My Friend before Dinner
Author: tedg (tedg@FilmsFolded.com) from Virginia Beach
18 June 2007
I never physically met the man, but I consider Malle an old friend.
He made two films that I think are among the most perfect and intellectually adventurous I know. He also made some good films that aren't life-changing but that show insight. This is one of them.
There are no new ideas here. It unfolds as one expects. The drama is muted to the point of homeopathy.
And yet we like it because it is so economical. Its bare, honest, true. So we like it, just like we gravitate to an open person regardless of whether she is dumb. I appreciate Bresson for this, his economy which blesses the viewer with a mind that necessarily filters what we see. But Bresson goes too far and presses into the impress of abstraction. Malle is real because it is overtly untheatrical.
Its worth seeing because it is seamless bamboo and because it informs "Vanya" and "Dinner." But in terms of its effect; its callow post-noir noir. And it has that hint at the end of a "film" within that condemns the couple.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Snap shots
Author: jotix100 from New York
31 October 2006
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
"Ascenseur pour l'echafaud" was Louis Malle's first film. It's strange that the man that showed a natural talent for telling a crime story in a somewhat unusual way, didn't go back to the genre in his interesting and distinguished career as a director. The timing was right, the film came out in 1958. It was followed by "Les Amants", which proved he was a force to be reckoned with.
The director adapted a novel by Noel Calef that presented a classic situation for these types of crime films. A young and beautiful woman married to an rich older man who finds herself passionately in love with a younger man that works for her husband. The old man has to be eliminated if the lovers are to aspire to a life together.
Julien Tavernier, the young man, plans and executes the crime that appears to be flawless. Stupidly, he overlooks a piece of rope he has left hanging from an the upstairs floor. As he does that, he is about to leave to meet Florence Carala, his lover, at a cafe on Boulevard Hausmann. As he goes back to take care of his mistake, the janitor stops the elevator that is carrying him upstairs. What to do? In the meantime, a young punk and petty criminal, Louis, who is picking up his girlfriend, Veronique, sees Julien has left the keys in the convertible car, plus his raincoat. He decides to take a joy ride. Florence, who happens to be looking to the street sees the car go by, but she notices there is a woman on the passenger's side. Florence decides to look for him.
This intensely satisfying crime film was given a great treatment by an inspired Louis Malle and he was blessed to have Jeanne Moreau to portray Florence. Louis Malle, like the directors that were arriving on the scene of the French cinema were impressed by the American crime and film noir genre, they discussed in magazines. These crop of new directors wanted to revolutionize the narrative and create a different way to present their stories. The streets of Paris became the backdrop to the movies that will follow.
What Louis Malle created was a moody film that tells a lot about the mind of the criminals as they are going through the anxieties of knowing what they had done and thinking how they would get away with the horrible crime they had committed. On the one hand, Julien, is the victim of Louis and Veronique, as they steal the convertible, only to get into trouble themselves. Florence's state of mind is right there on the screen, in front of us, as she roams the streets of Paris trying to make sense of what happened to Julien.
Jeanne Moreau gives an impeccable performance as Florence. We watch her as she goes from being sure of herself, to suddenly realizing she is defeated. What's more, in a ironic twist, her confession to the police will work against Julien, instead of helping him. She also incriminates herself in ways she never suspected when the candid pictures on a forgotten camera are developed. Jeanne Moreau is nothing short of fabulous.
Maurice Ronet, doesn't have the flashy opportunity in which to shine as does his co-star. His Julien is a man that wants to have it all, but he makes serious mistakes along the way. Georges Poujouly is seen as the petty criminal Louis who passes himself as Julien Tavernier. Charles Denner and Lino Ventura, who will go to bigger and better things later on in their respective careers are excellent, especially Mr. Ventura as the inspector Cherier, who figures the whole mystery.
