“Diabolique” (1955) – It’s not a mystery that Christina Delassalle (Vera Clouzot) isn’t happy.
She enjoys her job as a teacher and owner of Delassalle Boarding School, but Christina is married to a boorish jerk, Michel (Paul Meurisse). He openly cheats with another teacher, Nicole (Simone Signoret), and when Michel actually spends time with Christina, he usually browbeats her.
Michel, the school’s principal and former tennis star, also practices his backhands on Nicole’s and Christina’s faces with frequency as well. So, when Nicole talks about murdering him, Christina – a timid sort with a heart condition – isn’t one hundred percent on board with the idea, but sees the nefarious act’s merits.
Murder is carried out, and Clouzot leaves plenty of space where snafus could get in the way of the women’s plan. But the deed occurs rather early during the film’s 1 hour 54 minute runtime, and a confounding puzzle remains for the remainder of the picture.
This is a tense, complex story that plays on our fears and curiosity under a guise of unexplainable circumstances. Nicole and Christina are flawed women – who have committed the worst of crimes – but we do sympathize with them and their plight.
Hitchcockian-like plot devices and strong performances rule the day, and director Henri-Georges Clouzot takes his time with innovative camera angles, and he masterfully plays with shadows and light throughout the picture.
“Diabolique” is one of the most stylish, well-crafted thrillers of all-time as it drags us into the confounding mess that Nicole and Christina created.
“My heart is going to explode,” Christina says to Nicole.
You’ll feel the same way.
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: 4
Vera Clouzot stars in “Diabolique” (1955)
Vera Clouzot stars in stars “The Spies” (1957) with Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov stars in “Lorenzo’s Oil” (1992) with Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte stars in “I Love Trouble” (1994) with Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts stars in “Flatliners” (1990) with Kevin Bacon
Directed by: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Written by: Henri-Georges Clouzot and Jerome Geronimi
Starring: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Paul Meurisse
Runtime: 114 minutes
Rated: Unrated
Image credits: Cinedis
