Elevator to the Gallows

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Joe S Classic French film filled with sardonic humor wherein the perfect murder goes horribly awry. Great film score! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/01/24 Full Review Massoud H Gorgeous film. Jeanne Moreau is one of the greatest actors of history. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/24 Full Review Bashar T Stylish thriller and a mystery surrounded by the sounds of Miles Davis, jazz enthusiast can connect and understand the depth of the movie just by listening to the soundtrack in the background, Miles Davis successfully captured the feeling in different scenes in the movie and was able to translate it into his own language, one of the best jazz soundtracks i've seen in a movie. It is known that Miles Davis recorded all the soundtrack in one take while he watched the movie, and that made the soundtrack very genuine, authentic and full of emotions. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/24 Full Review Dave S When Julien (Maurice Ronet) agrees to murder his lover's (Jeanne Moreau) wealthy husband, he is unable to foresee the unimaginable chain of events that are about to be triggered, all spawned by an oversight in the commission of the crime. Elevator to the Gallows, director Louis Malle's first full-length feature, is an impressive debut. Malle establishes a strong noir vibe and maintains the atmosphere throughout thanks to effective lighting, creative camerawork, and strong but understated performances from most of the cast. Sure, the plot is a bit outlandish and improbable throughout, but such complaints can be overlooked due to the fact that it is so wildly entertaining. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/17/23 Full Review Taylor L Just got out of that elevator after almost a full day, better grab a croissant. Featuring a plot with more twists than a pretzel, Elevator to the Gallows is a story of compounding mistakes and ill intentions. None of the characters that suffer in this film are innocent, but we still end up not only invested heavily in the outcome despite plenty of guilt to go around, but relating to each of them individually. This film is like watching people play badminton with a grenade, and while there is a bit of a morbid fascination with seeing how the unpredictable events of the film will help spell out the fates of our pseudo-protagonists, director Louis Malle really shines with his understanding and depiction of emotion as characters recognize that they are being tossed around by circumstances beyond (or often, ironically within) their control. There's great views of midcentury Paris, including a beautiful shot of Jeanne Moreau walking half-stunned through busy traffic, eyes looking off in the distance, lost in speculation and worry. Tying it all together is the soundtrack from Miles Davis, literally composed to match the film as he and his group were watching it, resulting in a free-form jazz musical accompaniment that emulates the organic meandering of the plot and continues to receive praise. Pretty much convinced that Robert Bresson took this narrative as heavy inspiration for his own similarly-structured 1983 film, L'Argent. Just a reminder that Louis Malle was heavily involved with Jacques Cousteau's landmark documentary The Silent World, Bresson's timeless thriller A Man Escaped, and Elevator to the Gallows (his first feature debut) all before the age of 26. That's why everyone else should just give up. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/10/23 Full Review isla s This is a film noir, with a fairly mysterious sense to it. The plot is intriguing and kept me guessing at times. Its a short but good watch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Elevator to the Gallows

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