| | | The Criterion Collection.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.66:1, Dolby Digital Mono, Essays, Score, Interviews, Soundtrack, Video, Theatrical Trailers
In this, his debut feature film, director Louis Malle captures the hidden beauty of Jeanne Moreau, the brilliant camerawork of Henri Decae, and the musical force of Miles Davis in a tightly constructed film noir experience that launched his and Moreau's careers.
"Superb." Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
"As French crime thrillers go, this is about as good as it gets." Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
"A suspenseful, elegant entertainment." William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Editor's Note
This psychological thriller is imbued with a wonderful Parisian atmosphere and a moody, improvisational score by legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. A beautiful woman, Florence, and her lover, Julien, plan to murder her husband (who happens to be Julien's boss as well), so they can be together. After carefully carrying out the crime, Julien gets stuck inside the elevator when the power is turned off. The film takes off in a number of surprising twists and turns, one of which includes a young couple who steal Julien's car. They take a ride outside the city and kill a German couple in a hotel, a crime the police eventually pin on Julien. However, Jeanne Moreau's performance as Florence wandering around nighttime Paris in a sad, desperate search for her missing lover, with Davis' haunting score in the background, heightens the tension and suspense of the film and reveals the story's emotional core.
| Features | Audio: French Dolby Digital Mono | | Essays By Critic Terrence Rafferty & Producer Vincent Malle | | Footage Of Miles Davis Improvising The Film's Score | | Interactive Menus | | New & Archival Interviews With Director Louis Malle, Actors Jeanne Moreau & Maurice Ronet, & Original Soundtrack Session Pianist Rene Urteger | | New Video Discussion About The Score With Jazz Critic Gary Giddins & Musician Jon Faddis | | Scene Selection | | Theatrical Trailers |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Image |
| Release Date: 4/25/2006 |
| Running Time: 92 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1957 | | Catalog ID: 1627DDVD | | UPC: 00715515017725 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: French | | Available Audio Tracks: French | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: B&W |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66.1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Los Angeles Times
"As beautifully fatalistic as its title, the classic thriller ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS is a consummate entertainment rich with the romantic atmosphere of Paris in the 1950s." 07/29/2005 p.E4Rolling Stone
4 stars out of 4 -- "Louis Malle made his directorial debut with this taut classic." 04/20/2006 p.77 USA Today
"This taut suspense film is like none of his other works." 05/12/2006 p.4E Premiere
"[A] fantastic thriller that more than satisfies on the nail-biting suspense level while also stressing intimacy, character, and realism..." 06/01/2006 p.102 |
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