[stripedcat]

I watched this film a couple of nights ago. A really good thriller. From Henri-Georges Clouzot - who I think got the nickname of the "French Hitchcock". I am going to check out more of his work soon.

I did think that the film had a lot of tension towards the end. Perhaps the only negative thing to say about it was that it could have done with losing a few minutes at the beginning of the film. A lot of that slowed the pace down too much at the start.

What are people's thoughts on the film?

[Bluray]

It's a long time since I saw, probably ack in 90s around when the remake came out.
I remember enjoying it but you've kind of inspired me to watch it again.

[embryo]

Brilliant film and a classic of French cinema. Funny you should mention Clouzot being the 'French Hitchcock', because Hitchcock tried to get the rights to film Boileau-Narcejac's 'Celle qui n'était plus' (which is well worth reading), but Clouzot beat him to it. Much as I love Hitch, I can't imagine him doing a much better job with it than Clouzot did. Also, the film is said to have been a big influence on 'Psycho'.

As for the pacing, I think it was fine. The characters need to be established at the beginning as their relationships with each other are vital to understanding what happens next. And once the plotting begins, the suspense and tension just grows and grows!

[stripedcat]

Originally Posted by embryo

Brilliant film and a classic of French cinema. Funny you should mention Clouzot being the 'French Hitchcock', because Hitchcock tried to get the rights to film Boileau-Narcejac's 'Celle qui n'était plus' (which is well worth reading), but Clouzot beat him to it. Much as I love Hitch, I can't imagine him doing a much better job with it than Clouzot did. Also, the film is said to have been a big influence on 'Psycho'.

As for the pacing, I think it was fine. The characters need to be established at the beginning as their relationships with each other are vital to understanding what happens next. And once the plotting begins, the suspense and tension just grows and grows!

Yeah, I did hear that Hitch wanted to adapt it as well. I agree with you(I love Hitch's work by the way and "Psycho" is a favourite of mine)that he couldn't of topped what Clouzot did with this film.

For me the most terrifying moment of the film was :-

Spoiler

near the end when Christina finds Michel in the bath and he gets out and gives her a heart attack! Plus, to make it even creepier he takes out those weird contact lenses! Ekkkk! I love the ambiguous ending as well.

Like I said, I will check out his other work as well.

I take it that it is best to avoid the remake, right?

[CLL Dodge]

A memorable movie of my youth (I first/last saw it 1971).

[grimtales1]

Brilliant film, loved all the twists and turns in it
When I was watching it, it struck me that

Spoiler

I would have expected the younger woman (Vera Clouzot) to be the sexy mistress character and the older woman to be the headmaster's wife - not the other way round.

[embryo]

Originally Posted by stripedcat

Yeah, I did hear that Hitch wanted to adapt it as well. I agree with you(I love Hitch's work by the way and "Psycho" is a favourite of mine)that he couldn't of topped what Clouzot did with this film.

For me the most terrifying moment of the film was :-

Spoiler

near the end when Christina finds Michel in the bath and he gets out and gives her a heart attack! Plus, to make it even creepier he takes out those weird contact lenses! Ekkkk! I love the ambiguous ending as well.

Like I said, I will check out his other work as well.

I take it that it is best to avoid the remake, right?

I'd recommend 'Wages of Fear' or 'The Raven' next, but you can't really go wrong with any Clouzot.

I haven't seen the remake, but judging by reviews I'd say don't bother! To be honest, I'm not sure how a 90s Hollywood remake would improve upon the original anyway - but who knows, maybe it's an overlooked masterpiece....

[Finny Skeleta]

Great film, but the thing that stands out most for me is...

Spoiler

About halfway through the film; after the intricate murder and the leaving of little clues etc I thought "this must be the part where Columbo turns up", and what happened? Columbo turned up.

[grimtales1]

It's amazing how

Spoiler

intricate the plan is.. I mean everything must have been planned down to the last detail predicting how people would react etc.. I will do this, then you do this...

[balthasar]

I think the first time I watched I really did not understand the ending, very good film.

[Johnny Clay]

Fabulous film (but avoid the lousy remake). And Clouzot's Wages of Fear is even better - a true classic.

From the trainspotters dept.

Spoiler

'tis widely agreed that the 'rising from the bath' shot in Les Diaboliques inspired a very similar shot in The Shining.

[grimtales1]

Re: Les Diaboliques: I think

Spoiler

The ending did make me jump certainly, and was actually pretty damn creepy - I can't believe he'd think that far ahead like he planned to kill his beautiful young wife

[cmq2]

Spoiler

When the kid says he has seen Christina after the climatic scene, how should that be interpreted? Had the boy fibbed on both occasions but happened to be right just once? Just a sop for the audience who would not accept the on screen injustice? It is hard to accept she had been forewarned by the PI.