Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, also known as Elevator to the Gallows or Lift to the Scaffold, comes from director Louis Malle and features a script he co-wrote with Roger Nimier and Noël Calef (based on a novel). The film includes Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Georges Poujouly, Yori Bertin, and Jean Wall. Miles Davis composed the music, and Henri Decaë was in charge of cinematography. This is a sneaky, deliberately paced movie that gets under your skin. It’s often considered to be an important link between classic film noir and the nouvelle vague movement, but Malle's work isn’t complex when it comes to the story itself. Julien Tavernier (Ronet) intends to kill his lover Florence Carala’s (Moreau) husband, who is also her boss. After committing what he believes is a perfect murder, he finds himself trapped in an elevator near where the crime took place. Outside, Florence is impatiently waiting for him so they can finally start their lives together, but when a pair of young lovers take Julien's car, she misunderstands the situation and ends up on a course that leads both Julien and Florence toward disaster. The straightforwardness of the plot doesn’t really matter, because Malle’s movie is a classic example of style outweighing substance. There’s an abundance of atmosphere here, with a bleak feel permeating every shot, and Miles Davis' sultry jazz score hangs over everything like a shadowy figure. The writing contains ironic twists that are typical of noir films, adding unexpected turns to the story; it’s refreshing to see Moreau (in a sensual role) searching for her lover while he is isolated, and a clever doppelganger murder situation unfolds. Decaë's photography has a desperate mood that perfectly suits the narrative, and his use of natural light made other French filmmakers pay attention. The dialogue, along with a sharp comment about arms dealing, shows that Malle can be quite astute. He should have made more films like this. The movie manages to make you believe that Julien and Florence are deeply in love, even though they aren’t ever shown together throughout the entire film! That's just one of many great things about Louis Malle's excellent picture. Keep in mind, the camera doesn't lie... 8/10

Source on TMDB