17 July, 2006 | Leave a Comment
I was chatting with my sister last night about our mutual love of Amélie, which is one of the all-time great romantic films. While very few films can come close to the loveliness of Amélie, the other night I watched The Girl on the Bridge (La Fille Sur Le Pont), which certainly ranks right up there as one of the sexiest and most romantic movies I’ve ever seen. What is it with the French?
The Girl on the Bridge is from 1999 and stars Vanessa Paradis and the exquisite Daniel Auteuil. (Quick! Name a French movie that doesn’t star Daniel Auteuil!) In this film, the two lead characters never have sex or even kiss, which to me gives the film much of its power and passion. How very un-Hollywood.
This film is quirky in the extreme and it’s very very French. If you don’t love French movies, you won’t like this. This is a visually stunning film, shot in black and white and taking place in Paris, Monaco, Italy, Greece and Istanbul. The music is also fantastic.
Paradis’s character is a down-on-her-luck nympho who, early in the film, is about to commit suicide by jumping into the Seine. Auteuil’s character (self-described as “manic-eccentric”) is a knife-thrower who travels around performing in circuses and carnivals. [This film is a homage in many ways to silent movies, hence the kooky profession.] He hangs out on bridges looking for desperate women to be in his act, believing that only a woman with a death wish would allow a man to throw really sharp knives at her.
The two characters take their act on the road and are a big hit. Together, these two luckless losers bring each other incredibly good fortune. Their act isn’t just standard knife-throwing – Paradis is covered with a sheet, spun around on a wheel, etc. The relationship between the characters grows quite intense. (Ooh la la!) They develop a psychic bond. Knife-throwing is an obvious metaphor (no need to spell it out!) and you’re probably thinking it’s a violent, twisted and perhaps even sexist one. It may seem that way on paper, but you just have to submit to the story and not think about it too much.
This isn’t a deep or profound film, it’s just whimsical and fun and bizarre. The two people at the heart of the story are lost and damaged souls who find each other and forge a connection. Their bond makes them each feel extremely vulnerable and at the mercy of the other, but choosing to surrender and trust the other person is what saves them both. It makes them whole. To me, the knife-throwing simply heightens and intensifies the story’s exploration of the risks inherent in human relationships.
After watching this film, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that I’ve never met a man I’d be willing to let throw knives at me. But in the grand scheme of things I’m still fairly youngish, so perhaps there’s hope…
Link: Roger Ebert Review
Tags: The Girl on the Bridge, La Fille sur le Pont, Daniel Auteuil, Vanessa Paradis
Anglofille said @ 8:52 pm | film |
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I didn’t like this film very much. Some of that may hinge on the fact that I have a deep-seated hate of Vanessa Paradis…I think she looks like a Pekingese dog and she’s also sleeping with my imaginery boyfriend of 17+ years…Johnny, I’ve loved you for so long! Why won’t you return my calls???
On another note, ‘Amelie’ isn’t just a romantic masterpiece. It’s a MASTERPIECE! No romantic prefix needed. Jeunet is a god among filmmakers and everyone should also see ‘Delicatessen’ & ‘City of Lost Children’, two of the most exquisite films of all time.