This film was the debut of a man who went to do great work in his native France and have a second career in America. What distinguishes this film from others of the genre is the jazzy score by Miles Davis, whose music blends perfectly with the images one sees. The cinematography by Henri Decae shows us a nocturnal Paris far from the touristy places most directors love to present. Paris, as a backdrop, is what makes this film the joy it is to watch.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
One of the Most Substantial and Memorable Film Noir
Author: jzappa from Cincinnati, OH, United States
21 July 2008
Elevator To the Gallows is a very Chthonic thriller, driven by its twisty plot but dramatic and extemporaneous. Yes, it's about a pair of lovers who have planned the perfect crime. Yes, the plan goes awry in the first few minutes. Yes, unanticipated occurrences and people appear to thwart the intentions for which we are desperate to succeed. But there is passion at work in Louis Malle's first film, and my first film by Louis Malle. There is more to who these lovers are and who they have planned to kill. A lot of the story's substance revolves around chance, the unremitting impulses of selfish people and the ironic misunderstanding of the worse of two evils.
Malle likes his characters to make frustrating mistakes that we can relate to, seemingly apocalyptic predicaments such as leaving one's keys in the ignition, or forgetting a vitally important thing that causes you to be trapped upon your unexpected return. Much of the suspense comes from attempts to thwart these situations as unwitting supporting characters tighten fate's grip.
Malle creates the quintessential film noir atmosphere with the use of natural lighting and Miles Davis's unabashedly urban jazz score. It really is one of the most substantial and memorable of the film noir genre.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Miles Davis and Paris at Night--and some great crime suspense, too...
Author: secondtake from United States
11 January 2010
Elevator to the Gallows (1958)
The ambiance, with a woman walking the streets of night time Paris as Miles Davis growls in the background is as good as it gets. And the plot, with all its surprises and twists, is great. The only thing that will strike a lot of us, especially those used to American crime films, is a lack of believability now and then--a reaction, or actual decision, that just isn't quite right.
You can write this all off to style, and that's good enough because it's just being in the movie that is rewarding. The plot will get you going, and with each odd turn, people left out and others killed so incidentally it's a surprise, you are really caught up wondering what is next. Louis Malle directed a number of distinctive films (including another from 1958, The Lovers, again starring Jeanne Moreau), and they precede and later parallel the French New Wave films which are a little looser and grittier than his. Elevator to the Gallows is a film noir of sorts, though with a very French, lyrical quality. And an odd lack of hero, as you'll see. Meanwhile, watch every scene--the black and white photography is simply beautiful.
5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Almost Perfect
Author: brostonjon from Alexandria, Virginia
19 September 2005
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Somehow I missed seeing this film when it came out in 1958. (I was old enough to see any restricted movie by then.) I just saw it in a fresh theater print and loved it for all the reasons covered by the previous respondents. It holds up tremendously well for a fifties flick I think because the director, being new to the game, was concentrating on telling the story and avoided any self-conscious stylization. Style is there of course and I detected minor references to one or two American "noirs". The cutting between Florence and Julien seen through the metal gates of the office entrance and the elevator reminded me of Mary Astor's last shot in "The Maltese Falcon", hinting of jail-time to come. No explanation was given for the sudden appearance of the grappling hooks and rope which are seen at Florence's feet as she tries to find Julien at the office. The small girl she talks to then makes off with them. Julien at that point had not escaped from the elevator, so how did they fall to the street? Is there a scene missing here? I also thought it very unlikely that Julien, who was obviously very experienced in climbing with these hooks, would neglect to automatically take them with him after the murder. Also it seemed out of character for a well-trained paratrooper like him to actually leave his car on the street with the motor running when he had to return for the hooks. The later incident with the kids and German tourists relied on accepting that the tourists were remarkably good-humored with the kids who followed them to the motel. After a highway chicken-race and having the back of my Mercedes gull-wing roadster rear-ended at the motel I would have called the cops right away. When Julien was being questioned by the police he could have proved he was stuck in the elevator all night by describing how he dropped the flaming Gauloise pack down the shaft (its remains still had to be there) and take his chances that the cops would still accept that his victim had actually committed suicide and his night in the elevator was just an unfortunate coincidence. Small gripes, but they really did not spoil the movie for me. I thought the "denouement" was very inventive and satisfying. Worth another look.
