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Actors: Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Lino Ventura, Charles Denner, Georges Poujouly
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Elevator to the Gallows |
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ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud) was directed by Louis Malle in 1957.
Julien Tavernier murders his boss Simon Carala, a wealthy arms dealer, in his office. Everything seems to be alright but, when he leaves the building, Julien realizes that he has forgotten something on the scene of the crime. Unfortunately for Julien, the security guard shuts down the power when he is in the elevator. Julien will spend the next twelve hours trying to find a way to escape from this lift. Julien's lover, Florence Carala, the wife of his boss, will also spend the night searching for Julien who had to meet her after Carala's murder.
Meanwhile, two young thugs, Louis and Veronique, steal Julien's car and decide to spend the night in a motel near Paris. They meet there a married couple of wealthy Germans and dine with them. Then, in the middle of the night, Louis kills them when he's trying to steal their car. The young murderers leave the motel in a hurry and come back to Paris. When the policemen arrive at the motel, they find Julien Tavernier's car, his revolver and his trench coat on the scene of the crime. So, when finally Julien Tavernier manages to leave the elevator he was stuck in, he realizes that he's wanted for a crime he hasn't committed and is soon arrested by the police. Florence Carala decides then to start her own investigation in order to exonerate her lover from the murder of the German tourists.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Elevator to the Gallows |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Crime & Scandal
Yes
Story of
- criminals on the run
Lover is...
- criminal/bad doer
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- business executive
Age:
- 20's-30's
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality
- French
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
How much in movie?
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- French
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) muscular
Ethnicity/Nationality
- French
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- France
City?
Yes
City:
- Paris
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- excited
Check here if B&W
Yes
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- French
Subtitles?
- Yes
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Jazz/r&b
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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