DIABOLIQUE is a classic thriller and murder mystery that was made in 1954,
but while watching it I thought it was made in the 30s or 40s. It has the look
and feel of one of the original Hitchcock movies from the 30s. DIABOLIQUE is
showing in limited engagements now in art houses. The original uncut version of
the movie that is now showing has fresh looking and handsome black and white
prints and has seven minutes of footage restored.
I will set up the plot for you, but no more, since the twists in the movie
are the main reason to see it. The principal of a French boarding school for
(rowdy) boys is played by Paul Meurisse. His Spanish wife is played by Vera
Clouzot and his mistress by Simone Signoret. The other characters are
unimportant and not worth mentioning. He beats his wife and his mistress so the
two women become good friends, and moreover, they both work at the school.
Other than the fun script and all of the games it plays convincing you of one
"fact" only to start making you think that just the opposite is true, the only
other outstanding part of the movie is the cinematography. It transports you to
France and to a time past. The feel of the countryside and of the little private
school is at once both hokey and wonderfully evocative of a simpler era. Watch
especially how the camera will stop and pause on small features like the dead
leaves floating on top of the swimming pool. The film maker is careful to focus
in menacingly on the expressions on the characters faces when they are surprised
or frighten--very Hitchcockean.
The problem I had with the film and the reason I did not rate it higher was
the one dimensional acting. The husband was supposed to be the canonical cad,
but I did not buy Meurisse performance for a minute. He was totally
unconvincing.
Signoret did an acceptable job of portraying a character who showed no
emotion at all. The only interesting work was that of Vera Clouzot--wife of the
director Henri-Georges Clouzot. Her performance had some depth, but still she
was mainly a stick figure. Her version of fear reminded me of a caricature of
someone in Acting 101 learning how to demonstrate fear.
The movie runs about two hours. It is not rated but probably would get an R
for the half dozen uses of the F word and the adult themes. There is no sex or
nudity. The little violence it has is realistic, but not bloody or particularly
frightening. It would be fine for any teenager to see. I recommend the picture
for a fun and tricky plot and for the nostalgic filming, and I award ** 1/2.
From
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