13 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Superb Louis Malle's debut
Author: psagray from Spain
7 September 2014
It was the first film of Louis Malle and above all implies two things: first that was not only Orson Welles "Citizen Kane" the only able to make a masterpiece of his first film as we get tired read and listen to critics; secondly, to view the complete filmography of its author, "Elevator to the Gallows" is, one of the three best of his films.
His filmography includes an interesting variety of genres and styles as noir films as "Elevator to the Gallows" crazy and surreal comedies "Zazie in the Metro", existential dramas or psychological "A heart murmur", films about the Nazi occupation "Lacombe Lucien, Goodbye Boys" ...
"Elevator to the Gallows" was his first work of fiction, a peculiar approach to black cinema on a style ahead of his time. the fantastic photograph in black and white, evocative and excellent soundtrack Miles Davis (which was as improvising saw the film in a study) and the sober and effective direction of Louis Malle film endowing clothing irresistibly elegant style. Jeanne cast highlight the very large Moreau, his mere presence, the look of sadness and desolation that transmits, makes one remember his performance.
The plot: a man (Ronet) murders his lover's husband (Moreau) working in the building, since the second is the head of a company military business. This murder is perfectly prepared by the woman. However, everything goes wrong when a man is trapped in the elevator ...
A perfect film literally in your startup and first half hour resting on its great argument, which is splendidly adapted film language, demonstrating mastery and early Malle restless.
Magnificent, full of nuances and with an air of involuntary Kafkaesque nightmare movie this is a classic and memorable with a great performance of its cast.
Today, many years after its release, we can say that this is a film classic that maintains the quality of its staging and fidelity to the gender ..
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Malle a wunderkind!
Author: junkielee from Cairo, Egypt
7 January 2014
Malle's career debut feature length at the age of 26, a stylized dramatization of a well-planned murder goes berserk. Florence (Moreau) and Julien (Ronet) are two lovers out of wedlock, the only barrier is Florence's senescent but wealthy husband Simon (Wall), for whom Julien works as a corporate clerk, they diligently hatch a plot to get rid of Simon and make the pretense as a suicide scene. The scheme is executed according to the schedule until a last-moment hiccup (Julien forgets the damn rope on the roof), a black cat is always ominous, just when he returns to the company building to fetch it, Julien is accidentally left alone in the elevator. Meanwhile, a pair of youngster Louis and Véronique (Poujouly and Bertin) lift Julien's posh car for a wild ride, en route, a harebrained Louis shot a German couple in a motel using the identity of Julien. The same night, Florence is aimlessly roaming around the streets of Paris, looking for her absent lover!
Things will get messier the next morning when Julien gets out of the elevator, he is wanted by the police and Florence starts to get a grip on the entire misidentified situation, after a concise confrontation with Louis and Véronique, a few developed photographs reveal the real culprits of both homicides, the star-crossed lovers meet their comeuppance as well as the hotheaded Louis.
Logically speaking, its 88 minutes running time seems a bit sketchy for clarifying the police's investigation procedure and there are a flew negligible plot holes dangling (e.g. how the rope without a trace appears at the entrance of the building is never explained), obviously they are not Malle's first choice. The picture is mostly preeminent for the bounteous close-ups to examine his then lover Moreau's emotive visage (under a plain make-up free naturalism) with her inner voice-over, equally impressively is the Black & White shots of the night view on the expressway and in the interrogation part under a pitch-black background, it is a conflation of Film-Noir with a budding La Nouvelle Vague. My personal recommendation is a heart-in-the- mouth set piece for the acrophobic when Julien tries to scale down from the elevator when it abruptly descends, Ronet is solely in his prime and later his mojo would be evoked unconditionally in Malle's THE FIRE WITHIN (1963, 9/10). Two thumbs up to Malle for his immense dexterity in such an incipient stage of his career.
One can also find some scattered fun in the film, such as the chic vehicle or the gizmos of a spy camera or the telephone-cum-pencil-sharpener, certainly for me they are eye-openers. Let's not forget Miles Davis' saxophone-heavy score, downright impromptu, but tallies with the film impeccably!
