Les Diaboliques

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s acclaimed film Diabolique ends with a shocking twist, followed by an urgent appeal to viewers: “Don’t be devils. Don’t spoil your friends‘ enjoyment of this film. Don’t tell them what you’ve seen. Thank you for them.” Because we don’t want to end up in hell, we’ll keep the plot to ourselves. Adapted from the book by Boileau and Narcejac (who also wrote the novel on which Vertigo /1958/ is based), the film was a huge international hit, and its innovative advertising campaign influenced many other projects, including Wilder’s Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), which are also in this year’s program. The film doesn’t just rely on shock value, but also has a great cast. The central trio is particularly captivating: the slimy Paul Meurisse as the tyrannical headmaster of a boarding school, his fragile wife played by the director’s real-life partner Véra, and the famous Simone Signoret in the role of the enigmatic Nicole. (mh)