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? (***)
15 Reviews
Farewell,Monsieur Duvivier.
dbdumonteil7 February 2005
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.
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.
interesting and odd film from Duvivier
blanche-228 January 2017
"Diabolically Yours" from 1967 is a derivative film with parts of Gaslight, Vertigo, Diabolique, take your pick. Directed by Julian Duvivier, who would die in a car accident shortly after this film was made, the film stars Alain Delon and Senta Berger.
Alain Delon wakes up from a three-week coma after a car accident, and he can't remember anything, not even this gorgeous woman who claims to be his wife Christiane (Berger). Apparently, he is a wealthy businessman named Georges Campo. He is brought to his palatial estate to recover, and he's mighty impressed. There's a doctor there (Sergio Fantoni) and a mysterious servant named Kim (Peter Mosbacher).
It doesn't take Georges long to become suspicious of the whole setup. His wife won't have sex with him which for me is the most ludicrous part of the film, since it's Alain Delon we're talking about. The name Pierre Lagrange keeps going through his head, and he comes to believe he's a prisoner in the house and part of some plot. Voices in the night tell him he's going crazy and to kill himself, and his dreams are disturbing.
The film keeps us in the dark as we wonder about Christiane's weird relationship with the servant, and just what the doctor's role is.
Despite what you might guess as the film continues, it's actually quite intriguing. Both Delon and Berger are at the height of their eye-popping beauty. Delon brings humor to the role, as well as playing a confused but determined man. When Chistiane brings a decorator to the house, Delon playfully follows him around, mimicking the man's gait.
Berger looks very sixties with her hair and fashions, looking like the ultimate '60s fashion model, chosen for her beauty. Today she remains not only a beautiful woman, but an incredibly accomplished actress and producer.
The end of the movie won't be to everyone's taste. It wasn't mine.
There is a lot to enjoy here, including the cinematography. In the end, it's a disjointed film but watchable.
Alain Delon wakes up from a three-week coma after a car accident, and he can't remember anything, not even this gorgeous woman who claims to be his wife Christiane (Berger). Apparently, he is a wealthy businessman named Georges Campo. He is brought to his palatial estate to recover, and he's mighty impressed. There's a doctor there (Sergio Fantoni) and a mysterious servant named Kim (Peter Mosbacher).
It doesn't take Georges long to become suspicious of the whole setup. His wife won't have sex with him which for me is the most ludicrous part of the film, since it's Alain Delon we're talking about. The name Pierre Lagrange keeps going through his head, and he comes to believe he's a prisoner in the house and part of some plot. Voices in the night tell him he's going crazy and to kill himself, and his dreams are disturbing.
The film keeps us in the dark as we wonder about Christiane's weird relationship with the servant, and just what the doctor's role is.
Despite what you might guess as the film continues, it's actually quite intriguing. Both Delon and Berger are at the height of their eye-popping beauty. Delon brings humor to the role, as well as playing a confused but determined man. When Chistiane brings a decorator to the house, Delon playfully follows him around, mimicking the man's gait.
Berger looks very sixties with her hair and fashions, looking like the ultimate '60s fashion model, chosen for her beauty. Today she remains not only a beautiful woman, but an incredibly accomplished actress and producer.
The end of the movie won't be to everyone's taste. It wasn't mine.
There is a lot to enjoy here, including the cinematography. In the end, it's a disjointed film but watchable.
The final film of Julien Duvivier, one of the great masters of French cinema, "Diaboliquement votre" is an odd swan song. Heavily influenced by European art films of the sixties, the film is less a
Dr. Jeff-213 May 2000
Alain Delon stars as Pierre, an amnesiac recovering from a car accident. He can't remember any details about the accident or about his past life as a wealthy businessman based in the orient. He is currently being nursed back to health on his palatial estate in the french countryside by his beautiful wife, Christiane (Senta Berger), the family doctor (Sergio Fantoni), and a manservant named Kim (Peter Mosbacher).Paranoia rapidly sets in as he begins to suspect Christiane is not really his wife and that he is the victim of a sinister plot. Despite the standard plot device of someone trying to drive the main character insane or to the point of suicide, "Diaboliquement votre" is not a standard thriller by any means and often takes a detour from the main plot (Pierre's obsessive investigation of his true identity) to show us odd details about the main characters (the masochistic relationship between Christiane and Kim). The result will probably disappoint most mystery fans, especially the anticlimatic ending, but for others, there are things to enjoy here; Alain Delon's playful performance as a victim, a sexy Senta Berger at the height of her beauty, modeling a variety of sixties fashions, Henri Decae's lush cinematography, and some disorientating drug induced dream sequences.