A more on-topic note is the alert message "never leave photos around", if only everyone could have watched this film before we reached this epoch of selfie fever, the world would be a bit less tumultuous indeed.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Surf'in French New Wave.
Author: morrison-dylan-fan from United Kingdom
6 March 2012
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Ever since hearing a number of critics widely praise films from the French New Wave I have always gotten a feeling of intimidation and inaccessibility from the wide group of films due to how most of the mainstream critics seem to constantly try and put the New Wave films in a special box just for themselves.
After having become completely fascinated by tremendous "genre" films from Italy and Sweden,I started to look over at the New Wave films from France and began to feel that I should completely tear down the wall of intimidation around them by jumping straight into one of the first ever French New Wave films made that also starred one of the most famous (and most loved) actresses from the period
The plot:
Finishing his latest phone call by arranging a meeting with his secret lover Florence Carala,Julien Tavernier goes back to his office and tells all his staff that he is not to be disturbed for any reason.Gathering up a rope,gloves and a fully loaded gun,Julien quietly grapples his way to a building on the opposite side where Tavernier plans to stage an I'm prov meeting with his boss,who is also Florence's husband.
Succeeding in getting the short meeting to take place,Tavernier shoots his soon to be ex-boss in a style which will make it look like a suicide.Feeling that he should get back to his office before anyone gets suspicious,Julien picks up everything and quickly glides back to his office.Getting set to finally spend the rest of his life with the now-widowed Carala,Tavernier walks past two rebellious looking teenagers and jumps straight into his gleaming car.
Just as Julien is about to set off ,he has a look back at the building Tavernier gets a feeling of terror running down his spine when he notices that during the rush to get back to safety he had accidentally left the grappling rope hanging outside the room where the murder had taken place!.Leaving the car still running,Julian makes a dash for the lift in the building so that he can correct his dangerous mistake.
As the lift starts nearing the all important floor,Tavernier is suddenly left trapped and with no where to run when the buildings lift is shout down as the staff close the office block down to get set for all having the weekend off work.Meanwhile outside,the two teenagers start to take a real interest in Julien's abandoned car and soon decide that they will steal it so the they can use it for some wild weekend travailing.
Driving down one of the cities main roads,the teens inadvertently drive past lady in waiting Florence Carala,who due to mistaking one of the teens for Julien begins a long furious search for him all over the city which will lead to her and Tavernier discovering that their troubles are far from being confined in a shut down lift.
View on the film:
For his tremendous directing of what is possibly the first ever French New Wave film, Louis Malle (who also wrote the stunning screenplay adaptation of Noel Calef's novel with Roger Nimer)starts the new era off with a "bang", as the film opens on a proto-Segio Leone extreme close up of a beautiful Jeanne Moreau.
Checking for any info about the making of the film,one of the very best decisions that I feel Malle made was to show Moreau's face with no make up on at all,which along with allowing Malle to show Florence as a real femme fatale who is more than ready to walk through the shadows of the city to catch the smallest glimpse of her murdering lover,also allows Jeanne to give an elegant performance as she shows Florence to go from being self assured of her and Julian's murder plot,to shivering with fear as Florence realises that the situation has gotten completely out of her control.
Whilst Moreau unforgettable face does open this fantastic film,the rest of the cast easily deserve equal praise,with the sadly under rated Maurice Ronet giving a terrific performance as Julian Tavernier who along with showing a chilling precision of executing the murder is also able to show an increase feeling of dread as the walls of the lift start to close in on him as his fear of getting found really starts to take its toll on him,and also gives the audience of great sense of isolation.
After opening his New Wave Film Noir on a stunning shot and a rolling score from Miles Davis,Malle brilliantly creates a world of darkness as he goes from a truly edge of the seat,gripping murder sequence to making the city filled with wonderful characters who go from an edgy proto-James Dean teenage rebel who steals a car from under everyone's nose,to a cop,who like the audience finds the activates of Florence and Julian something that he will never forget.
Final view on the film:
A stunning,unforgettable and extremely moody New Wave Film Noir,with an astonishing cast,a fantastic tension building screenplay and artful directing from an amazing Malle.
