Big Swede T Many have already commented on this little dark gem by Malle,so I'll be brief,like the film.(Less then 90 minutes) This is bleak,oh so bleak,just the way we Noir freaks like it. Important part of Noir History,a must see. The French have made a HUGE contribution to the genre,for which we should be truly grateful. Saw "Chair de Poule" the day after,both fine examples of the art but of course it's a very long list... I've seen "Ascenseur pour L'échafaud" compared to the Spanish"Muerte de un Ciclista,made by Bardem(Javier's dad...),a very good film too but LM does it better here. It's dark,desperate and delightful. Who could ask for more? T

gavin6942 A self-assured business man murders his employer, the husband of his mistress, which unintentionally provokes an ill-fated chain of events.Journalist Barry Farrell wrote, "Moreau had 20 forgettable films behind her... Malle put Moreau under an honest light and wisely let his camera linger. The film was nothing special, but it did accomplish one thing: it proposed a new ideal of cinematic realism, a new way to look at a woman. All the drama in the story was in Moreau's face – the face that had been hidden behind cosmetics and flattering lights in all her earlier films." Farrell is certainly right about the portrayal of Moreau. How can you make a leading lady anything but glamorous? Malle found a way that was quite successful.As for the film being "nothing special", I think Farrell is wrong. A 1950s French film noir that is well executed? This is something we need more of. Starting with a murder and then spreading out from there, this is a good story of suspense, intrigue and all that. The whole concept of being caught in an elevator is incredible, and probably unprecedented.

ThreeGuysOneMovie OK I know I am getting a bit off the wall here but after re-watching Breathless recently I have been on a bit of French New Wave kick. That leads to me scanning through the criterion collection on Hulu and finding movies like Malle's Elevator to the Gallows (1958). Fans of Hitchcock on and movies like Diabolique (1955) will find a lot to enjoy with this one.Maurice Ronet plays Julien Tavernier a retired military man who is in love with his bosses wife. The two of them come up with a fool proof plan to kill the boss and make it look like a suicide. On a Saturday near closing time, when the building is empty, Julien slips out his window uses a small grappling hook to climb up the side of the building and sneaks into his bosses office. Julien shoots his boss and then plants the gun in his hand. Then he escapes back down the rope and back into his own office. Confident he has pulled off the perfect crime, Julien follows his fellow employees out of the building ready to go spend the rest of the weekend with bosses wife (Jeanne Moreau). Right before he drives off, Julien looks up and notices that he has left the rope dangling from the side of the building. Cursing he foolishness, Julien re-enters the building to go and retrieve the rope. As he is riding the elevator back up, the porter turns off the power in the building and traps Julien in the elevator. What follows is a series of mistaken identities and bad decisions that will lead to dire consequences for everyone involved.To check out our full review head on over to 3guys1movie.com

dlee2012 "Lift to the Scaffold" is quite a stunning film and a neat summation of all the lessons that had been learned about the art of film making up until the point of its release.Ostensibly a noir thriller dotted with elements of French farce, it makes complex use of cinematographic devices to develop its key themes. Largely the film is about the role of fate and how an unfortunate series of events leads to justice being served. It is also about how a woman's vengeful fury serves to destroy not only her lover but herself.That woman's psychological state throughout the film is highlighted in myriad ways. A lone figure, she walks aimlessly through places of socialisation in the city, such as cafés, oblivious to the rain that reflects her darkening mood. The use of a whispered monologue conveys her thoughts and a bleak jazz soundtrack her mood. Mobile cameras, outdoor steps and superb lighting during the close-ups of Moreau's face heighten the sense of isolation in a very concrete, modern world.The perfect crime is undone by coincidences including a telephone call at precisely the wrong moment, an elevator's power being cut for the night, the highly unlikely event of a car theft and the killer being accused of the wrong murder.Throughout the film, commentary is made on the nature of war. The murder victim is a ruthless profiteer who trades on the misery of others yet meets a violent end because he cannot pleasure his wife adequately. The murderer is known to be a ruthless, former military man yet there are questions if he is brave enough to kill now he can no longer hide in the cowardly world of the armed forces. The events in Indo-China and Algeria are also referenced as places where France is inflicting suffering to make the business world richer.There are also references to the German occupation of France but, whereas the Germans had moved on, they also note that the French are still committing atrocities in the name of imperialism.Despite this bleak narrative, there are moments of farce. Besides the key event of the car theft, a black cat appearing, ridiculously, on the tenth story balcony of the office block foretells of the disaster awaiting the murderer. Likewise, when he finally escapes from the lift, the vehicle standing where he had left his car is a comical three-wheeler.The interrogation scene is wonderfully filmed, the three key actors in that setting standing out from a black backdrop. Their drama is amusing and ironic to the audience as they know the killer is being interrogated for the wrong murders but it is played with total conviction and integrity.The final scenes are beautiful with the convicting photographic image fading into view. Likewise, the latter photos that convict Moreau's character lie tranquilly in their chemical baths against a black background in the dark room. Her reflection is then scene in this bath gazing down at herself in horror and guilt as she realises she is condemned to a lengthy prison sentence. It is her lack of forgiveness and quickness to accuse her lover that has led to her downfall. All she can do is futilely stroke his image, rippling the chemical bath.For its wonderful cinematography, lighting, music and acting, this film is a revelation. Likewise, it is a brave film commenting on the then-current events of what France was doing to its overseas colonies. The farcical humour and deliberately-contrived plot may be hard for some non-French to digest and, indeed, maybe an outright distraction but there is still a wonderful film to enjoy if one looks beyond that. Indeed, Malle here proves himself a craftsman at the top of his profession.