It’s not only in Hollywood that we know how to mix history and passion. Eiffel by Martin Bourboulon leads Romain Duris, interpreter of the architect Gustave Eiffel, in the throes of a forbidden passion for the wife of his best friend, played by Emma Mackey (Sex Education).
This fresco, very well received at the Francophone Film Festival of Angoulême, presents the two stories in parallel: the large one with the construction of the Eiffel Tower for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 and the small one, that of adultery that the we hide for fear of being condemned by the society of the time. “What will serve as the driving force behind its creation, however, is it, this former love of youth that he finds again at a key moment in his career”, explains Romain Duris to 20 minutes.
A collaborative process
Martin Bourboulon, known for the comedy duo Mom or dad, this time launches into the big show with communicative delight. ” I thought of Titanic of James Cameron to build the film, he admits to 20 minutes. Not in the final catastrophe but for its balance between historical and romantic reality. “
And it was not so easy to believe the screenwriter Caroline Bongrand, which recounts his obstacle course to impose this film since the 1990s in the book Eiffel and me (Amphora editions). The beautiful story finally took shape with the help of Thomas Bidegain, Tatiana de Rosnay and Natalie Carter. “The writing process was very collaborative,” recalls the director. The story unfolded much like the construction of the Tower with a lot of effort and determination. “
Their writing paid off! The spectator goes from the intimate to the grandiose, from the bedroom to a pharaonic construction site, to the rhythm of the heart and the activities of the hero. “Eiffel is mainly motivated by the desire to impress the woman he loves, insists Romain Duris. He is living an intense period of his existence that we would like to share with the public. “
A pharaonic construction site
The excitement is at its height when the architect joins the workers on a structure which dominates the Paris of the 19th century, reconstituted by the magic of digital special effects. “They had to be sufficiently credible to be completely invisible and not to take the spectators out of the intrigue”, insists Martin Bourboulon. The result is breathtaking as we have the impression of rediscovering the City of Light as it once was.
Yes Eiffel highlights the work of determined men, the female character is not a vase playing the foil or the rest of the warrior. “Adrienne is an intelligent woman who would undoubtedly have worked with Gustave if they had been born later,” says Emma Mackey. It is the obligations of an era that confined women behind the scenes that prevent him from acting. »What makes his character doubly tragic in his inability to flourish in his private life as in a professional activity.
Supported by a perfectly matched duo of actors, Martin Bourboulon won the bet to create a popular film in the noblest sense of the term. We can only get carried away in this fascinating story.