Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

Plot synopsis:
Florence Carala and Julien Tavernier are lovers who plan to kill Florence's husband, Simon Carala, a wealthy industrialist who is also Julien's boss. Julien is an ex-Foreign Legion parachutist officer and a veteran of the Indochina and Algeria wars. After working late on a Saturday, with a rope he climbs up one storey on the outside of the office building, shoots Carala in his office without being seen, arranges the room to make it look like a suicide, and then makes his way out to the street. As he gets into his Chevrolet convertible outside, he glances up and sees his rope still hanging from the building. Leaving the engine running, he rushes back and jumps into the elevator. As it ascends, the caretaker switches off the power and locks up the building for the weekend. Julien is trapped between floors.
Moments later, Julien's car is stolen by a young couple, small-time crook Louis and flower shop assistant Véronique. Florence, who is waiting for Julien at a café nearby, sees the car go past with Véronique leaning out of the window. She assumes that Julien has run off with her and wanders the Paris streets despondently all night asking for him in the bars and clubs where he is known. While joy-riding, Louis puts on Julien's coat and gloves. Checking into a country motel, the two register under the name "Mr. and Mrs. Julien Tavernier" to avoid problems for Louis, who is wanted for petty crimes. At the motel, they make the acquaintance of Horst Bencker and his wife Frieda, a jovial German couple on holiday with whom they had raced en route to the motel. After Frieda takes pictures of Louis and her husband with Julien's camera, Véronique takes the film to a photo lab beside the motel for developing.
After the Benckers go to bed, Louis attempts to steal their Mercedes-Benz 300 SL gullwing. Bencker catches Louis and threatens him with what appears to be a gun, though it is really a cigar tube. Louis shoots and kills the couple with Julien's handgun. He and Véronique return to Paris and hide out in her flat. Convinced that the crime will be traced to them, Véronique persuades Louis to join her in a suicide pact. They take an overdose of pills and pass out.
The Benckers' bodies are discovered, along with Julien's car, handgun, and raincoat. Julien therefore becomes the prime suspect in their murders, and the morning newspapers print his picture. Searching for him, the police arrive at the office building with the caretaker, who unlocks the entrance doors and switches on the power. The elevator is working once more and Julien is able to escape without being seen, but when he orders coffee and croissants in a café he is recognized and the police are called to arrest him. In the office building, the police discover Carala's body but assume he committed suicide. However they charge Julien with killing the Benckers, refusing to believe his alibi of being stuck in an elevator.
Florence is determined to clear him and sets out to find Véronique. She and Louis, their suicide attempt having failed, are alive but drowsy. Florence accuses them of killing the Benckers and goes off to call the police. Louis at first thinks there is no evidence to connect him with the crime, but then remembers the photographs of him with Bencker. Rushing off to the photo lab, he finds that the police have developed the pictures and he is arrested.
Florence has followed him and, when she enters the lab, the police show her the photographs taken with Julien's camera. These make clear that she and Julien were secret lovers, who shared a motive for killing her husband. Both will go on trial for Carala's murder.

Tags: atmospheric, suspenseful, claustrophobic, murder, romantic

Review:
It's a mother lode textbook of how-to for noir genre filmmakers as he creates his own style from what he's learned from other masters.Malle pays tribute to the tense murder style of Hitchcock with Billy Wilder's cynicism of selfishness a la "Double Indemnity" plus Graham Greene-like, post-war politics from "The Third Man"-- and arms and oil dealers with military pasts in the Middle East are not outdated let alone adulterous lovers and rebellious teenagers.
Julien Tavernier (Ronet) is going to kill husband of his lover, Florence Carala (Moreau), who also happens to be his boss, but upon executing the perfect murder, he, through his own absent mindedness, winds up stuck in a lift close to the crime scene.
The second disc, however, makes up for it with a bevy of extras starting with an extensive 1975 early career retrospective interview with Malle, a 2005 interview with an aged but still haunting Moreau, and a joint interview with the two icons and one-time lovers at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.Three shorts on the second disc focus on Davis's contribution - the six-minute "The Record Session" shot the night Davis and his musicians recorded the score; a remembrance piece with pianist Rene Utreger, the only surviving member of Davis's ensemble; and the celebratory "Miles Goes Modal: The Breakthrough Score to Elevator to the Gallows" where jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis and music critic Gary Giddins discuss Davis's influence over the generation of musicians to come.
