Elevator to the Gallows

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Elevator to the Gallows

1958

1h 30m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

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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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

It’s as if Malle is saying that, while the characters crave everything modern, they’re not quite up to handling it.

Rated: 8/10

May 10, 2025

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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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Ghalib D.

Some sublime moments especially when accompanied by Miles’ score and the cinematography.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/12/25

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Kevin L

Just watched "Elevator To the Gallows". Pretty ludicrous; only it's not meant to be, like "North By Northwest" apparently was. Makes a HUGE ask of the audience to suspend disbelief that he would somehow forget to take down the rope w/ the hook w/ which he had JUST used to climb up & down from the victim's office. Plus, the acting was so wooden and hokey; esp. from Moreau. Like bad stage acting. Very French acting style for the time. As if they were all trying to look cool rather than realistic and natural. If the movie was made & released today, it would be savaged by many a critic and viewer. Great musical score from Davis, Clarke and the rest of the musicians. 2.5 stars

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/28/25

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Luca D

Masterclass in film, not in writing. The score, the acting, and the cinematography are all masterclass but this film falls short in its plot. Though the plot is an interesting concept there are way too many holes in it for it to make complete sense. There is no "perfect crime" when you leave a key piece of evidence at the scene, and leave your car running outside of the scene with pictures of you and the wife of the person you just murdered inside the running car along with the murder weapon. Though the end of the movie ties everything back in and everyone who did wrong is held accountable, there are just too many plot holes for it to make sense. Another plot hole, who took the pictures of Mr Tavarnier and Mrs Carala in the woods together? And why would the photos be on a spy camera, clearly they both were posing for the photos. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

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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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Louis Malle

Director

Jeanne Moreau

Florence Carala

Maurice Ronet

Julien Tavernier

Jean Wall

Simon Carala

Georges Poujouly

Louis

Yori Bertin

Véronique

North by Northwest

97%

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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: New Yorker Films, Times Film Corporation
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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