10 · 23 November 2006]

The boys' school in Saint Cloud, a suburb of Paris, run by Michel and Christina Delassale, serves as the background for one of the best suspense thrillers of the French cinema. The school belongs to Christina, but it's Michel who has the last word about everything. This penny pinching man insists in giving his students living at the boarding school the worst food money can buy. Michel is also a man who loves to slap his wife, and his mistress, Nicole Horner, who is a teacher at the school.

When we first meet them, Nicole has a swollen eye and wears dark glasses to hide her shame. Obviously, everyone guesses what is really going on between Michel and Nicole, even his wife. Christina is aware of the extra-marital goings on between her husband and his mistress. A strong minded Nicole shows how she dominates the weaker Christine. Nicole, who is fed up with the situation convinces Christina something must be done. She sets things in motion to go to her home town during a brief vacation so that Christina and Nicole attract Michel to come after them as they have a plan of their own about how to deal with his abuses.

The women's plan is to bring Michel's body back to the school and dump him in the murky swimming pool, where he would be discovered as drowned by accident, or perhaps his own suicide. When the pool is drained, there is no corpse. When one of Michel's suits is sent from a dry cleaner's the women are dumbfounded. When they go to investigate, the owner hands them a key for a nearby hotel room.

Christina, who is a fragile woman with what appears to be a weak heart, feels guilty. When she reads in the newspaper about a drowning victim found on the Seine, she has to find out to see if it's her husband. Of course, the dead man is not Michel, which heightens the mystery. What Christina didn't count on is the retired inspector, Alfred Fichet, who watches her outside the viewing room at the morgue. This man will become the key figure to solving Michel's disappearance.

"Les Diaboliques" was Clouzot's triumph because the suspense works until the end. He based his screen play in a novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejar, who also served as the basis for "Vertigo". In fact, much has been said about the similarities between the two directors, but it is unfortunate because both men approached their work in different ways. Clouzot hints subtly at perhaps a lesbian relationship between Nicole and Christine as it appears both want to be rid of the horrible Michel.

The acting is first rate. Simone Signoret, one of the best and most attractive actresses of her era, makes an earthy Nicole. She is calculating because there is a lot at stake. Vera Clouzot plays Christine as a bundle of nerves because of the gravity of her actions. Paul Meurisse is the evil Michel. Charles Vanet is the old inspector Fichet. Also in the cast, a young Michel Serrault, and the singer Johnny Holiday, who appears uncredited as one of the boys in the school.

Henri Georges Clouzot was at the top of his craft and he clearly showed he was a master of suspense, bar none.

Important, but not that shocking anymore

[jdollak · 7/10 · 28 January 2005]

I expect that Criterion films are of certain importance. They are films that have something unique to offer. Even Armageddon deserves a certain amount of recognition. It documents the way that blockbusters are going nowadays.

I can honestly say that I think I understand the importance of Diabolique. The film was most likely incredibly innovative for the time period. I am impressed that the only shots that felt dated were the head-on driving shots, and aside from those, the direction is entirely appropriate. It does not call attention to itself, it has grace, and it is not feel like it has been copied since. The script is tightly written, no lines are wasted.

On a personal level, I felt a little disappointed. I figured out the ending very quickly. My father, who would have been 16 when this was released, had no idea the ending was coming at all. The originality of this ending has been sacked by modern thrillers, horrors, and dramas. Regardless of deciphering the ending, this is still worth watching, even for historical purposes.

What a disappointment. (CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS)

[alex_unnamed · 5/10 · 28 July 2014]

This was the kind of movie you hear about for an eternity, but never manage to see, or, as in my case, just see the first half hour of and never get to see completely. And when you finally, after years or decades, see the movie, you mostly either mesmerized - or, like today, in the 'that's all?' kind of feeling.

Being a huge Hitchcock fan, and knowing the history of 'Les Diaboliques' and how it propelled Hitch into making masterpieces as 'Vertigo' and 'Psycho', I sadly saw the story's solution coming way too early - namely, the instant one of the male teachers said to the other that Simone Signoret's character had quite a commanding presence (after about two thirds of the movie, as she was giving orders and then rushing up the stairs). The only logical, non-supernatural solution was the one that the movie ended with - that the title-giving diabolical ones where not the two women, but the sadistic headmaster and his mistress.

