On the eighth episode of All the Film Things, we are celebrating Noirvember! I am joined by my friend, and host of the podcast Red Room Radio, Cristina Santiago, to discuss Louis Malle’s 1958 noir film, Elevator to the Gallows. This episode is spoiler- filled.
Elevator to the Gallows is a crime thriller film set in Paris and with the events unfolding within 24 hours. The film follows two couples in paralleled storylines. One couple, is young and always together while the other pair are literally separated. Jeanne Moreau stars in the lead role of Florence, who we see in the beginning of the film, plotting with her lover Julien (Maurice Ronet) to kill her husband- his boss- in order for them to be together. After their plans go awry, a tangled web of events involving both couples is set in motion. Not only was this Louis Malle's debut directed feature film, this film also made Jeanne Moreau a star. Released two years before Jean Luc Godard's Breathless, Elevator to the Gallows is regarded as an inspiration for the French New Wave. Miles Davis's jazz score is regarded as "historic" and we quote from Richard Brody's article on the score and film for The New Yorker. I incorrectly stated the name of the author and did not realize until the release date of this episode.
This is technically the second ATFT episode Cristina has appeared on. As I mention in the beginning in this episode, this was our second attempt at discussing Elevator to the Gallows. We recorded this second attempt on November 10, 2023 but there are a few excerpts from the first attempt, which was recorded on October 26, 2023. Cristina has a real appreciation for Old Hollywood films so I had recommended her this film, assuming she enjoyed foreign film as well, but I was surprised to learn Elevator to the Gallows was the first foreign film she watched! But watching the film didn’t go so smoothly… Cristina and I discuss this in the beginning of the episode. Luckily, she enjoyed the film and is looking forward to watching more classic foreign films!
Cristina hosts the pop culture podcast Red Room Radio. Like ATFT, Cristina has a range of topics and different formats allowing her to have a broad range of pop culture- focused episodes. She recently welcomed R. Kurt Osenlund on RRR for a pop culture chat. I was fortunate to have been a guest on RRR for part one and two of the Jayne Mansfield episodes. Be sure to follow Red Room Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more so you never miss an episode!
In this episode, Cristina and I talk about the famous scene of Jeanne Moreau strolling the streets of Paris at night, Miles Davis's score, imagining what Academy Awards Elevator to the Gallows should have won, the film's ending, and much more!
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