Review of Diabolique

Stark, impressionistic photography and a suspenseful, decidedly baroque plot combine to elevate this horror-tinged thriller above the commonplace potboiler fare of the time. "Diabolique" is tonally reminiscent of Hitchcock, albeit more effectively woven with an unmistakable noirish streak. Henri-Georges Clouzot's ingenious direction is conversely realistic and expressionistic, catalysing its drama and tension from the conspiring females at the core of the story, spurred by a cool Simone Signoret and an agitated Vera Clouzet.

Loaded with peril, histrionics and disquiet from the outset, "Diabolique" executes a conspiratorial, sinuous storyline without registering as calculated artifice merely for entertainment purposes; the winding narrative course leads to an expected yet satisfying climax that only serves to heighten its then-revolutionary plot-driven complexity, but it is the film's visual tenebrosity pregnant with portent that entices one to view it more than once.