Diabolique (1955)

A French horror film that still packs a wallop in entertainment, style and performance… It is a study of human evil and its all too real spiritual effects. Who the ‘devils’ of the title actually are, is debatable, but what we witness is an evil plotting that outdoes itself in psychological malevolence. The Director cleverly subverts Catholic imagery to create what is anti-Catholic, in other words, a parody of the good. Water, thus, has great significance in this film, but from the opening shot, it is water that is dirty, murky, and unclear. Evil is made present in different levels and to different degrees within the characters but we only realise the full extent of it at the climax of the film. Along the way we are thrilled, captivated, horrified – and finally, grateful to have had the experience and even more grateful that we can leave it behind.

Warning: The reflections below are full of spoilers. The aim is to share these insights with all who are inspired to watch these films and help to draw out even more from the experience. So watch the films first and read the reflections afterwards…

IN THIS POST

*Temptation and Evil in ‘Diabolique’ by Pablo Vila

Continue reading →