description Les Diaboliques Overview
Les Diaboliques is a 1955 French film by Henri-Georges Clouzot. The story centers on a disturbed couple’s escalating plot of murder and deceit against their elderly employer. Noteworthy for its unsettling atmosphere and exploration of psychological manipulation, it remains a classic example of the genre. It's particularly engaging for viewers interested in suspenseful mysteries and examinations of dark human motivations.
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Les Diaboliques ranks #7 of 46 in the Psychological Thriller ranking, behind The Fourth Man, ahead of Gaslight (1944).
help Les Diaboliques FAQ
Why do Christina and Nicole decide to kill Michel in Les Diaboliques?
Christina Delassalle and Nicole Horner are both being abused by Michel, the tyrannical headmaster who is Christina's husband and Nicole's lover. They lure him away from the boarding school and attempt to drown him in a bathtub.
What happens to Michel's body after it is dumped in the school swimming pool?
When the neglected pool is drained, Michel's body has mysteriously disappeared. Christina then begins encountering signs that he may still be alive, including a returned suit and reports of someone resembling him.
Is Les Diaboliques based on a novel?
Henri-Georges Clouzot adapted the film from Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac's novel Celle qui n'était plus. The same authors later wrote D'entre les morts, which became the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.
Why does Les Diaboliques end with a warning not to reveal its conclusion?
The 1955 film depends on a late reversal that changes how the apparent murder and haunting are understood. Its closing card directly asks viewers not to spoil what they have seen, an unusually early example of an anti-spoiler message.
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