Elevator to the Gallows Les Amants

Louis Malle's first two features, Elevator to the Gallows and Les Amants, helped usher in the beginnings of the French New Wave. Both films feature the first, star-making performances of Jeanne Moreau. With the help of her lover, Moreau plots the perfect murder of her husband in Elevator to the Gallows, an inspired film noir fusion of Robert Bresson and Alfred Hitchcock. Featuring a wonderful improvised score by Miles Davis. (1957; 89 mins.)

Considered scandalous on its initial release, Les Amants depicts a married woman (Moreau) who leaves her family for a younger man. (1958; 88 mins.)