Based on the trivia, Hitchcock made Psycho specifically to outdo Les Diaboliques...did he succeed? Which do you think is a better movie.
Personally, I think Les Diaboliques wins by a nose. It's definitely not as well paced as Psycho (the beginning exposition takes a little too long), but the scenes are genuinely creepier, more haunting, and more thrilling than in Psycho. Any other opinions?
I actually prefered Les Diaboliques, if only for the slow build up to the still disturbing conclusion. Psycho has more great moments, but Les Diabolique is more consistent. Yet, both films earn an 'A' at the end of the day. If you really like Clouzot and Hitchcock though, check out a few of Carol Reed's films: Odd Man Out, The Fallen Idol, and The Third Man. There are a lot of similar themes, even if they are very different classic films.
shareI totally agree.
shareMe too, I agree, although I think Psycho was the more "in your face" spooky film. But Diabolique was much more clever and very creepy at the end. A much better thought out film (no offense to Hitchcock since I'm a huge fan).
I just watched this last night for the first time. It's now one of my favorites.
My vote goes for "Diabolique" too. It was just scarier. In "Psycho" I jumped when the murders happened--but that was it. Just a moment or two. In "Diabolique" the tension slowly builds during the film and the last 15 minutes are downright terrifying. When she saw what was in the tub I almost lost it!:) BTW--until "Psycho" came out "Diabolique" was considered the scariest movie ever made!
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I specifically ordered all my friends to shut up whenever Psycho came up in discussion until I eventually saw it. I was so afraid I would somehow learn something about it that would ruin it, but thankfully I didn't.
Anyways, both are terrific films. But I have to go with Diabolique as being the clear victor in my mind. The ending was the best I have ever seen. The film is pure genius. Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps. I can still remember the first time I saw it - easily the best cinematic experience of my life!
Being my favorite movie of all time, I would place "Psycho" above "Les Diaboliques". I truly love "Les Diaboliques" but I think I actually prefer John Badham's 1974 made-for-TV remake, "Reflections of Murder" starring Joan Hackett as the miserable wife and Sam Waterston as the truly despicable husband/headmaster. All in all, however, I find "Psycho" to be endlessly fascinating. From Anthony Perkins portrayal of tortured "Mama's Boy" Norman Bates to the amazing cinematography and editing to the classic suspense movie score by Bernard Herrmann. For me, when you get right down to it, I guess it boils down to re-watchability. You see, I could watch "Psycho" over and over and not tire of it. I don't know if I could say the same of "Les Diaboliques"...
shareThey are both brliant ... the best of their genre ... It matters little which is number one and which is number two ... they are so far ahead of the rest that the question is academic.
But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.
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I was wondering also if Kubrick was influenced by the school's group photograph and the photos in The Shining.
I have yet to see the original Psycho in its entirety, but, I have seen the shower scene and the lead up scenes. I admit that for many years after that I would force my eyes open in the shower, even if soap was near them. I no longer am afraid of showers, to the relief of friends and family. I enjoyed Diabolique, but, felt the pacing was sluggish and can not imagine watching it again anytime soon. I figured out the ending before it happened, but, it was still thrilling none the less. In fact the entire last 10 minutes of the film delivered a great payoff.
Diabolique: 8/10
Psycho's shower scene and a few scenes before it (the only part I have seen): 10/10
I really LOVE Les Diaboliques, I can't say the same thing about Psycho, maybe because I knew to much about it before I watched it, so it really never surprised me.
Althought I figured out the ending of Diaboliques before too, I have never felt that kind of fear that I felt for the last minutes of the film.
I had to turn off the tv sound and turn on the lights while watching it, and that have never ever happened to me before in my life, and I've seen a lot of movies.
Les Diaboliques is a masterpiece, and, maybe it's me, don't get me wrong, but a lot of times I can't enjoy classic movies, because, I like a more realistic kind of acting, I thing that in the past, actors and actresses overacted too much, and I think that's a problem with Psycho and Casablanca, for example (for me).
I really enjoyed the acting in this movie, it was amazing, specially, Simone Signoret, she was simply fantastic
Please don't insult me for thinking in this way, it just my taste, and excuse me if I made a grammar mistake, Spanish is my first language and I need practice in my English
I have to go with Les Diaboliques. It is as some have said more consistent, the characters and the settings are so much more real and it is a much more believable plot (as are the characters and the scenes). After 50+ years, the plot seems fresher than that of Psycho after 45. It does not rely on any special effects that have become dated.
For me the concept of "evil personified" (Silence of the lambs was a truly and deeply stupid movie to me) is a very hard concept to truly grasp, not being religiously or superstitiously influenced.
The closer the characters are to believability and reality the creepier the story becomes. The one exception to that is when new (or no)rules are in place such as in the Alien series set in space - un-earthly if you will - at least for the first of those movies.
Criminally insane is never so neat and tidy as in the pictures.
In the end you have to give the nod to clever and sane conniving thoroughly plotting characters to goofy crazy ones every time, unless you believe, want to believe or need to believe in the boogie man.