Elevator to the Gallows

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Elevator to the Gallows

Released Jun 10, 1958

1h 30m

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

93%

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59 Reviews

91%

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1,000+ Ratings

Restless femme fatale Florence Carala (Jeanne Moreau) recruits her lover, Julien Tavernier (Maurice Ronet), to murder her wealthy husband, Simon (Jean Wall), in his office and make it appear like a suicide. Tavernier does the dirty deed eagerly, but becomes trapped in an elevator when he returns to remove a key piece of evidence he had accidentally left behind. Tavernier's unfortunate oversight sets into motion a dark ripple of events that bloodies the cold Paris night.

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Critics Consensus

Louis Malle's hypnotic debut is a noir with genuine soul, infusing its tale of best laid plans gone awry with wistful performances, swooning cinematography, and a sultry soundtrack.

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

A classic European film noir with an irresistible score by Miles Davis, it builds tension from a series of seemingly minor mistakes that echo the political/military context of the postwar era.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 1, 2016

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

Elevator to the Gallows, killer stuff.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 26, 2016

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Tina Hassannia

Village Voice

Elevator to the Gallows married a new kind of jazz to a new kind of cinema, and created something altogether sublime.

Aug 25, 2016

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

An early nouvelle vague marriage between Maurice Ronet, Jeanne Moreau, crime, and a score by Miles Davis.

Jan 22, 2024

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Justine Smith

Vague Visages

A feeling of powerlessness is no doubt at the heart of Moreau’s possessed performance in Elevator to the Gallows.

Nov 21, 2023

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

One of those pitch-perfect debuts, shot in sinewy shadows and documentary daylight without a wasted frame. It can make you furious that the person who made it was only 24 years old.

Nov 21, 2022

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Niall O

With its dreamlike narrative and groundbreaking jazz score (improvised by Miles Davis), this film redefines noir through its haunting portrayal of crime and chance in the labyrinthine streets of Paris.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/25

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Leaburn O

Stylish French noir with a peculiar ending because it’s never quite explained how the pictures incriminate them. Clever, twisting plot which felt strangely plodding at times given the short runtime. Watched on DVD.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/10/24

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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 out of 5 stars

08/01/24

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Massoud H

Gorgeous film. Jeanne Moreau is one of the greatest actors of history.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/24

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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 out of 5 stars

01/21/24

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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 out of 5 stars

11/17/23

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Louis Malle

Director

Jeanne Moreau

Florence Carala

Maurice Ronet

Julien Tavernier

Jean Wall

Simon Carala

Georges Poujouly

Louis

Yori Bertin

Véronique

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Synopsis

Restless femme fatale Florence Carala (Jeanne Moreau) recruits her lover, Julien Tavernier (Maurice Ronet), to murder her wealthy husband, Simon (Jean Wall), in his office and make it appear like a suicide. Tavernier does the dirty deed eagerly, but becomes trapped in an elevator when he returns to remove a key piece of evidence he had accidentally left behind. Tavernier's unfortunate oversight sets into motion a dark ripple of events that bloodies the cold Paris night.

Director: Louis Malle
Producer: Jean Thuillier
Screenwriter: Noël Calef, Louis Malle, Roger Nimier, Roger Nimier
Distributor: Times Film Corporation, New Yorker Films
Production Co: Nouvelles Éditions de Films [fr]
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 10, 1958, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 3, 2016
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $104.8K
Runtime: 1h 30m
Sound Mix: Mono

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