Diabolique poster

1955·118 min·Released

Diabolique

“See it, be amazed at it, but...BE QUIET ABOUT IT!”

Thriller
Mystery

The cruel and abusive headmaster of a boarding school, Michel Delassalle, is murdered by an unlikely duo -- his meek wife and the mistress he brazenly flaunts. The women become increasingly unhinged by a series of odd occurrences after Delassalle's corpse mysteriously disappears.

7.9(1,108 votes)

Popularity2

Videos

DIABOLIQUE Trailer (1955) - The Criterion Collection

Cast & Crew

Véra Clouzot

Véra Clouzot

Christina Delassalle

Simone Signoret

Simone Signoret

Nicole Horner

Paul Meurisse

Paul Meurisse

Michel Delassalle

Charles Vanel

Charles Vanel

Police Inspector Alfred Fichet

Jean Brochard

Jean Brochard

Plantiveau

Pierre Larquey

Pierre Larquey

Mr. Drain

Michel Serrault

Michel Serrault

Mr. Raymond

Yves-Marie Maurin

Yves-Marie Maurin

Moinet

Georges Poujouly

Georges Poujouly

Soudieu

Thérèse Dorny

Thérèse Dorny

Mrs. Herboux

Noël Roquevert

Noël Roquevert

Mr. Herboux

Jean Lefebvre

Jean Lefebvre

Robert

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talisencrw

Written on 8/10/2016

I have only seen but two of Clouzot's films (this and the equally brilliant 'The Wages of Fear'), but I understand immediately what connoisseurs mean when they say he's the French Alfred Hitchcock. He has an innate and unbelievably vivid and accurate take on human nature. I can't wait to check out the rest of his oeuvre.

John Chard

Written on 2/8/2017

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

Media

John Badham on DIABOLIQUE

John Badham on DIABOLIQUE

Three Reasons: Diabolique - The Criterion Collection

Three Reasons: Diabolique - The Criterion Collection

DIABOLIQUE Trailer (1955) - The Criterion Collection

DIABOLIQUE Trailer (1955) - The Criterion Collection