Diabolically Yours (1967)

I love this movie so much

The Worst Film Ever

It is a performances centric movie

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

George (Alain Delon) awakens in a hospital. It seems he was in a bad traffic accident and nearly died. His wife, Christiane (Senta Berger), was apparently unhurt. After a long recovery, he is sent home to his mansion--a place he doesn't recognize. In fact, he doesn't really recognize his wife! What gives? Was the accident THAT bad or is something going else afoot? Unfortunately, the more he starts to remember, the more his life might be in danger! Which isn't a surprise, since the film is entitled "Diabolically Yours"! This film directed by Julien Duvivier is one giant mind game--on both George and the audience! All during the picture, like George, you are wondering what's really happening and who can be trusted. I like this sort of paranoid film--and it kept me guessing, that's for sure. And, considering how few films manage to do this to the viewers, I really appreciated this film. Interestingly, the film could have worked well either way--that George really is crazy or that some bizarre conspiracy is occurring. Either way, the film is great and I strongly recommend you see it. And, based on its IMDb score, I'd say this was was underrated.By the way, this film has some similarities to the Hollywood B-movie "My Name is Julia Ross" as well as an earlier Delon film, "Joy House"--both are also well worth seeing.

Cinematography, set decoration and wardrobe are magnificent, but what a botched-up screenplay! You just know something is amiss and the final explanation just won't stand the least scrutiny. Ever tried to place a reel-to-reel tape recorder under the victim's pillow and operate it without a remote control? Ever gobbled a suspicious medication for weeks without inquiring what the heck it might be? The ever-watching drinking-pal-turned-doctor who just happens to be out overnight when the hero discovers all about the diabolical setup, the leading lady who certainly was not selected for her acting talent, the fetishist clone of Inspector Clouzot's Asian servant, Claude Piéplu's outré decorator number, everything in there will just make you scream uncle. Well, there still remains Delon, waking up from a 3-week coma after a car accident without a scar, just a stiff maxillary, and yes, the very good trombone jazz tune during the very "moving" opening credits (no mention of the composer, though). Lots of second-degree fun, not unlike a "good" monster movie. Try it as a double-header after Lelouch's Marriage, for instance.

Right from the opening credits (which, by the way, are very cool; notice how the words seem to respond rhythmically to the music), it's easy to see that this film bears a striking resemblance to the 1991 thriller "Shattered": we have a car accident, a woman who mysteriously survives without a scratch and a man who gets badly injured, develops amnesia, and tries to piece together the puzzle of his previous life but senses that something isn't quite right, something doesn't add up. The plot is enigmatic and twisty but has some holes, and it won't fool anyone who's previously seen "Shattered" (or "Gaslight", for that matter). But Duvivier's innovative direction makes this a surprisingly undated thriller. Alain Delon gives one of his liveliest performances...and who could forget to mention Senta Berger's terrific body? (***)

The movie begins with a car crash.Soon after,Duvivier would die in a car crash too.It was the second time he 'd experimented color and directed Alain Delon (who was part of the cast of "le devil and the ten commandments",a film made up of sketches ,Duvivier's forte.) Julien Duvivier is my all-time favorite French director .His career encompasses the silent era,the glorious thirties when he produced one masterpiece a year ,an American era in the forties.In the fifties he 's best remembered for his "Don Camillo" saga but one should not forget his films noirs extraordinaire ("Sous le ciel de Paris" and "Voici le temps des assassins").Then there was the nouvelle vague which was always putting him down.Delon reportedly said he'd suffered from their contempt.He shouldn't have bothered:he's better than any of them.And Claude Chabrol is certainly his psychic son as he is Hitchcock's or Clouzot's."Diaboliquement votre" is a poor swansong though.Duvivier's indomitable pessimism can be felt when he denies (and it's not the first time:almost all Duvivier works have a bitter end)the audience the de rigueur happy end ,but his magic touch is almost absent here.Delon portrays a framed man :a distant relative of George Peppard in Jack Smight's "the third day" (1966) and Tom Berenger in "shattered",his wife (Senta Berger)refuses to give herself to him after a car crash.But is she really his wife?And what about these strange voices he can hear at night?This shady doctor who calls him his friend?This Chinese servant?This kind of screenplay needs talented writers ,like Boileau-Narcejac ("Diabolique" "Vertigo" ) ,Frédéric Dard ("Toi le venin") or John Dickson Carr whose " burning court" Duvivier had transferred to the screen in 1962.Louis Thomas whose book I've not read is not in the same league.His tricks are roughly done:the tape recorder,the dog,the trap door..All the plot seems to sink into the pool of the desirable mansion.Delon's presence,Berger's beauty and a nice cinematography make the movie watchable.But Duvivier had done so much so much better that I urge French movies buffs to see his finest works,which Orson Welles himself admired.