The story of a love triangle with murder implications.
esteban17477 October 2001
One never knows the truth of this thriller until it nearly ends, even when it is already over everyone is free to imagine the fate of the survivors. A person, supposedly George Campos (Alain Delon), had an a car accident and is hospitalized for a while. When he recovered his conscience he does not recognize his wife Christiane (Senta Berger), his friend Freddie (a psychiatrist) and all his properties. In that situation he acknowledged the beautifulness of his wife and decided to have sex with her, but she always unreasonably prevented it. Time passed and slowly George Campos remembered his real name, Pierre Lagrange. The psychiatrist warned him that he himself is G. Campo, but the latter had already no doubt of being poor ex-soldier Lagrange. One of the reasons was that his supposedly dog did not ever recognize him. He decided not to take anymore the recommended pills and discovered all truth. Among the thrillers in the French cinema this is perhaps one of its best.
An intriguing tale of deceit
raymond-10617 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
To commit murder according to a well thought out plan and not be found out. That is the intriguing theme of this film. The perfect crime, you might say.
Madame Christiane Campo with the help of Freddie (her doctor and lover) murders her husband Georges and buries him in the garden of her sumptuous mansion. Freddie has an amnesia patient recently involved in a car accident. When the man gains consciousness he is told his name is Georges Campo and he is married to Christiane. She takes him home to her mansion and Doctor Freddie supervises his recovery.
An intriguing situation arises. On the one hand the patient now called Georges is trying to remember any aspect of his former life and on the other hand Christiane and Freddie insist that he is Christiane's husband and that his nightmares. dreams and uncertainties are a result of the accident.
The plot thickens. Georges is introduced to a home decorator who advises on changes to the mansion. Thus the decorator is a witness to the fact that Georges is still alive. The plan now is to ensure that Georges the impostor must die either through accident or suicide.
The plot is full of holes. Various devices are arranged so that Georges will meet with an accident but all fail. Even a savage dog is employed to attack him. Actually the dog's behaviour confirms for Georges that all is not as it seems.
Freddie suggests to Georges that madness is a terrible thing. Freddie makes sure there is a pistol in George's bedside drawer hoping he will take his own life.
Like most thrillers all is conveniently resolved in a final scene involving Freddie and a rather sinister Chinese servant with desires on Madame Christiane.
Alain Delon gives a creditable performance as usual and the rest of the small cast likewise. If you don't analyze the film too closely you will probably enjoy it.
It is said that crime does not pay. Having seen this film I am having second thoughts. It sure is a beautiful mansion and Christiane looks very promising too.
Madame Christiane Campo with the help of Freddie (her doctor and lover) murders her husband Georges and buries him in the garden of her sumptuous mansion. Freddie has an amnesia patient recently involved in a car accident. When the man gains consciousness he is told his name is Georges Campo and he is married to Christiane. She takes him home to her mansion and Doctor Freddie supervises his recovery.
An intriguing situation arises. On the one hand the patient now called Georges is trying to remember any aspect of his former life and on the other hand Christiane and Freddie insist that he is Christiane's husband and that his nightmares. dreams and uncertainties are a result of the accident.
The plot thickens. Georges is introduced to a home decorator who advises on changes to the mansion. Thus the decorator is a witness to the fact that Georges is still alive. The plan now is to ensure that Georges the impostor must die either through accident or suicide.
The plot is full of holes. Various devices are arranged so that Georges will meet with an accident but all fail. Even a savage dog is employed to attack him. Actually the dog's behaviour confirms for Georges that all is not as it seems.
Freddie suggests to Georges that madness is a terrible thing. Freddie makes sure there is a pistol in George's bedside drawer hoping he will take his own life.
Like most thrillers all is conveniently resolved in a final scene involving Freddie and a rather sinister Chinese servant with desires on Madame Christiane.
Alain Delon gives a creditable performance as usual and the rest of the small cast likewise. If you don't analyze the film too closely you will probably enjoy it.
It is said that crime does not pay. Having seen this film I am having second thoughts. It sure is a beautiful mansion and Christiane looks very promising too.
