Les Diaboliques
1954
In this heralded French terror classic by director-screenwriter Henri-Georges Clouzot, the wife (Vera Clouzot) of a boys-school headmaster (Paul Merisse) tires of his violent treatment of her, along with his philandering, and teams up with his mistress (Simone Signoret) to drown him and make it appear as a suicide. When the .. Read more
| Starring | Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Jean Brochard, Charles Vanel |
|---|---|
| Director | Henri-Georges Clouzot |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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Les Diaboliques
In this heralded French terror classic by director-screenwriter Henri-Georges Clouzot, the wife (Vera Clouzot) of a boys-school headmaster (Paul Merisse) tires of his violent treatment of her, along with his philandering, and teams up with his mistress (Simone Signoret) to drown him and make it appear as a suicide. When the body goes missing and sightings of the supposedly dead man are reported all over town, the two mismatched women must uncover what happened to the body before it's discovered what they've done. Upon its release, Clouzot urged all who saw the film not to reveal its surprise ending---one which still stands as one of the original 'shock' endings.
| Starring | Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Jean Brochard, Charles Vanel, Michel Serrault |
|---|---|
| Director | Henri-Georges Clouzot |
| Studio | ARROW FILMS |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 56 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Feisty Females |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: French |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 25 Feb 2002 Production year: 1954 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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In this brilliantly nasty thriller from Henri-Georges Clouzot, the wife (Vera Clouzot) and mistress (Simone Signoret) of a sadistic headmaster (Paul Meurisse) plot together to kill him — but then find his body is missing. The film's graveyard gloom is typified by the oppressive atmosphere of neglect and despair at Meurisse's school, while the final shot marvellously suggests unpleasantness to come — the climax here is one of cinema's most diabolical scenes. This is a masterpiece that easily matches the best of Hitchcock.
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Highly influential, suspenseful and scary thriller with a much-copied twist typical of its authors. Slow to start and shabby-looking as befits its grubby school setting, it gathers momentum with the murder and turns the screw with fine professionalism.
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Most helpful member's review
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27 out of 29 people found this review helpful
Clouzot's Best?
The wife and mistress of a bullying headmaster of a private school plot together to murder their tormentor by drowning him in a bath. They hide the body where they think it can be found but then........
I first saw this film in a cinema in Birmingham in '55 or '56 and at the crucial point in the film the entire audience gasped and jerked forward in their seats. I doubt this would happen with a more sophisticated modern audience and certainly not on the small screen in the comfort of your own home but it still remains one of the best thrillers ever made, rivalling even Hitchcock. The screen play, the acting, especially Simone Signoret, the photography and the editing which keeps the action going whilst at the same time screwing up the suspense all combine to make this a superb film. Not to be missed. -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Top Notch
Having just seen the much acclaimed French classic Hotel du Nord and found it ridiculous, I approached this with some trepidation. Fears unfounded: its a marvellous film, beautifully acted and shot and with a cracking story line just plausible enough(the headmaster with his wife and mistress in an open relationship in the boarding school is hard to swallow) to keep you going to the tense bitter end.So many early films make us realise how sophisticated our appetites have become but this is better than most modern thrillers.The casting of the character actors is absolutely brilliant and a constant source of delight as we meet each one. I now know where the Columbo TV character was created.
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Les Diaboliques
In this heralded French terror classic by director-screenwriter Henri-Georges Clouzot, the wife (Vera Clouzot) of a boys-school headmaster (Paul Merisse) tires of his violent treatment of her, along with his philandering, and teams up with his mistress (Simone Signoret) to drown him and make it ...
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