Conspiracy, Forbidden Love, Murder - sounds like a intriguing story, doesn't it? It is an intriguing film with a recipe that contains more than what's mentioned. I have yet to understand what a person faces or thinks of while they take someone's life. Regardless, one cannot get away from the crime he/she committed. Fate has a rather weird way of teaching us lessons; perhaps that's the true meaning of karma. It always bites back. Ascenseur pour l'échafaud - Elevator to the Gallows 1958 I will not say if it is a must watch; that is for you to decide. I can only show you what I see and nothing more.

Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958)

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If you're wondering about the name of the film then I say "Of course you should be." At first, I thought it was hinting something else, or there's a subtext and I'm very bad at decrypting those. But the more I was watching the film, the more I realized there's a subtext but it also is an actuality; a journey from the elevator to the gallows. Now, I can sense that wrinkle over your forehead.

The film is directed by Louis Malle, starring Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet as the leading actors. You should hear the background scores; to say they're captivating, will be an understatement. Yes, I have skipped the rest of the credits that you can Google easily. There are arguments regarding if the movie is a film noir or not; honestly, I don't give much attention to if it is placed in any genre or if they create a new genre for it. Is it a French crime thriller? Yes, it is. Is it considered as a French New Wave film? You bet it does. Let's leave the genre to where it is as there's more to the story than the label is capable to describe.

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Aren't you wondering about the characters? Hmm, I was wondering about those too. Once upon a time there were two lovers, Florence and Julien. Florence, the character played by Jeanne Moreau is the beautiful wife of a wealthy businessman who's not happy with her marriage; perhaps there was more to what the situation was in her married life but it wasn't explained. And there's Julien, played by Maurice Ronet, who's an ex-Foreign Legion parachutist officer and a veteran of the Indochina and Algeria wars, also referred to as Angel by his boss aka Florence's husband. Why do I feel like I am giving out spoilers? Anyways, moving on.

A teary eyed Florence talking to Julien in the phone booth, the opening scene of the movie. So much is visible in the first few moments of it. Two people in a torrid affair to be kept separated by the shackles of society and the power some people possess. They already have hatched a full proof plan of how they can forever break the shackles and be free to be together. Yes, you guessed it right. They formed a full proof plan of killing Florence's husband. Probably her husband deserved it but even with that, the two lovers didn't realize that so many things could go wrong; and coincidentally the things that did go wrong were the things that are unimaginable. The end justifies the means always. I can tell you how the movie ended but that isn't the whole story; it does ruin the story significantly though.

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What do I feel about the movie?

I enjoyed it, all of it. If you haven't noticed then let me point you out, most of the movies that I write about are of crime, thriller and suspense. No, wrong; except for one movie, the rest are the above mentioned genres. Even though I could see the ending from a mile away, the movie isn't about how it ended; rather it was about how it got to the end. The near misses, the confusion, the endless twists and turns and the hope that the lovers will make it; they almost did. They were almost scot-free. The destination, freedom, was within the grasp. Karma always bites back; it doesn't hold back.

The track is of Miles Davis and now you know why I mentioned about the soundtrack. It's sublime and lonely and I'm clueless about how you feel but I find myself swaying with eyes closed.