Elevator to the Gallows
Elevator to the Gallows (French: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud), also known as Frantic in the US and Lift to the Scaffold in the UK, is a 1958 French crime thriller film directed by Louis Malle, starring Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet as illicit lovers whose murder plot starts to unravel after one of them becomes trapped in an elevator. The scenario was adapted from the 1956 novel of the same name by Noël Calef.
Elevator to the Gallows/ Lift to the Scaffold | |
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Original theatrical poster | |
Directed by | Louis Malle |
Screenplay by | Louis Malle Roger Nimier |
Based on | Ascenseur pour l'échafaud 1956 novel by Noël Calef |
Produced by | Jean Thuillier |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Henri Decaë |
Edited by | Léonide Azar |
Music by | Miles Davis |
Distributed by | Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France |
Release date |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
Country | France |
Language | French |
Associated by some critics with film noir, and introducing new narrative, cinematographic, and editing techniques, the film is considered an important work in establishing the French New Wave and the New Modern Cinema. The improvised soundtrack by Miles Davis and the relationship the film establishes among music, image, and emotion were considered ground-breaking.