Elevator to the Gallows (1958, France)

Original title: Ascenseur pour l’echafaud

murder plotperfect crimepolice investigation


Elevator to the Gallows Ascenseur pour l’echafaud 1958 mystery movie

Running time: 95 minutes

Language: French

Florence is wife of wealthy businessman Simon Carala, but she has an affair with one of her husband’s employee, ex-military Julien Tavernier. Together with Julien they have came up with the plan how to get rid of her husband - since he is very private man Julien will climb to the top floor of the building without other employees noticing anything, shoot Simon and puts everything so it would look like a suicide. Their plan works, but when Julien was climbing down back to his office phone on his desk rings. He rushes down and answers it, then leaves the building with rest of the staff. Until he reaches his car he doesn’r realize that he left the rope hanging outside the building that would lead the police straight into his office. While he deals with it and gets into elevator the guard, who is about to leave the building, switches off the power leaving Julien trapped in the elevator. Julien left his car with motor running and young couple takes it for joyride. Florence, waiting for Julien in a restaurant, sees his car passing by with a girl in the passenger seat and begins to think that he dropped the whole plan and left her for younger woman.

Classic crime movie that shows how badly even the best laid plans can end because of simple coincidence. With each tiny detail the story gets more and more complicated - Julien is caught in the life that he can’t leave, joyriders keep getting him into trouble, Florence thinks she was doublecrossed by her lover. Well developed script, good acting and directing plus Miles Davis in the soundtrack makes it one of the classics.



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Our rating

8 / 10

Movie value

8 / 10

Realism factor

4 / 5

Adventure factor

2 / 5

Story complexity

3 / 5

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Creators of Elevator to the Gallows

Louis Malle films

Louis Malle

director

Louis Malle films

screenplay

Roger Nimier films

screenplay

Noel Calef films

screenplay



Cast of Elevator to the Gallows

Maurice Ronet films

Maurice Ronet

as Julien Tavernier

Georges Poujouly films

Georges Poujouly

as Louis

Yori Bertin films

Yori Bertin

as Veronique

Jeanne Moreau films

Jeanne Moreau

as Florence Carala

Gerard Darrieu films

Gerard Darrieu

as Maurice

Micheline Bona films

Micheline Bona

as Genevieve

Ivan Petrovich films

Ivan Petrovich

as Horst Bencker

Elga Andersen films

Elga Andersen

as Frieda Bencker

Lino Ventura films

Lino Ventura

as Inspector Cherrier