Event Details
Louis Malle’s directorial debut at age 24 is one of the most significant contributions to the French New Wave. The sensational and eloquently mesmerizing Jeanne Moreau stars as Florence, whose hopeless adoration of a secret lover, Julien (Maurice Ronet), jeopardizes her freedom. The couple plans a high-stakes murder of Florence’s husband, and Julien successfully executes the plot—until he gets trapped in an elevator. A series of ironic incidents ensue against the backdrop of a modernized landscape of Paris, while the cinematography is beautifully paired with a magical musical performance by the great Miles Davis. It all comes together to amplify Florence’s deep emotional state in the deep night of a desolate, apathetic city.
Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.
1958 | 93 min. | France | Black-and-White | French | Not Rated | DCP
DIRECTED BY: Louis Malle
WRITTEN BY: Louis Malle, Roger Nimier
WITH: Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Georges Poujouly, Yori Bertin