At times I almost felt like I was watching a darker, dramatic French-noir version of Curb Your Enthusiasm; you're cringing in your seat at times because everything, at least for the first hour, seems realistic, and the inter-cutting between the three plot-lines (Julien in the elevator, Florence on the streets, the lovers-on-the-run at the Motel).
But it interested me, and kept me in my seat, how I knew things may unravel as they should in these films, and I found myself having to root for someone in a sea of anti-heroes.I mention Curb Your Enthusiasm as there is a sort of everyday occurrence that basically kicks off the plot (in tune with the genius title of the film), as Julien Tavaneur gets stuck in an elevator after getting rid of Florence Carala's rich husband (Moreau's character).
Malle also is tremendous in his filming of the elevator scenes with Maurice Ronet.The secondary characters of the young lovers played by Yori Bertin (Veronique) and George Poujouly (Louis) are unmistakable in their likeness to Natalie Wood and James Dean.
Louis Malle made his striking directorial debut in this French film, "Elevator to the Gallows" in 1958, with the script cowritten by him and Roger Nimier.Jeanne Moreau plays an unhappily married woman who colludes with her lover Tavernier (Maurice Ronet) to kill her husband (Jean Wall), for whom he works.
He's stuck.Meanwhile, two young people, an impulsive, cagey young man and his girlfriend from a flower shop (Georges Poujouly, Yori Bertin) steal Tavernier's fancy car and take off.Fabulous noir set in rainy France with captivating scenery and Miles Davis music, perfectly catching the atmosphere - Moreau, not knowing where Tavernier is, walking in the rain, going from bar to bar trying to find him; the two young lovers on an adventure, the girl with a romantic, Juliet-like attitude, the boy headstrong; Tavernier, smoking in the elevator as he works on how to get out; people still talking of the Occupation and war in Algiers...Malle weaves a fascinating story of fate and random circumstance.There isn't a lot of dialogue in this film, but the actions say it all.
I fell in love with Louis Malle!!For those of you who like film noir and nouvelle vague, I think this films lies almost exactly in the middle of the way.The actors are very charming too.I don't want to give too many details, so I will not write too much about the plot, but the nice thing is the way the character are seducing the viewer to be on their side.
She does a lot silently or with just a few words in the scenes where she walks the streets of Paris, frantic because her lover and fellow murder conspirator, Julien Tavernier (Maurice Ronet) has stood her up and she cannot understand what has happened.Second, Malle's collaboration with screenwriter and novelist Roger Nimier adapting a roman thriller by Noel Calef to the screen turned out to be exactly right for the material, especially because they used mostly just the plot of the novel and expanded Moreau's role.The third factor was the fortuitous jazz score by Miles Davis.
Davis happened to be in Paris as the movie was being edited and Malle was able to talk him into doing a trumpet-centered original score, said to have been composed on the fly late one night and early the next morning as Moreau drank champagne and listened."Ascenseur pour l'echafaud," like so many American film noirs that it frankly resembles, is a murder done for love and money gone wrong.
Meanwhile his car is stolen from outside the building by two youths and his mistress walks the streets waiting for news of their crime, wondering if he did it and if she will ever see him again.It took me a bit of time to get into the plot with this film, mainly because I was interested in the score that had been improvised by Miles Davis.
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.
When beautiful Jeanne Moreau, in her despair of supposed betrayed love, is walking alone the nightly streets of Paris accompanied by the fine jazz tunes of Miles Davis then it feels like contemplating a valuable piece of art.It is also true that the side story of the young couple borrowing the car of Mr. Tavernier is a bit awkward and not too persuasive but on the other hand the play of young flower-girl Veronique is really impressive.
"Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud" (1957, and it is also known as "Elevator to the Gallows", "Frantic" and "Lift to the Scaffold"), was Louis Malle's first motion picture, so it can be regarded as one of the earliest Nouvelle Vague movies, although it lacks the iconoclastic, free-wheeling nature of the films from Jean-Luc Godard or the cool, ice cold criticism of bourgeoisie values that mark Claude Chabrol's masterly thrillers.
However, the assured direction of actors and scenes make this not only interesting for historical reasons, but a really fine, charismatic crime picture.In synopsis, at least, it just sounds like another well worn twist on the "Double Indemnity" story: Florence Carala (Jeanne Moreau) and Julien Tavernier (Maurice Ronet) are lovers, but Florence is married to the boorish Simon Carala (Jean Wall), a wealthy arms industrialist who is also Julien's boss.
