FEATURED POSTS

10 Questions with Shane Briant

The talented British' born actor Shane Briant made his screen debut in the Hammer horror film Demons of the Mind. Since then he's gone on to appear in over 60 films and television productions including Straight On Till Morning (1972), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1973), The Mackintosh Man (1973), Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974), Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974), The Naked Civil Servant (1975) and Lady Chatterley's Lover (1981). Currently Briant is focusing his attention on writing fiction and he has recently completed a psychological thriller called Worst Nightmares that will be released May 12th. I've admired his film work for many years so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to ask Shane Briant a few questions about his early movies and current writing projects. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

The Girl On a Motorcycle (1968)

The talented director and cinematographer Jack Cardiff has passed away at the age of 94. As the tributes start to roll out from various news sites and film blogs its become clear to me that most people regard Jack Cardiff as a great cinematographer and have little regard or knowledge of his directing contributions, which is a shame. Cardiff was a brilliant photographer and his groundbreaking contributions to cinematography are well worth celebrating. But his impressive work as a director on films like the wonderful D.H. Lawrence adaptation Sons and Lovers (1960), the entertaining spy thriller The Liquidator (1965), the excellent erotic drama The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) and the effective horror film The Mutations (1974) is also worthy of applause. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

Favorite DVD Releases of 2008

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but overall 2008 was somewhat of a lackluster year for new Region 1 DVD releases of '60s and '70s era films when compared to the previous two years (See: 2006 and 2007). Some of my favorite DVD companies such as BCI Eclipse and most recently New Yorker Films have folded. Boutique DVD companies are releasing fewer products and what is being released is often of questionable quality. With the failing economy and the rise in popularity of Blu-ray discs, it seems like the number of new worthwhile DVD releases might continue to drop dramatically in 2009. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

Resurrecting Yusaku Matsuda

Toru Murakawa's Resurrection of the Golden Wolf (aka Yomigaeru kinrô; 1979) is a wildly uneven Japanese crime film that left me wishing it had been helmed by another director. The film's script was adapted from a popular novel by Haruhiko Ooyabu and directors like Seijun Suzuki have had great success turning Ooyabu's hard-boiled fiction into films, but Toru Murakawa doesn't have Suzuki's eye for detail or his pop art sensibility. Resurrection of the Golden Wolf runs much too long and the dramatic filler weighs down the action, but even with its flaws the movie still keeps your attention thanks to the star performance of Yusaku Matsuda. READ MORE

THIS MONTH'S FEATURED POSTS

We Are Controlling Transmission

This year analog broadcasting is coming to an end. On June 12th 2009 television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch permanently to digital. Digital broadcasting promises to provide viewers with a sharper picture and more diverse programming options, but this unavoidable change is forcing millions of people to buy new television sets or opt for getting a converter box that will often cost them $40 or more. I feel for these people because I didn't have complete cable TV Access or a digital television myself until 2007. READ MORE

The Last Film of Julien Duvivier - Diaboliquement Vôtre (1967)

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 6, 2007

Categories | Movie Reviews, Directors, French Cinema, Alain Delon

Filmmaker Julien Duvivier is undoubtedly one of France’s most important and influential directors. Unfortunately unlike many of his contemporaries, such as Jean Renoir and René Clair, Duvivier’s cinematic contributions are sometimes forgotten. He was often dismissed by the Nouvelle Vague and his real talents were in re-imagining crime thrillers and fantasy films, which are genres generally overlooked by most critics. The director’s ability to produce worthwhile films in multiple genres may have not won him much critical praise during his lifetime, but in recent years Duvivier’s contributions to French noir and fantasy cinema have begun to be fully appreciated.

Duvivier found some success in Hollywood during the late 1930s and early 1940s with the lavish musical The Great Waltz (1938), a the star-filled comedy called Tales of Manhattan (1942) and the interesting dark fantasy anthology Flesh and Fantasy (1943), but he’s mainly remembered for the films he made with the great French actor Jean Gabin such as Pépé le Moko (1937) and Voici le temps des assassins… (1956). Unfortunately many critics still dismiss his later films and that’s a shame. I think some of Julien Duvivier’s most interesting movies were made in the sixties, including his last film Diaboliquement Vôtre (a.k.a. Diabolically Yours, 1967) which I just watched for a second time recently.

Diaboliquement Vôtre is a dark psychological thriller starring Alain Delon, Senta Berger, Sergio Fantoni and Peter Mosbacher. The movie opens with Georges Campo (Alain Delon) taking a long drive at high speeds down a seemingly deserted road in the French countryside. The drive is powered by a great soundtrack from composer François de Roubaix and it’s beautifully shot from the perspective of the driver. This perspective never really changes throughout the film since most of the events that follow are seen through the eyes of Delon’s character Georges. When the drive ends with a violent crash Georges finds himself waking up inside a hospital with amnesia. He quickly notices a wedding band on his finger but he can’t seem to recall his wife Christiane once she arrives at the hospital. Georges’ wife Christiane is played by the beautiful actress Senta Berger so he has no problem following her home even if he can’t remember marrying her.

