Imagine yourself in a dimly lit lift with a sense of impending doom and menacing music playing in the background. Film and television shows featuring lift scenes have the ability to make us giggle uncontrollably or send shivers down our spines. A scene in the movie “Devil” where a bunch of people become stuck and bizarre things happen is one of my personal favourites. It made me ponder: in popular culture, lifts certainly know how to steal the show. It appears that lifts are adaptable locations that work well in a variety of genres, each adding a distinct tone to the story. Fear has lifts transformed into cramped, terrifying spaces. Elevators are used in films like ‘The Shining’ to convey a sense of desolation and approaching peril. The cramped area heightens the suspense and gives every moan and squeak a more ominous quality. The protagonists’ journey into lunacy or the unknown is symbolised by the vertical movement.
Conversely, lifts don’t necessarily portend doom; sometimes, they make for unanticipated comic sets. Consider the well-known lift scene from “Elf,” in which Buddy excitedly pushes every button, upsetting his fellow riders. The small area is transformed into a humorous playground, bringing laughter to an otherwise ordinary day. In comedies, lifts provide a cramped setting that’s perfect for strange encounters and embarrassing situations. In addition to horror and comedy, lifts are frequently used as the background for tense fight sequences or exhilarating escapes in action films. Imagine James Bond taking out bad guys in a speeding lift or Tom Cruise hanging onto a skyscraper’s facade in ‘Mission: Impossible’. As they become dynamic components in the action genre, lifts heighten the tension.
What is it about lifts, then, that makes them such rich narrative environments? Maybe it’s the contrast: a lift can be a place of captivity and fear, but it can also be a place of comedy and unexpected encounters. Its intrinsic quality as a place of transition, shifting between levels and emotions, reflects the characters’ journeys throughout the narrative.
Elevators are ultimately more than just devices that move us up and down floors. They serve as metaphorical canvases on which authors and filmmakers can depict their tales. Elevators transport us beyond the ordinary, becoming essential components in the narratives of popular culture, whether it’s through heart-pounding action, stomach-laughing humour, or spine-tingling terror. Thus, keep in mind that the lift may serve as the backdrop for the upcoming blockbuster hit the next time you enter one!
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