DIABOLIQUE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1995 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
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.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
Reviewed Written On: March 8, 1995
Opinions expressed are solely mine & not meant to reflect my employer's.
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