I'd have loved to have a lot more 'signs of the unexplainable' bothering the women (both women, not just the frail wife) - aside from the missing corpse (always a great idea for a story), one of the boys having talked to the headmaster after his supposed death and the matter of the corpse's suit. In my opinion, the women quarreled to soon; and although I liked the performances at first, I soon found that Signoret's character was too obviously dominant, too self-assured, too straightforward and, most of all, a lot (!) too relaxed when the body of a person I just murdered happens to appear hundreds of miles away to be believable. As for Vera Clouzot's character: it was just way too convenient to have a rather young person have a heart condition in a thriller as not to mean something later on. The fact that the 'corpse' was seen standing in the bathtub on the cover of the DVD's German edition didn't help matters, either (in a rather small, but still recognizable picture) …

But what bothered me most was the character of the private investigator. What was the point? So that he could mete out justice in the end? Since he obviously had a hunch who the real victim was, why didn't he warn her???

Bottom line: this is a picture one might (or should even, as a movie fan) have seen once, but unlike a lot of thrillers one knows the ending of, I see no reason to view 'Les Diaboliques' again. The absence of a composer of Bernard Herrmann's stature and the uneven camera worked against my involvement in the story, as well. I prefer 'Wait Until Dark', 'Psycho' or 'The Haunting' and quite a lot of others as far as suspense is concerned. Sorry, M. Clouzot, nice try, but I didn't buy this one. And rest in peace, Mr. Hitchcock, your rank as THE Master of Suspense is undisputed, in my book at least.

Masterfully crafted suspense-film

[Camera-Obscura · 9 September 2006]

DIABOLIQUE (Henri-Georges Clouzot - France 1955).

I must admit I found Clouzot's earlier WAGES OF FEAR(1953) slightly disappointing and therefor temporarily held back from watching any other films he made but how wrong I was! This much discussed classic was one of the most frightening and disturbing films I've ever seen. The music theme played during the opening credits with the organ and the singing schoolchildren still makes the hairs in my neck stand up, even at this very moment.

The story revolves around the tyrant schoolmaster Delasalle (Paul Meurisse) of a seedy boarding school, his wife (Vera Clouzot) and his mistress (Simone Signoret). An he maltreats them both, they decide to work together to murder him. They drown Delasalle in the bathtub and dump the corpse in the abandoned swimming pool next to the school. But then, eerie things start to happen. When the pool is drained and no body is found, the two women grow increasingly fearful that Delasalle is still alive. When subsequently his suit is returned from the dry-cleaners and the schoolchildren repeatedly testify they've seen Delasalle, they start to panic and the strange occurrences surrounding his supposed resurrection slowly drive them into insanity and complete paranoia.

Justifiably hailed as one of the most suspenseful films ever made and often compared to Hitchcock's work. Clouzot lacks the master's wit but as far as suspense goes, he is incomparable. Very much opposed to Hitchcock, this film - like most of his work - has a very cynical and misanthropic feel to it. Perhaps largely due to this very dark tone and Clouzot's excellent eye for detail, even today it still has the power to drive you right up the wall. And Simone Signoret, whom I've never (consciously) seen before in other films, greatly added to my admiration of this film. A sublime actress and an absolutely hypnotizing screen presence. The entire cast is terrific for that matter with Charles Vanel as inspector Fichet another standout.

Clouzot takes his time to build up the story very precisely but once the mysterious things start to happen every scene adds to an almost unbearable tension. You'll watch every facial expression and every detail on screen with increasing paranoia yourself, in order to understand what on earth could have happened. And the ending is so surprising that I wasn't quite sure anymore about the things I just saw, even right after the film's ending. A genuinely great movie that more than lives up to its status and has lost none of its impact over the last five decades.

Camera Obscura --- 10/10

Riveting in terms of suspense

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 11 December 2005]

Clouzot is possibly the cinema's most devout pessimist: no other director has portrayed human vices so persuasively… If his bitter vision of the world is finally limited and unattractive, his status as a major filmmaker, entertaining through suspense while simultaneously expressing his private dismay with cool and detached visual precision, remains intact…

"Les Diaboliques" is a mystery set in a shabby boys' boarding school… The plot – a sadistic headmaster is murdered by his wife and his mistress; ominously and inexplicably, his corpse vanishes is too contrived to survive repeated viewings, but the stark gray images emphasizing physical decay offer a precise, grimly poetic visual correlative for the characters' warped emotions…

Clouzot's moral pessimism, shock tactics and readiness to display man's worst excesses suggest parallels with Hitchcock and Fuller, while his focus on cruelty, domination and decay may be compared with that of figures as diverse as Leone, Blier and Fassbinder

"Don't you believe in Hell?"

