Elevator to the Gallows (1957)
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Reviews Counted:40
Fresh:38
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8/10
Theatrical Release:Jun 24, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: 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,... [More]
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Reviews for Elevator to the Gallows
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 71/100 |
the score by Miles is a remarkable one, tapping into the jazzy zeitgeist of the time Full Review |
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Efficient but soulless. Full Review |
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Elevator to the Gallows is a treat for the film buff. Watching Moreau and Malle as they discover each other and a new trend in filmmaking, and listening to Miles Davis during their quest will remind you of what movies are all about. Full Review |
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5/5 |
It's devilishly clever, bleakly hilarious, and fatalistically romantic throughout, a celebration of grand, doomed gestures made for the sake of making them. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Made almost 50 years ago, the black-and-white French classic still grabs you by the throat. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
A suspense thriller with a tense, jazzy score and a rich undercurrent of fatalistic irony. Full Review |
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B |
Director-writer Louis Malle's first feature at 26 is a stylish French New Wave noir-ish thriller that never satisfies as much as it should. Full Review |
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4/5 |
Malle has a real knack for showing off the nasty side of humanity Full Review |
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4.5/5 |
a perfect hybrid of French noir elegance and the New Wave's rough hewn realism Full Review |
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A- |
Henri Decaë's black-and-white cinematography brings out the melancholy mystery of Paris' boulevards and cafes, and Ms. Moreau, shot with natural lighting and without make-up, is like a mournful goddess of glamour. Full Review |
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4/5 |
It's easy to see why this is a classic. It's got a great story, pacing that keeps you on your toes, decent performances, and a style that's timeless. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
"Gallows" was Malle's first film at the age of 24, and you can sense his eagerness to start pushing and kicking at the rigid noir plot structure to see what happens. Full Review |
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A straightforward but classy thriller. Full Review |
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A- |
It's got an amazing score by Miles Davis, photography by one of France's best cinematographers and Jeanne Moreau in a cloud of love, pain and desperation. Full Review |
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4/4 |
The plot crackles with energy and misdirection, while the black-and-white film sharpens angles and amplifies the shadows lurking in every hallway. Full Review |
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B+ |
The movie's most compelling element of all is Moreau, wandering the nighttime streets trying to find her lover. It's as if she's blown from one cafe to the next on a blended wind of passion, dread and the lonely trumpet wail. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
These 1950s French noirs abandon the formality of traditional crime films, the almost ritualistic obedience to formula, and show crazy stuff happening to people who seem to be making up their lives as they go along. Full Review |
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What turns it fabulous, indeed mythical, is the presence of another entity: Paris at night in the '50s, to the tune of Miles Davis's score as realized in the dappled hues of Henri Decae's gorgeous poetic cinematography. Full Review |
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4/4 |
As French crime thrillers go, this is about as good as it gets. It's also an important film historically, and to top it off, the jazz score, by Miles Davis, is famous in its own right. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Like a black-and-white Hitchcockian tour of hell. Full Review |
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