Michel Delasalle (Paul Meurisse) is a very bad husband. He married Christina (Vera Clouzot) for her money, but along with that money came the family business, a cut-rate boys boarding school. The school is in disrepair and the boys are out of control. Matters aren't helped by the fact that Michel is a boor who regularly berates both the boys for their behavior and Christina for her inability to control them. Christina longs to be free of Michel, but her Catholic faith prevents her from getting a divorce. Along comes Nicole (Simone Signoret), a teacher at the school and the other woman in Michel's life. Nicole confesses to Christina that Michel mistreats her also, and Nicole proposes a solution. Murder.
The events that follow the murder of Michel Delasalle grow more and more mysterious. The body seems to have disappeared. A boy reports seeing and talking to the dead husband. The dead husband's suit returns from the cleaners with no explanation. All of these things bring Christina's already frail nerves to a breaking point. The strangeness continues, but to reveal more would take some of the punch from the film, and you deserve to experience that for yourself.
The first thing I thought upon finishing Les diaboliques was how completely Hitchcockian it was. Well, it turns out that this was with good reason. The book upon which the film was based was allegedly written with an eye toward having Hitch adapt it into a feature, however, that didn't happen. The story is either that the writers wanted too much for the rights, or that Clouzot was just too damned fast, in some stories he beat out Hitch by a matter of hours. Either way, the film and its style and content would come to be an inspiration to Hitchcock. Five years after Les diaboliques, Hitchcock released Psycho, which has much of the same style as Clouzot's film. Both are masterpieces, and would make for a great double feature.
The performances of the three leads in the film are pitch perfect. Meurisse as Michel is a bastard, every second he spends on screen is completely dedicated to making the audience loathe him, and it works. The animosity built up by the audience allows Vera as Christina to do the dirty deed with their sympathy in tact. Vera's performance as the put upon and physically frail Christina is amazing. Her journey from the beginning to the end of the film is a very tense thing to watch. Her physical and emotional frailty are completely believable and garner sympathy immediately, in spite of her actions. Signoret as Nicole is a more complicated character, we aren't quite sure what to think of her, and we are wary for Christina to trust her. She seems somewhat genuine, but there is also a lack of fear in her that should raise concern but doesn't. We are never really aware who's side she's on.
Les diaboliques is a wonderful film for those who love a good mystery. It's connection to later Hitchcock is undeniable and for fans of those films, like Psycho and Vertigo, Les diaboliques is a no-brainer.
The Disc:
Arrow Academy bring Les diaboliques to Blu-ray in the UK only a few weeks before The Criterion Collection edition comes out in the USA. Luckily, the reviews I've seen from both look very similar, and so which edition to purchase is a matter of preference, and no necessarily a matter one being better than the other. The Arrow's video is very good. The source material has it's problems, there are a few noticeable instances of print damage, but nothing terribly distracting. The film is definitely sharper on Blu-ray than it ever was on DVD, that being said, this isn't perfect, but from the images I've seen from the Criterion, it probably never will be. I'm very satisfied with Arrow's treatment, and will happily add it to my collection. The audio is also very good. These older films often have audio problems, but I didn't really notice any distracting pops or hisses on the soundtrack, it sounds about as good as one could expect.
The extras are small in number but high in content. The most impressive is a feature length commentary from the author of Cine-file French Film Guides Les diaboliques, Susan Hayward. Hayward came prepared, and what the commentary lacks in spontaneity, it more than makes up for in qualified academic discussion of the imagery and thematic content of the film. A bit dry, but very informative. Also included is a thirty minute introduction by scholar Ginette Vincendeau, this helps to contextualize the film and is well worth half an hour of your time. Also included in the final product but not available for review are a couple of printed extras, including a reprinted interview with Clouzot about the film and an essay from Brad Stevens. I cannot comment on those, but given Arrow's track record, I think I can safely assume they are worthwhile.
Arrow Academy bring Les diaboliques to Blu-ray in a region free edition that is well-worth a bit of shelf space. I definitely recommend this edition. I'll probably get the Criterion as well to complement this one, but I'm certainly not in any rush.