This 1958 Film Lives Up To The Poeticism Of Its Title!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       One could start with the stunning opening shot of Jeanne Moreau talking on the phone to her lover., Julien Tavenier, played by Maurice Ronet.  They are plotting to kill her husband, but the film goes from there to a kind of "Comedy Of Errors."  The humor is understated but the Parisian visuals are cream- colored and luscious.  Moreau's wandering through the night rain is one of the highlights of the film, as she searches for her lover who, in his incompetence, has gotten himself stuck in an elevator.  Meanwhile, two crazy kids, Louis (Georges Poujouly) and Veronique (Yori Bertin) have taken off in Tavenier's car--he left his keys in the ignition? how stupid--and end up at a sleazy motel, where they end up killing a German couple.

                                         The most important thing I learned from this film is that even France has sleazy motels.  I thought they were just indigenous to America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Had this been an American film, it would have been a farcical comedy.  But Malle, who was smart to start his film career with a very narrative film is going for something more understated and gets it.  The mismatch of murder charges, the revelation of the real crime by indiscreet photos; as for the teenagers, Veronique and Louis stage an attempted suicide but survive to awaken in the hospital where they are arrested by police.

                                             So, justice is meted out, but not without a bit of comic irony and a lot of cream-colored noir.  The irony is especially in pay when Tavenier is stuck in the elevator; at that point, the title flashed into my head.  Yes, he really is taking an elevator to the gallows.

                                               This film proves Louis Malle could create cohesive narrative cinema, unlike the crap he lowered himself to with 1981's "My Dinner With Andre," 23 years later.

                                               Within the annals of both film noir and foreign cinema, "Elevator To The Gallows" is pretty much forgotten.  It should not be, as its quality is much higher than might at first be expected.

                                                  I loved it, darlings!  But if I were to go out at night, I would want to look just like Jeanne Moreau.  Even in the rain, her hair is perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!