MSU Cinema International is presenting the French mystery-noir film “Les Diaboliques”
Before Alfred Hitchcock made “Psycho” and “Vertigo,” he wanted to make "Les Diaboliques."
The Master of Suspense was beaten to the punch by French director Henri-Georges Clouzot in 1955 when he adapted the novel She Who Was No More. MSU Cinema International co-director Ben Post and associate professor of history Eleanor Rivera spoke with WKMS about the renowned thriller. The film focuses on the story of a dark love triangle, involving a school, principal, his wife and his mistress.
Murray State University Cinema International co-director Ben Post describes the characters the film bounces off of each other.
“There's this dictatorial headmaster. There's his wife, who is a Spanish speaker. She's not from France, she's foreign. And there's a mistress who is this really hard edged femme fatale character. There's also a really wacky cavalcade of men of various sorts doing kind of bizarre, hilarious things in the background of the film as well,” said Post. “There is this kind of haunted reflection that it's not a simple allegory for anything, but it's haunted by lots of things from the past.”
Post and Rivera said that Hitchcock was “very influenced” by Clouzot’s film as the events of this film impacted his decision when writing the conclusion of “Psycho.”
“Specifically, elements of the conclusion of ‘Psycho’ draw on something that happens at the end of this film, and then also the script for ‘Vertigo’ was written by the same people who wrote the novel that was adapted into this film,” said Post. “Hitchcock liked this film, and really wanted to get the same people to write him a script that became ‘Vertigo.’”
Rivera recommended that Hitchcock fans and lovers of suspense check the film out.
“I think if you like Hitchcock, especially Hitchcock from the 50s and 60s, there is this element of psychological suspense, and you're not really sure if people are in physical danger or psychological danger,” said Rivera. “Are people who they seem to be? Are they telling the truth? I think those elements show up in things like ‘Vertigo’ and I think you'll also get some of that in ‘Les Diaboliques.’ I also think it reminds me a little bit of film noir – that kind of movie of the 40s and 50s. It's kind of got this gritty feel to it. And I think also the psychology and people that are kind of damaged in some way, but you're not really sure how, right? That's part of the mystery.”
MSU Cinema International is screening "Les Diaboliques" Thursday, Oct. 24 and
Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Faculty Hall room 208.