Don't read the teaser!
skepticskeptical30 January 2021
I have no way of knowing whether this film might have worked, had I not read the blurb at kanopy, which gave away the game. Talk about a spoiler! There are many film references here, to Plein Soleil, Diabolique, et al., but the film lacks the subtlety and nuance of those creations--at least I think. Would it have been a surprise, if I had not already been told the gist of the story before I watched the film? C'est dommage.
The wife was such an interesting character...
nlbatman3925 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
So the French are masters of mysteries and movies to begin with.
Right from the beginning, it grabs you and you immediately understand that something is wrong, and new and new things that don't have answers are constantly happening somehow quietly and not so visibly, which makes you want to understand more and more what the truth is.
Also, the French people are very good at the end of the movie to make you feel absolutely satisfied and somehow feel the whole movie again. They do it in an extremely simple and elementary way, but at the same time this moment is so key.
The wife made a big impression, because somehow she tried to hide and lie about many things, but again in a very delicate way - there was something with both the butler and Freddy. She lied to Pierre, and at the end we saw her from such a different perspective. She was an extremely mysterious and interesting character in the film and I think she won me over the most.
The movie was very good, it's normal to get a little bored halfway through, but there are moments that make you feel like you're there and you want to find out the truth.
Right from the beginning, it grabs you and you immediately understand that something is wrong, and new and new things that don't have answers are constantly happening somehow quietly and not so visibly, which makes you want to understand more and more what the truth is.
Also, the French people are very good at the end of the movie to make you feel absolutely satisfied and somehow feel the whole movie again. They do it in an extremely simple and elementary way, but at the same time this moment is so key.
The wife made a big impression, because somehow she tried to hide and lie about many things, but again in a very delicate way - there was something with both the butler and Freddy. She lied to Pierre, and at the end we saw her from such a different perspective. She was an extremely mysterious and interesting character in the film and I think she won me over the most.
The movie was very good, it's normal to get a little bored halfway through, but there are moments that make you feel like you're there and you want to find out the truth.
Deceptive Film
claudio_carvalho23 November 2017
When a viewer watches a thriller directed by Julien Duvivier with Alain Delon and Senta Berger, his or her expectation is of at least of a great film. Unfortunately the swan song of Mr. Duvivier is an absolutely flawed and deceptive film, with a terrible storyline and a screenplay with many plot holes and lack of character development. The situations are absurd and unbelievable and the open ending disappointing. My vote is five.
Title (Brazil): "Diabolicamente Tua" ("Diabolically Yours")
Title (Brazil): "Diabolicamente Tua" ("Diabolically Yours")
Lots of loose ends
lcourteau3 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
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.
You gotta see this one...
planktonrules2 February 2013
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.
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.
Maddening and utterly unbelievable
rch42721 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
"Diabolically Yours" uses the same tired old trope that dozens of other films from the 1930s onward have employed: a man wakes up in a hospital, not sure who he is, but suspecting that he's not who everyone says he is. If that man is the film's protagonist, we need to develop empathy for him. And the surest way to thwart any empathy is for the plot to make him a fool.
Why would a man who began by being suspicious of the story he was being set in, and who found more things to be suspicious of at every turn, keep reacting in the most foolish and trusting way? In the interest of not giving spoilers, let me just say that you or I, finding ourselves in his position, would've behaved far more sensibly than Alain Delon's character does here. The real fault lies in the plot for simply recycling a predictable story line and requiring stupidity of the "hero" in order to make it play out.
The film does offer two concession prizes: some appealing cinematography in the 1960s Eastmancolor process, and a cracking jazz score by François de Roubaix.
Why would a man who began by being suspicious of the story he was being set in, and who found more things to be suspicious of at every turn, keep reacting in the most foolish and trusting way? In the interest of not giving spoilers, let me just say that you or I, finding ourselves in his position, would've behaved far more sensibly than Alain Delon's character does here. The real fault lies in the plot for simply recycling a predictable story line and requiring stupidity of the "hero" in order to make it play out.
The film does offer two concession prizes: some appealing cinematography in the 1960s Eastmancolor process, and a cracking jazz score by François de Roubaix.
Laughable
dierregi14 April 2022
Only worth watching if you appreciate some eye candy in the shape of young and attractive Alain Delon and Senta Berger.
