The Lesbian Undertones of Les Diaboliques
In 1955, Henri Clouzot directed the famous noir thriller Les Diaboliques based off the book by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. The original story from the book, the characters, who would be equivalent to Nicole and Christina in the film, were a lesbian couple. In the movie, Clouzot tries to heteronormalize the plot by doing away with the lesbian couple. However, Clouzot does not do a good enough job to completely get rid of the homosexual undertones of the relationship between the two women. Through Christina and Nicole’s actions and the camera shots, there are connotations of a lesbian relationship. Les Diaboliques is the story of a wife and mistress who plot to kill the husband. Christina, the …show more content…
When the two women spend the weekend at Nicole’s house in the city, it is shown that they slept in the same bed. There is a scene at night when Christina cannot sleep, it shows her sitting away in bed next to Nicole who is sleeping. From the beginning of the movie, Nicole and Christina were always physically close. Their first interaction together is Christina asking about the black eye that Nicole has caused by Michel, during the conversation one can see Christina holding Nicole. The very next scene is Nicole helping Christina with her shawl, she then proceeds to walk Christina up the stairs with her arm around her shoulder (Clouzot 1955). Nicole refers to Christina as darling a few times and has even kissed her on the cheeks. Nicole consoles Christina when she is upset and looks out for her health. After discovering the body of Michel is gone, Christina becomes very sick and Nicole takes care of her. She gives Christina her medicine and makes sure she is in a calm environment. Christina even says at one point that she knows Nicole very well. It is very obviously displayed throughout the movie that Nicole and Christina are very …show more content…
Nicole is the mistress for Christina’s husband. Naturally, one would think that Christina would hate her, but instead, they bond over Michel who they both find abusive. At times, they seem like unlikely friends, and then other times they can seem like a couple. They sometimes bicker like a couple and they also share a bed when they stay at Nicole’s apartment. The relationship between Nicole and Christina can also be viewed as a mother-daughter type relationship. Nicole is dominant over Christina like she is in charge, but as Hayward said, “Nicole takes care of Christina, she speaks to her at times as a mother would to a daughter,” (13). Because Christina is portrayed as weak and fragile and Nicole as strong and independent, a relationship this close could very much be characterized as mother-daughter. It is more likely to be seen as a lesbian relationship due to the characters around them. In one of the first scenes, two male teachers are talking to each other about how scandalous it is that the wife is consoling the mistress. The boys of the school are also always wondering about the two women. A little after the scene talked about beforehand, the boys are talking about how Christina and Nicole could be drinking buddies. A mother- daughter relationship is also not as likely because of how the women are sexualized and because Nicole was Christina’s husband’s mistress. These sexual themes throw out the
In 1955, Henri Clouzot directed the famous noir thriller Les Diaboliques based off the book by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. The original story from the book, the characters, who would be equivalent to Nicole and Christina in the film, were a lesbian couple. In the movie, Clouzot tries to heteronormalize the plot by doing away with the lesbian couple. However, Clouzot does not do a good enough job to completely get rid of the homosexual undertones of the relationship between the two women. Through Christina and Nicole’s actions and the camera shots, there are connotations of a lesbian relationship. Les Diaboliques is the story of a wife and mistress who plot to kill the husband. Christina, the …show more content…
When the two women spend the weekend at Nicole’s house in the city, it is shown that they slept in the same bed. There is a scene at night when Christina cannot sleep, it shows her sitting away in bed next to Nicole who is sleeping. From the beginning of the movie, Nicole and Christina were always physically close. Their first interaction together is Christina asking about the black eye that Nicole has caused by Michel, during the conversation one can see Christina holding Nicole. The very next scene is Nicole helping Christina with her shawl, she then proceeds to walk Christina up the stairs with her arm around her shoulder (Clouzot 1955). Nicole refers to Christina as darling a few times and has even kissed her on the cheeks. Nicole consoles Christina when she is upset and looks out for her health. After discovering the body of Michel is gone, Christina becomes very sick and Nicole takes care of her. She gives Christina her medicine and makes sure she is in a calm environment. Christina even says at one point that she knows Nicole very well. It is very obviously displayed throughout the movie that Nicole and Christina are very …show more content…
Nicole is the mistress for Christina’s husband. Naturally, one would think that Christina would hate her, but instead, they bond over Michel who they both find abusive. At times, they seem like unlikely friends, and then other times they can seem like a couple. They sometimes bicker like a couple and they also share a bed when they stay at Nicole’s apartment. The relationship between Nicole and Christina can also be viewed as a mother-daughter type relationship. Nicole is dominant over Christina like she is in charge, but as Hayward said, “Nicole takes care of Christina, she speaks to her at times as a mother would to a daughter,” (13). Because Christina is portrayed as weak and fragile and Nicole as strong and independent, a relationship this close could very much be characterized as mother-daughter. It is more likely to be seen as a lesbian relationship due to the characters around them. In one of the first scenes, two male teachers are talking to each other about how scandalous it is that the wife is consoling the mistress. The boys of the school are also always wondering about the two women. A little after the scene talked about beforehand, the boys are talking about how Christina and Nicole could be drinking buddies. A mother- daughter relationship is also not as likely because of how the women are sexualized and because Nicole was Christina’s husband’s mistress. These sexual themes throw out the