Early on, it's clear as to why Christina (Vera Clouzot) and Nicole (Simone Signoret) want Michel (Paul Meurisse) dead. Both are shown early on as victims of his abuse (Christina emotionally, Nicole physically). In many cases like this, the victim becomes the victimizer.
The plot reminded me a bit of Rope. Two people commit the perfect murder, but one of them starts to crack under the pressure of keeping the crime a secret. The other, who is clearly the mastermind of the scheme, is not concerned about getting caught. Maybe not the smartest move for the latter.
As stated above, a lot of movies have to give Diabolique credit. After all, if it wasn't for that, the horror genre would be beyond lackluster; it'd be a complete joke. Thankfully Diabolique proves otherwise for it has an intense kick that I assume 1955 audiences weren't ready for just yet.
My Rating: *****
Diabolique c'est magnifique! The novel Hitchcock's "Vertigo" was based upon was written by the same writers, Boilieu-Narcejac, who penned "Les Diaboliques"...Hitchcock clearly was a fan of Clouzot's film.
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