The movie
Elevator to the Gallows or Lift to the Scaffold is a 1958 French thriller movie directed by Louis Malle. The original French title is Ascenseur pour l’ echafaud. The cast includes Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Jean Wall and Lino Ventura.
The film is a low-budget black-and-white production and the first fiction film of Louis Malle.
Lovers Florence Carala (played by Moreau) and Julien Tavernier (played by Ronet) plan to kill Florence’s husband Simon (played by Wall), a wealthy industrialist who is Julien’s boss. Staying late at the office one Saturday evening, Julien uses a rope to climb up the outside of the building to Simon’s office. He shoots Simon with Simon’s own gun and make things to look like a suicide.
Julien forgets the rope he used to climb up. Thus, he goes back to pick it up. He takes the elevator. At that time the security guard, thinking that everybody has already left the building, switches off the power and locks up for the weekend. Julien is trapped between two floors.
Later on, Julien’s car is stolen by a crook. This further complicates things. When Florence sees the car going by, she thinks that Julien is in the car. The plot is unfolded with many adventurous scenes, while Julien remains trapped in the elevator.
The scene
Florence believes that something went wrong with the plan. She tries to find Julien at one of the places he often goes. She wanders down the Champs Elysees at night passing by shop windows. The only illumination on her face comes from the street lights, and the cafes and shops.
All the drama is reflected on Moreau’s face. And all these happen under the background music of Miles Davis. In fact, this jazz music dominates the whole film. It is remarkable that the music score was written and performed despite the fact that Davis and his band had not even seen the film before.
The Davis’ score is worth hearing entirely on its own. No wonder why it has influenced the sound of film noir.
Elevator to the Gallows certainly deserves a leading place in any cinephile library.
0 Comments