Diabolique 4K 1955

Henri-Georges Clouzot made this film after the worldwide success of The Wages of Fear. I think that the famous perfectionist set himself the goal of making a film no worse than the previous one and took on a psychological thriller, once again “invading” Alfred Hitchcock's territory.

Much of the success of Diabolique was predetermined by the stunning screenplay, based on the novel by the brilliant Boileau and Narcejac. Incidentally, a few years later, a talented Briton would shoot Vertigo based on their work, but that's a completely different story.

Cluzo, in his usual style, creates his own model of the world. In the children's boarding school, which is the center of events, everything is subject to a certain logic. Step by step, we become immersed in the lives of the inhabitants of this place, gradually becoming privy to the details of the impending murder.

In fact, the film loses out in terms of dynamics, which is fully compensated for by the tension. Of course, the ending now seems quite predictable. I think it seemed predictable back then too. After all, long before Diabolique was made, Gaslight, Rebecca, and Under Capricorn were released.

Therefore, in addition to the plot formulas, Clouzot offered viewers simply stunning acting and the possibility of very ambiguous interpretations.

Simone Signoret shines in the lead role. She portrays a true cold-blooded predator. All the other actors simply complement her, but they do so skillfully. Vera Clouzot, Charles Vanel, and Paul Meurisse are simply magnificent.

Another thing is that the nature of the two heroines' attachment remains behind the scenes. Clouzot's subsequent films (especially The Captive) give every reason to believe that he imagined the most daring interpretations of the reason for their connection.

But what struck me most was the film's open ending. After all, strictly speaking, we can only guess how the story ended.

However, I think that 'Diabolique' has been overrated. The film is vivid and interesting, but it overlaps with 'The Jewelers' Quay' in many ways. And if we analyze Clouzot's work as a whole, it is clearly inferior to 'The Wages of Fear' and 'Manon'.