When Georges arrives at his country estate he is overwhelmed by his luxurious surroundings. He can’t remember previously living there, but he’s more than happy to move in and make himself comfortable. Georges’ complacency seems a little odd at first but with a partner as lovely as Senta Berger and a home fit for a king, it’s understandable why someone might not ask too many questions and just accept their fate with a smile.

Things begin to get complicated when a family friend and doctor named Freddie (Sergio Fantoni) arrives for a visit and Georges seems to recognize him. Georges’ memories of Freddie don’t appear to coincide with reality but it’s clear that Georges’ reality has become more than a little clouded after his accident. Georges expresses his doubts about his new home and current wife, but Freddie manages to convince him that his injuries from the car crash are the reason for his confusion. The two men share a few laughs and Georges soon falls comfortably into the role of loving husband and Master of the manor again.

We’re also introduced to a Chinese servant named Kim (played rather stereotypically by German actor Peter Mosbacher) who devotes himself to Georges’ wife Christiane. The servant Kim not only cooks and cleans, but he also sews all of Christine’s cloths, offers her massages, styles her hair and satisfies numerous other desires. Georges seems to sense something strange about the relationship between his wife and the servant so he becomes increasingly rude and aggressive towards Kim as the movie progresses. Georges’ anger seems to increase as every sexual advance he makes towards his wife Christiane is refused.

As the film unfolds Georges becomes more and more suspicious of everyone around him and the situation he has found himself in. He even begins to question his own sanity after he starts hearing voices and having disturbing nightmares. Georges is also continually given drugs which are supposed to be helping him recall his memories, but they only seem to be adding to his muddled state of mind.

One of the most interesting things about Duvivier’s Diaboliquement Vôtre is the way the director plays with ideas about human identity and memory, as well as destiny and fate which were common themes that Duvivier seemed to enjoy exploring in his films. Alain Delon’s character Georges is perpetually torn between discovering the truth about his identity and succumbing to the pleasures that his current life offers him. He could easily answer many of the questions he continually raises about his past by asking to see family photos and talk to other family members or friends, but instead he engages in an ongoing conversation about his existence with himself and anyone who will listen. These conversations seem to take place in a void or echo chamber where Georges’ thoughts are continually thrown back at him.

The film’s stylish modern look also adds a lot to the production. Diaboliquement Vôtre was shot by the great French cinematographer Henri Decaë who was behind the camera for many of Alain Delon’s most important films such as Plein Soleil (1960), Le Samourai (1967), Le Cercle Rouge (1970), Les Félins (1964) and Le Clan des Siciliens (1969). Decaë’s camera was clearly in love with Delon because he shot the actor beautifully and manages to continually imbued him with an aura of charm and mystery that is undeniably appealing. Henri Decaë’s skillful camera work also flatters the lovely actress Senta Berger who has rarely looked more beautiful than she does in Diaboliquement Vôtre.

The movie ends with a few minor twists and turns which may or may not surprise viewers, but in the end we still know very little about Georges and the rest of the characters in the film. Their future is also a bit of a mystery since Duvivier’s conclusion to Diaboliquement Vôtre is somewhat open to interpretation and in turn lets us imagine multiple outcomes. Like many other European thrillers from the period, Diaboliquement Vôtre shrouds it’s rather conventional plot in metaphors and existential ideas that will probably only appeal to a handful of viewers. At first glance it’s easy to miss a lot of the movies’ underlying themes, but if you’re willing to suspend disbelief and follow Georges down his path to self discovery I think some viewers might find the film as rewarding as I did.

In an ironic twist, director Julien Duvivier was killed in an auto accident on October 30th just a few days after completing production on Diaboliquement Vôtre in 1967. It’s impossible to watch this film without considering the director’s final moments. There is something telling in Duvivier’s existential world view that seems to seep into the film’s every frame and shape its somewhat ambiguous end. If Diaboliquement Vôtre is any indication, the director would have continued to make interesting films if he had lived a bit longer and that is a real tragedy. As pessimistic and conventional as the film might appear to some, I think it has a kinetic energy and progressive style that’s incredibly modern and appealing. Diaboliquement Vôtre is an important final addition to Julien Duvivier’s extensive filmography.

Diaboliquement Vôtre is currently available on DVD as Diabolically Yours from Telavista but the quality of the DVD is rather awful. Hopefully another company will restore the film and give it the quality widescreen release that it deserves.