Synopsis

After Julien Tavernier, who is in love with Florence Carala, murders her husband, he becomes accidentally trapped in an elevator. Meanwhile, a young delinquent named Louis, impersonating Julien, commits another murder. Florence, mistakenly believing Julien has betrayed her, reports him to the police, but later discovers that Louis is the real killer. Ultimately, both murders are exposed through photographs—each capturing Julien and Louis at the scenes of their respective crimes. Florence, overwhelmed by grief, declares her love to the haunting sound of a trumpet. This is the only film for which Miles Davis composed the entire soundtrack. Davis, who was in France at the time for a Cool Jazz concert tour, wrote the music in just two days and recorded it in a single four-hour session during his 20-day European tour. It’s famously said that Davis improvised live while watching the film’s rushes. Accompanied by European jazz musicians including Barney Wilen, René Urtreger, and Pierre Michelot, this score remains a landmark in jazz and film music history. With Louis Malle’s meticulous direction, and the emotionally nuanced performances by Jeanne Moreau and Lino Ventura, Miles Davis’s lingering, melancholic trumpet sound leaves an unforgettable impression.

Director

Louis Malle

Born in 1932, Louis Malle graduated from IDHEC (now La Fémis) and began his career as an assistant director to Robert Bresson. He gained early attention with his 1957 debut Elevator to the Gallows. His 1958 film The Lovers won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, and in 1987 he won the Golden Lion for Au revoir les enfants. Malle also worked extensively in the United States, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for Atlantic City (1981). His final film, Damage (1992), stirred controversy due to its provocative content.