Les Diaboliques (film)

Infobox_Film
name=Les Diaboliques (Diabolique)


director=Henri-Georges Clouzot
producer=Henri-Georges Clouzot
writer=Pierre Boileau
Thomas Narcejac
starring=Simone Signoret
Véra Clouzot
Paul Meurisse
Charles Vanel
music=George Van Parys
distributor=
released=flagicon|France 29 January, 1954
flagicon|USA 21 November, 1955
runtime=107 min
language=French
budget=
amg_id=1:13579
imdb_id=0046911

"Les Diaboliques" (1954) is a black-and-white film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Simone Signoret and Véra Clouzot. The title translates as 'The Devils'. It was called "The Fiends" when released in the UK, while the US release is entitled "Diabolique". It is based on the novel "Celle qui n'était plus" ("She Who Was No More") by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.

The film created a sensation on its original release. It has often been likened to the films of Alfred Hitchcock in that it is still creepy even when one has seen it and knows the ending. (Many sources say that Alfred Hitchcock missed out on purchasing the rights to the Boileau and Narcejac novel by just a few hours, Clouzot getting to the authors first.) [François Truffaut, in his book-length interview "Hitchcock/Truffaut" (1967), suggested that Boileau and Narcejac then wrote "D'Entre des Morts" specifically for Hitchcock, who adapted the latter book for "Vertigo" (1958). However, Narcejac later refuted Truffaut's statement.] The end credit contains an early example of an "anti-spoiler message", requesting the audience not to disclose the plot to others who have not seen the film.

The film gained additional press when only five years after its release, Véra Clouzot died of a heart attack at age 46, similar to the way her character in the film died.

Cast

* Simone Signoret
* Véra Clouzot
* Paul Meurisse
* Charles Vanel
* Jean Brochard
* Pierre Larquey
* Michel Serrault
* Thérèse Dorny
* Noël Roquevert
* Yves-Marie Maurin
* Georges Poujouly
* Georges Chamarat
* Jacques Varennes
* Robert Dalban
* Jean Lefebvre

Remakes

This film, which was #49 on Bravo's "100 Scariest Movie Moments", was remade in 1996 with Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani in the lead roles. It had previously been remade in 1974 as a made-for-TV film called "Reflections of Murder" with Tuesday Weld, Joan Hackett and Sam Waterston in the lead roles.

Notes

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