Criterion Collection: Diabolique: Amazon.ca: DVD

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Legend has it that Henri-Georges Clouzot beat out Alfred Hitchcock to secure the rights to this novel, which proved to be a veritable blueprint for an icy masterpiece of murder, mystery, and suspense. Véra Clouzot plays the sickly wife of a callous headmaster of a provincial boarding school going to seed, and the commanding Simone Signoret is the headmaster's mistreated mistress. Together they plot and carry out his murder, a brutal drowning that director Clouzot documents in chilly detail, but the corpse disappears, and a nosy detective starts sniffing around the grounds as threatening notes taunt the women. Clouzot's thriller is as precise and accomplished a work as anything in Hitchcock's canon, a film of grueling suspense and startling shocks in an overcast, gray world of decay, but his icy manipulations lack the human dimension and emotional resonance of the master of suspense. The film has been accused of being misanthropic by many critics, and Clouzot's attitude toward his characters is bitter at best, contemptuous at worst. The viewer is left on the outside looking in, but the razor precision and terrifying twists deliver a sleek, bleak spectacle worthy of attention. --Sean Axmaker

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Customer Reviews

33 Reviews

5 star:		(15)
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Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars excellent movie, suprisingly poor picture quality, Oct 7 2002

By

Mark Schuster (Neosho, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Diabolique (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

It is no secret that this is a classic suspense film in every sense. It would seem only natural that Criterion would pick this film to be part of their revered collection. Most people who are willing to spend the kind of money that it takes to acquire a Criterion disc take comfort in the knowledge that they will experience the highest possible picture and sound quality possible for the particular film. Well, with the disc of Diabolique, that is just not the case. The film is loaded with dirt, grain, holes, tears, and even splices. At one point in viewing the disc I noticed a large circle flash by. I scanned back and paused on the frame to see that what appears to be a melted spot on the film had been circled, perhaps for removal later. It is still there, though. Also, the picture had a slight vibrating quality about it through the whole movie which was an annoyance. The picture is watchable, but for the price and the Criterion name, I expected much, much more. There are some serious issues with the sound as well. There is a constant low hiss on the soundtrack that can be distracting. The subtitles are pale and hard to read. I always enjoy watching the restoration demonstration on Criterion discs. I like seeing how huge picture defects can be erased just like magic. This movie obviously never recieved such treatment. I find it hard to believe that any restoration work at all was done to Diabolique before it was dumped on the market. Basically, the movie is definitely worth seeing, but do not assume anything simply because this is a Criterion disc. You could buy the same movie of the same quality on VHS for much less.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Classic Thriller, Jan 13 2004

By

peterfromkanata (Kanata, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diabolique (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

I don't have too much to say, except to echo the accolades that your other reviewers have given this masterpiece of suspense from France. The few people who found it too tame or dull are perhaps those enamoured of films with characters named "Jason" or "Freddy" !

For anyone who reveals the surprise ending, this would be a crime even more atrocious than the one depicted in the movie, and should be punishable by a re-instated guillotine !

Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot are unforgettable in the leads, each character playing beautifully off the other. One other comment--this is a 50s film, yet schoolboys are portrayed with brutal accuracy--they swear, act rudely, are preocuupied with sex--these are real children, not those that are found in Disney films.

The DVD is nice--some wear is visible here and there, but does not detract from your experience. Of course, the film is in French, but the subtitles are smooth. The absence of music is another plus. In some Hollywood suspense films, you can tell that "something is about to happen" because of the music--not the case here.

If you collect Hitchcock films and other suspense thrillers, your library is not complete without this true classic.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a THRILLER!, Aug 14 2000

By

F. Barton "Forrest W. Barton" (Newport, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Diabolique (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

This film, which hasn't aged a DAY, except for locations, cars, etc., I never tire of watching. I first saw it at TEN and was scared out of my mind! I've had the VERY cheap VHS dubbed version for years, and while that is VERY GOOD, this DVD is FANTASTIC! Clear picture, and I had NO trouble at all with the subtitles! SUCH a TREAT to hear the ORIGINAL soundtrack, as it adds so much more. Too many times in dubbed versions, words are taken as literal, when they are not! Like when Signoret says "Have fun children" clearly showing her disgust, in the dubbed version it was "Have fun kiddies."This film NEVER lets up! I was reading Simone Signoret's book, one of many, the other day. She said the filming was grueling, and was called because Clouzot wanted his wife to work with friends! I would be diabolical myself if I told you much of the plot, as it has been repeated here for you too see! No extras on the DVD, like even the original trailer, but still a DVD for your library. Simone Signoret was a true beauty and a GREAT actress; we don't get too many of those, nor directors of this clout! In fact, Clouzot started the "no admission after the film starts" which was attributed to Hitchcock's PSYCHO. BOTH films are masterpieces, however this one is overlooked, probably because it is foreign, or because the unbelieveably cheap VHS dubbed copies are SO bad. You cannot go wrong with this AT ALL!

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very creepy
The story opens in a run-down French boys' school, where the cruel headmaster has made life unbearable for his fragile wife and his mistress (Simone Signoret), both of whom are... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Kona

5.0 out of 5 stars A sometimes confusing, angst ridden classic
If "Diabolique" influenced Hitchcock's "Psycho", one would have to say that the classic French film exceeds the 'classic' American slasher flick. Read more

Published on July 14 2004 by J from NY