[ackstasis · 8/10 · 9 March 2008]

For a brief period during the 1950s, French director Henri-Georges Clouzot temporarily swiped the title of "The Master of Suspense" from Alfred Hitchcock, owing to a string of well-received suspense thrillers, most notably 'The Wages of Fear (1953)' and 'Les Diaboliques (1955).' The latter was an adaptation of the novel "Celle qui n'était plus (She Who Was No More)" by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac; it was released in the UK as 'The Devils,' and in the United States as 'Diabolique.' Upon its initial release, the film was extensively likened to the work of Hitchcock {who, popular legend tells us, missed out on purchasing the novel rights by a mere few hours}, with its slow-burning, deliberately-paced suspense, and a shocking twist that I never for a moment saw coming. Though, with the notable exception of two scenes – both involving a murder, with only one of them being real – the film isn't particularly scary, the tension, the paranoia and the blackened shadows often become overwhelming, and Clouzot deftly toes the line between supernatural evil, and the evil that lurks within all of us.

Christina Delassalle (Véra Clouzot) and Nicole Horner (Simone Signoret), both teachers at a boarding school for young boys, have a rather peculiar friendship. Christina is married to Michel (Paul Meurisse), a violent and tyrannical husband who derives pleasure from humiliating his pretty but physically-delicate wife. Nicole, conversely, is Michel's mistress, a proud and independent woman who knows how to take control of a situation. At one point in the film, upon witnessing the two woman quietly conversing, a fellow professor makes a fascinated remark: "I may be reactionary, but this is absolutely astounding - the legal wife consoling the mistress! No, no, and no!" The mere fact that Christina and Nicole have become close should already hint at a sinister situation underlying the surface, and, indeed, it is soon revealed that the two women plan to murder Michel and ridding themselves of his oppression. The "murder" itself – a sedative in the alcohol, and drowning their unconscious victim in the bathtub, is exceedingly disturbing, as we guiltily and uneasily ask ourselves if we'd have the courage to carry through such a scheme.

Alfred Hitchcock often delighted in creating suspense through the audience's subversive empathy for a film's villain, as a murderer attempts frantically to remove all traces of their crime. Clouzot uses a similar technique in his film, though, given the loathsome nature of the murder victim, our sympathy for the two women is almost demanded of us. However, the disappearance of Michel's body from the school swimming pool is completely unexpected, and either hints at a supernatural overtone, or that somebody else is quite obviously aware of their terrible crime. The paranoia from here rarely lets up, and we continually bombard ourselves with an endless stream of questions, unable to provide an answer for any of them. On a weaker note, despite the ever-present air of tension, few scenes actually succeeded in getting my heart pumping at a mile-a-minute, which was a slightly disappointing response that I can't quite explain. Perhaps a few sequences need to have been shortened slightly, just to swipe off ten unnecessary minutes, and allowing for a brisker pace that never gives you a chance to exhale.

the French movie that Hitchcock would have loved to make

[dromasca · 8/10 · 7 June 2019]

'Les diaboliques' made in 1955 by Henri-Georges Clouzot ends with an explicit request from the viewers of not sharing the plot and especially the end of the film. Of course, I will honor this request. I will say, however, that it's a long time since I had the pleasure of seeing a smart thriller like this. It's a film that shows its age in the way it's filmed and acted, but that does not bother at all, but on the contrary, like the best alcohols, it seems to be better appreciated now, in the perspective of the 64 years that have passed since its launching on screens.

I wonder why Clouzot 's name is not mentioned in the dialogue book between Truffaut and Hitchcock. Truffaut definitely knew this movie, and I would be amazed if Hitchcock did not know about it as well. I dare to fantasize that if this clever scenario (based on a novel) with characters well-characterized psychologically, with the story taking place in two closed spaces (a boarding school and a province house) linked one to the other by a journey with the car, with its suspense and permanent changes of situations and evolution of the characters that keep the audience's interest constant, Hitchcock the master of suspense would not have refused the opportunity to make this film.

Simone Signoret achieves in 'Les diaboliques' one of the most memorable roles of her career. There are many contrasts between the character played by her and the one acted by Véra Clouzot. Strong woman vs. weak woman. Mistress vs. wife. The apparent mismatch is accentuated by the fragility of the wife, in a role where a tragic real life coincidence involved the death of the actress, wife of director Clouzot, a few years after the film was made. Paul Meurisse in the role of the despicable school director is so credible that many of the spectators would like to cross the screen to kill him with their own hands. It is worth watching also each of the secondary roles, which offer the opportunity of unique creations, original typologies mostly in the comic register , in the best tradition of the classic French film and theater. Among them you will find with more than a decade in advance the character that inspired the creators of Inspector Columbo.All these make of 'Les diaboliques' a jewel of the classic French cinema and of the psychological thriller genre of all times.

