Film and Book

After re-watching The Lovers, the Louis Malle film that led to a Supreme Court decision on obscenity, I checked two other Malle films.

Both films had some charms but I did not find them interesting enough to watch the whole thing. They had a "feel" as much or more than plot. Miles Davis provided the soundtrack for this film. Talked about Viva Maria! (also SCOTUS material) here. 

Elevator to the Gallows is the first Malle/Jeanne Moreau film (released in the same year as The Lovers). A guy gets trapped in an elevator after murdering his lover's husband. While he is trapped, his lover wanders around the city, trying to find him. 

He stupidly leaves the keys in his car when going to deal with the evidence he left behind. This allows a young couple to steal the car.

The first hour or so involves the guy in the elevator, the woman wandering, and the couple at a motel. All have some European charm, the young guy a punk who later murders an older couple. The young couple registered under Moreau's lover's name, leading to additional problems. 

The second murder(s) and problems occur in the second half of the film but by then I was tired of the slow pace of the whole thing. It was well put together but the whole thing could have been done in an hour.  

The film reeks of French new wave or whatever atmosphere for those who like that sort of thing. 

Richard Brookhiser is a National Review editor so I probably would not like some of his politics (looks like his wife does not share them). But, he does tell a good tale, especially when he gives talks about his books.  

Actually, his talks repeatedly are a good way to go, since I have repeatedly had mixed feelings about the books. For instance, over twenty years ago (I know), his book talks about Gouverneur Morris - The Rake Who Wrote the Constitution made the book sound quite interesting.  I didn't like the book.  

This book was overall a good read. He dealt with thirteen subjects in quick chapters, making them easy to read. I am familiar with most of them but the protest involving Quakers from Flushing New York was new to me. The rest had good insights too.