Julien commits the apparently perfect murder and makes Simon Carala's death look like suicide: but when he tries to get rid of a clue that make his boss's death look suspicious, he gets trapped in a lift However, after this, Malle, like that other supreme puppet –master, Alfred Hitchcock, makes sure fate intervenes at every stage, dooming the couple from the beginning.
I saw a new print of this film noir, and was captivated by the incredible lush sensuousness of the depth of the black and white film, as well as the music---Miles Davis on his trumpet, like no one else.Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet were larger than life on the screen--faces and camera close-ups, rare and wonderful to see.
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.
This was on the Flix cable network last night ~ they've been showing a lot of Malle's older films, and I hadn't seen this one before; needless to say, a treat was in store for me.A very subtle, cleverly diabolic little tale of misguided assumptions, nasty confusions and the like, the movie takes place over a short period of time, in which 2 different couples' lives intertwine in ways they're not even aware of, all played out against the backdrop of Miles Davis' exquisite music.
In Paris, agile Vietnam War (Indochina War, to the French) veteran Maurice Ronet (as Julien Tavernier) and his beautiful lover Jeanne Moreau (as Florence) plan the murder of his boss and her husband, a much older and very wealthy war profiteer.
Therefore, it was a joy to discover this black-white European film-noir from the late 1950's.I was impressed with the on-screen personas of the leading actors, Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet, not to mention the tense night-time atmosphere in Paris as the web of crime and deception engulfs the characters.
French screenwriter, producer and director Louis Malle's inventive feature film debut from 1958, made two years after he assisted Robert Bresson on "A Man Escaped" (1956), tells an intricate story set in Paris where lovers Julien Tavernier and Florence Carala plan to kill Juliens boss who happens to be Florence's husband.
The execution of their vicious idea goes smoothly, but the overlooking of a minor detail dissolves their conspiracy and pushes them further away from each other.Narrated from multiple viewpoints and through Jeanne Moreau's longing and esoteric voice-over which is as atmospheric as the jazzy score by composer Miles Davies and the loud weather, this classic Film-noir which was adapted from a novel by Bulgarian author Noël Calef is noticeable for Louis Malle's accurately structured filming, the long takes following Jeanne Moreau's graceful footsteps during an eventful night in Camps Élysées, the vigorous light setting and the suspenseful scenes of Maurice Ronet trapped in an elevator.
Jeanne Moreau was simply captivating as a woman who was having an affair and could not figure out what went wrong with the murder of her husband and why her lover played by Maurice Ronet (The Scandal) was driving away with another woman.What she didn't know was that he was actually trapped in an elevator and his car was stolen by some young kids.
Maurice Ronet plots to murder his arms merchant boss and run away with his beautiful wife (Jeanne Moreau), but then things go horribly awry...With ugly German tourists, James Dean-wannabe juvenile delinquents, and a great jazz score by Miles Davis.
The rest of the plot gets tangled up in mixed identities so I won't give any more of it away, but the ending is wrapped up neatly by a plot device that reveals to the police just who murdered whom.Well worth watching--an enjoyable film directed by Louis Malle in film noir style with a jazz soundtrack that gives it a still modern look.The plot has the film noir elements found in many crime melodramas written by American writer James M.
(Possible Spoiler!)The atmosphere of 1950's Paris, a truly beautiful actress, a well-balanced plot and the ultimate Jazz soundtrack, recorded in one go by Miles Davis.The 1958 Louis Malle masterpiece, more than 40 years later, is still one of the best police films ever, Hollywood included.
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..
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.
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.
Framed by the terrific Jazz score by Miles Davis, this is the story of two lovers, played by Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet, who construct what should come off as the perfect crime- the murder of her arms sales dealer-husband.
Well, it's a classic of French cinema and it has many things going for it: debut feature of the great Louis Malle, with Jeanne Moreau —one of the most important muses of Nouvelle Vague—, and music of Miles Davis, so, this film could be perfect, but...
Boasting a jazz score by the legendary Miles Davis, Louis Malle's "Elevator to the Gallows" is a moody film noir starring Maurice Ronet as Julien Tavernier, an office worker who murders a wealthy industrialist.
I'd say Malle's film is one of the best I've seen from France and from the 1950s.In it, Julien Tavernier kills a man named Simon Carala because he's in love with Carala's wife Florence, played by the beautiful Jeanne Moreau.