French thriller

[dbdumonteil · 10/10 · 5 July 2001]

French thrillers always feature a strong social background:see Claude Chabrol's movies for instance.Such is the case with "Diabolique".In ,say,"Vertigo" (which,like"Diabolique,was inspired by a Boileau-Narcejac novel),the social background is nowhere to be seen;that doesn't prevent Hitchcock 's movie from being a masterpiece though.Clouzot's screenplay is much different from the original novel.The action doesn't take place in a lousy school on the paper.Clouzot wanted to be "realistic" ,that's why he literally created the two-bit boarding-school and the grotesque teachers.The actors were so good they survived their unbelievable characters.Another significant difference between Clouzot and Hitchcock:the former saves the "surprise" for a final that leaves you on the edge of your seat,the latter-in "Vertigo"- tells the audience the whole truth before the last third,and studies his character -who does not know- and his psychological reactions.Generally,in France ,critics favor Hitch over Clouzot,but the two directors can't be compared because their approaches are diametrically opposite.

This is not legend.It is fact:this is the greatest French thriller ever.

I'm overjoyed when I read all those enthusiastic reviews from abroad after all the negative ones I 've read in my native France.Thanks to you,all IMDb users!!

a scheme is more than meets the eye

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 9 September 2018]

Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1955 thriller "Les diaboliques" (simply called "Diabolique" in English) is widely known as one of the greatest murder mysteries of all time. And trust me, you have to see it to believe it. Not only the plot, but the camera angle, lighting, and absence of music combine to make one of the most intense pieces of work out there. I did not see that ending coming, even though there were clues throughout the movie. The entire cast puts on outstanding performances (I've only seen a few of Simone Signoret's movies, but she always did a perfect job). It's too bad that Véra Clouzot died a few years after the release; she could've gone on to have one of the finest careers.

It's not the scariest movie ever, but still one of the cleverest. The first few minutes aren't much, but once Nicole and Christina carry out their deed, things REALLY get going (and if the end shocks us in the 21st century, imagine how it seemed way back when).

Having seen this one, I'm eager to see Clouzot's earlier "Wages of Fear". "Diabolique" is one for the ages; there was a US remake, but I'm not interested in that one.

And remember, don't reveal the ending!

The keys in the pool, the husband in the morgue! You dream too much about water in this house!

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 4 March 2008]

Headmaster of a boarding school, Michel Delaselle (Paul Meurisse) is a brooding bully of a man, one day his wife and mistress decide enough is enough and plot to kill him, trouble is that once they murder him, his body disappears and reported sightings of him are adding to the ladies' paranoia.

Thus is the setting for director Henri-Georges Clouzot's brilliant suspenser. The pace is stiflingly perfect, he gently racks up the tension, neatly toying with audience expectation, the sense of dread that hangs in the air is palpable. How refreshing it is to see a suspense film actually build its plot for a good hour? In this day and age the MTV generation would be walking out of this after 30 minutes. Armand Thirard's atmospheric photography accentuates the creeping menace like mood, to the point that when we get to the last 15 minutes, nerves are already frayed and we then of course get what is arguably the greatest bath scene ever, and "that" ending...

When I first watched it back in 2008 it was on a poor quality DVD, but revisiting it on Blu-ray it still worked me over as the great suspense movie it is, forcing me to seek the solace of daylight ASAP. Great writing, great directing, great acting, the latter thriving due to Simone Signoret's dangerously simmering sexuality and Véra Clouzot's heartfelt vulnerability. It's one of the classic chillers of European cinema. And if you haven't seen it yet? Do what I did last night, get the Blu-ray, turn off the lights and just have a couple of candles flickering away in your peripheral vision. Maybe indulge in some stiff drinks like I did, and most of all, watch it on your own... 9/10

Not very suspenseful, but not bad.

[Rockwell_Cronenberg · 6/10 · 29 March 2012]

Maybe my expectations were just too high for this, but I have to say it was quite the disappointment. I didn't find Diabolique bad by any means, but hearing people say that it's better than anything Hitchcock ever did is pretty laughable in my eyes. I think it looks worse by comparison to Hitchcock, but in it's own right it's a solid, if not particularly impressive work. Concerning the wife and mistress of a school headmaster who conspire to murder him together, Henri-Georges Clouzot's film took a while to get going for me but once it did I found some solid enjoyment out of it.

