The humble
elevator - known as the setting for awkward small talk with your boss as well
as a quick and easy way to get from A to B. A lift is pretty much standard in
any high rise office or building, but the cramped quarters and dizzy heights
make it an ideal setting for many of film’s most dramatic scenes. From the
iconic lift shaft scene in a Bruce Willis classic to one of the most memorable
scenes in horror, see below for just five of the best elevator scenes on film.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Willy
Wonka’s ‘Wonkavator’ doesn’t just go up and down, but "sideways and
slantways and longways and backways and squareways and any other ways that you
can think of." The golden glass lift is the setting for the climax to the
1971 film, as Charlie and Willy Wonka push the lift to its limits and smash
through the ceiling.
Drive
The
beautifully shot lift scene from Nicolas Winding Refn’s stylish 2011 drama is
romantic, hypnotic - and very, very violent. The contrast of the slow-motion
kiss between Ryan Gosling’s Driver and Carey Mulligan’s Irene, and the violence
following it, is one of the best, most shocking scenes of the film and it
provides a tragic turning point in the couple’s love story.
The Shining
This scene
isn’t set within
a lift but it’s one
of the most dramatic and memorable scenes in horror. The blood elevator scene
(also known as the ‘river of blood’) from Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation is
intense, horrifying and full of dread and unease. Young boy Danny has a vision
showing the elevator doors of the Overlook Hotel as they open and blood gushes
out, covering the floor, walls and eventually the camera, leaving viewers in
darkness. Over 3,000 gallons of fake blood were used until Kubrick was
satisfied with the final shot.
Inception
There are actually
several elevator scenes in Christopher Nolan’s ambitious sci-fi fantasy from
2010 and many people interpret the lift as a symbol for the different levels of
dreaming in the film. Leonardo DiCaprio’s protagonist Cobb rides a lift through
a haunting collection of his memories, and there’s more lift action later on as
Joseph Gordon-Levitt attempts to navigate an elevator in zero gravity.
Die Hard
We couldn’t
leave out what’s arguably the most famous lift shaft scene of all time, when
unlikely hero John McClane (Bruce Willis) confronts Alan Rickman’s villain Hans
Gruber. Rickman was told he’d be falling anywhere from 20 to 40 feet down the
lift shaft, but the crew dropped him before the ‘on the count of three’ they’d
agreed, meaning that the look of shock on his face is entirely genuine.
Your own
lift encounters might not be as dramatic as any of the above, but it’s still
vital to keep on top of lift repair and maintenance to ensure the safety of you
and your colleagues. If you’re looking for professional lift installation,
maintenance and repair, get in touch with the experts at ADL Lift Services. As
one of the leading companies in Scotland, we’ve installed and maintained lifts
all over the UK, so give us a call today or visit our website
to find out how we could help you.
