However, his perfect crime soon turns into ironic tragedy when he realises he has left a vital piece of evidence behind, yet finds himself trapped in a lift and powerless to influence his own fate.įor cerebral criminals like Julien, committing the perfect crime is an intellectual exercise, which challenges their own skilfulness.
Julien Tavernier ( Maurice Ronet) plans the murder of his boss, an arms manufacture who is also married to his lover ( Jeanne Moreau).
Louis Malle’s Lift to the Scaffold (1958) promises all such vicarious pleasures. Its enduring appeal can be put down to the fascinating expertise of the criminals who believe they can slip by undetected, the complicity the audience feels in being party to their fastidious planning, and the final sensation of leaving the cinema thrilled, and knowing that you (at least) have got away with it. One of the great themes of the crime film is the idea of the perfect crime.
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