A lot of what makes it work comes more from the work of the two women at it's core. Simone Signoret, as the mistress, takes charge of the murderous plot and stands firm in her beliefs, cold and calculated. She's always trying to remain in control, remain collected, and when things start to unravel you can see her slowly twist at the idea of potentially suffering the consequences. Vera Clouzot, as the wife, takes on the more unstable, emotional role and she really makes it sing. She is wild, uncontrollable and never at rest. Whereas Signoret is very still and mannered, Clouzot bounces off the walls in her distress and this contrast between them drives the film more than anything the director himself does.

There are some nice twists in the narrative that keep the mystery alive in the latter half of the film, along with a stunning final sequence that finally lived up to the hype that had been built around the film. The final sequence was mesmerizing and terrifying, culminating in a twist that I was surprised I didn't see coming. That being said, the resolution itself was disappointingly pedestrian. Overall though, I didn't find much to write home about here, although it was certainly good. This was my first Clouzot film and I'll be sure to check out several more of his works, but if this is a sign of what he has to offer me then I'm afraid I'll never be able to understand those who rank him above his English companion.

A chilling thriller

[NancyLarned · 8/10 · 14 April 2009]

I just saw this 50's mystery thriller, and I was surprised. Most movies made in the 50's don't scare me, but this film left me trembling.

The film tells the story of two women working for a cruel and abusive boarding school principal. Tired of being hurt, verbally and physically, the women plan and execute the man's murder during the holidays.

I don't want to give away too much, for it's vital you see it without knowing the ending. The last fifteen minutes of this film pack a strong and chilling punch with wonderful suspense and subtlety you don't see anymore. It is a masterful thriller with a twist ending matching that of "Psycho" and "The Sixth Sense". I recommend it to anyone who is able to watch older movies. Fans of slasher and killer films that get their scares from gore and shocks, stay away.

Slow-building psychological suspense well executed and somewhat timeless.

[hellholehorror · 6/10 · 1 October 2017]

Good shot selection and editing. Solid picture and sound quality for the age. I can't fairly rate this movie as it is subtitled and I wasn't really paying attention. Seemed like a very good idea and the ending is excellent. Slow-building psychological suspense well executed and somewhat timeless.

Maybe in 1955 . . .

[Holdjerhorses · 4/10 · 2 May 2007]

Superb acting and direction, excellent cinematography, and a plot "twist" you can see coming from a mile away -- with a really cheap final line, "I saw her, I know I saw her," that's supposed to make you continue wondering, but doesn't.

Did this "work" in 1955? Yes, apparently. It got a ton of PR and certain critics raved. "Life" magazine, for one, did a spread on how "shocking" it was. The "don't reveal the ending" title card predated Hitchcock's "Psycho's" marketing gimmick by a few years -- when audiences routinely walked in during the middle of a film.

But there's a reason "Psycho" has withstood the test of time and rewards repeated viewings, and "Diabolique" is a cinema footnote.

With "Diabolique," you know EXACTLY what's coming -- and you're right. It's just a matter of seeing how cleverly, or not, Clouzot works it out. The "suspense," such as it is, lies not in any real emotional involvement with the characters and situation (because you already know where the film is going), but rather in how thrillingly it's going to be depicted.

Answer? Not very.

In other words, the plot was stale even in 1955. So the "suspense" lies in seeing if Clouzot can bring new life to a tale as old as Euripides.

Answer? No.

The actors? Wonderful. Particularly the young Simone Signoret. Vera Clouzot, the director's wife, borders on Garboesque beauty and is fine, except when she veers off into bug-eyed terror (too often).

"Psycho" has been criticized for its final "explanation" scene by the psychiatrist. By contrast, that's Shakespeare compare to this claptrap quickie ending.

What REALLY drives a stake through the heart of "Diabolique" is the schoolboy's last line, "I saw her, I know I saw her." Huh? This pseudo-profundity is supposed to make us imagine that maybe the lovers DIDN'T scare the wife to death? That she's actually still alive? To do WHAT? Get a divorce from this abusive husband like she should have done all along? "HAUNT" them from beyond the grave? What?

Answer? Nothing.

A lot of talent is wasted here on a third-rate plot with an insulting payoff.

Amazing this was ever considered much of anything.

It's not. "Diabolique" is a B-move posing as a French art-film "shocker."