Henri-Georges Clouzot

The Profile

Henri-Georges Clouzot (1907–1977) was a French film director and screenwriter renowned for tightly wound thrillers and noir, including The Wages of Fear and Les Diaboliques, earning him the moniker “the French Hitchcock.”

Celebrated French director of noir and suspense; incisive moral cynicism and precise plotting. Debut feature L'assassino abita al 21 (1942); major works include Le corbeau (1943), The Wages of Fear (1953), and Les Diaboliques (1954). Vera Clouzot starred in Les Diaboliques.

Three glowing reviews celebrate Clouzot’s razor-edged noir and thriller craft. Highlights include the cynical precision of Le corbeau (1943), the twist-stacked brilliance of Les diaboliques (1954), and the stylishly ‘cool’ debut L’assassino abita al 21 (1942). Dialogues, acting, and minimalist scoring are praised. Clouzot’s critique of the French bourgeoisie is a recurring theme.