Les Diaboliques * * * * ½
Directed by: Henri-Georges Clouzot / 1954
The burden of an aggressive or emotionally draining companion’s weight can be terrible. One would assume that a love triangle would be even worse. Though, both probably don’t come close to the burden of a guilty conscience or anxiety that comes alongside the plot to take a life and follow through. And what’s worse is when the life you know you’ve just taken disappears, soul AND body!
Tension mounts with a story well-scripted in Henri-Geroges Clouzot’s fantastic murder mystery that is still just as creepy, peculiar and alarming today as I’m sure it was 54 years ago. Very Alfred Hitchcock to the core, it’s no wonder the rights to secure this French thriller were missed by Hitchcock by just a handful of hours. Something that makes the film work well and keeps the viewer second-guessing is the Hitchcock-like ploy of throwing random and non-essential ingredients in the mix. This creates a convoluted story soup to keep your mind off the main course that’s been stewing the entire time.
-djg
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