The plot is about amnesiac George who after a terrible car crash from which he recovered without any bruise or visible sign, apart from a sprained ankle, is sent home to recover.
'Home' is a mighty isolated mansion where George lives with wifey Christiane and shady Chinese servant Kim. George and Christiane are just back from Hong Kong, where they made a ton of money and their only visitor is their 'friend' Freddie.
By now you'll know that this is a relatively cheap production, employing only 4 actors (albeit a couple of big names) and a few extras for a few scenes and taking place almost exclusively in the creepy mansion.
Delon is an unconvincing George. While thinking his real name may be Pierre Lagrange, George's only purpose seems to be getting into Christiane's pants. Talk about the French being obsessed with sex... It takes a while for dumb George to realize that the 'medicine' wifey and pal force down his throat might not be so curative after all.
Given the setting, one can see the denouement coming a long time away, the only question mark being if Christiane will make it, while 'George" undoubtedly should.
The plot is about amnesiac George who after a terrible car crash from which he recovered without any bruise or visible sign, apart from a sprained ankle, is sent home to recover.
'Home' is a mighty isolated mansion where George lives with wifey Christiane and shady Chinese servant Kim. George and Christiane are just back from Hong Kong, where they made a ton of money and their only visitor is their 'friend' Freddie.
By now you'll know that this is a relatively cheap production, employing only 4 actors (albeit a couple of big names) and a few extras for a few scenes and taking place almost exclusively in the creepy mansion.
Delon is an unconvincing George. While thinking his real name may be Pierre Lagrange, George's only purpose seems to be getting into Christiane's pants. Talk about the French being obsessed with sex... It takes a while for dumb George to realize that the 'medicine' wifey and pal force down his throat might not be so curative after all.
Given the setting, one can see the denouement coming a long time away, the only question mark being if Christiane will make it, while 'George" undoubtedly should.
As if!
darleneva62118 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers.
I don't care what you're doing, what con or trick you're up to.. exactly how many people would turn down sex with Alain Delon????? The premise that he is recovering and sex is not advised during his recovery..oh come on! Physically he's in great shape and the coma story is silly. The poor guy is so confused and doubtful but considering Senta Berger's beauty, wouldn't he ask for a little more detail on this "medically advised" celibacy? And the person they are using Alain to impersonate (unknowingly), considering his wealth, wouldn't friends or businessmen try to visit? I must have missed that part.
No one comes out of a 3 week coma looking like Alain Delon. Actually, no one comes out of a coma looking that healthy.
As far as the story, I understand that you are supposed to suspend belief at times and let the plot flow over you, but it was just too preposterous. Alain's character appears to be reasonably intelligent, would it take him that long to ask more questions? There's some fun to it, he looks cute and vulnerable at times and Berger's 60's clothes are terrific. Delon and Berger are a beautiful pair and both are talented. Too bad they couldn't get a better plot together.
I don't care what you're doing, what con or trick you're up to.. exactly how many people would turn down sex with Alain Delon????? The premise that he is recovering and sex is not advised during his recovery..oh come on! Physically he's in great shape and the coma story is silly. The poor guy is so confused and doubtful but considering Senta Berger's beauty, wouldn't he ask for a little more detail on this "medically advised" celibacy? And the person they are using Alain to impersonate (unknowingly), considering his wealth, wouldn't friends or businessmen try to visit? I must have missed that part.
No one comes out of a 3 week coma looking like Alain Delon. Actually, no one comes out of a coma looking that healthy.
As far as the story, I understand that you are supposed to suspend belief at times and let the plot flow over you, but it was just too preposterous. Alain's character appears to be reasonably intelligent, would it take him that long to ask more questions? There's some fun to it, he looks cute and vulnerable at times and Berger's 60's clothes are terrific. Delon and Berger are a beautiful pair and both are talented. Too bad they couldn't get a better plot together.
Lies and manipulations
jbgeorges3 August 2020
For his last movie, Julien Duvivier invites Alain Delon, Senta Berger, and... color! This astonishing film is truly dazzling by the beauty of its plans and by its light. Too bad Duvivier didn't have the chance to make more color films.. True to his habit, the talented Duvivier leads us by the nose in a story full of pretenses, lies and manipulations.
The beauty of the actors and the sets sharply contrasts with the unhealthy relationships between the characters ... An absolute must see!
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