‘Notre Dame On Fire’: Review

 Dir: Jean-Jacques Annaud. France/Italy. 2022. 110mins

Jean-Jacques Annaud’s visually and thematically ambitious Notre Dame On Fire (Notre-Dame Brûle) is not a particularly good film — but given the built-in power of the material and Annaud’s flair for grippingly convincing imagery, it doesn’t have to be. Engaging to watch and edifying about just how close Paris came to having rubble at its heart instead of the iconic gothic structure Victor Hugo’s hunchback called home, this thoughtful and meticulous re-creation of 24 incredibly dicey hours is mostly thrilling, despite the occasional groan-worthy line of dialogue or borderline dopey secondary character. Its March 16 release in France with signifcant international territories to follow - sold through Pathe International - should see brisk box office returns on its reported $30 million budget.

 What makes this movie consistently watchable despite clunky moments is the brilliant way they have incorporated genuine footage

On 15 April 2019 a fire started smouldering in the cathedral in central Paris. But nobody alerted the fire department. The timber from 1300 ancient tree trunks in a configuration known as The Forest had survived for centuries but was now doomed. The true chain of events that day played out as if God decided to go into screenwriting, and Annaud has taken this gift and run with it. There is an 850-year-old ready-made movie star with an international following and a really persistent villain in the form of spreading flames. And intrepid heroes who happen to save lives for a living but who, here, are asked to save the structural integrity of ancient stones. Oh, and the Cathedral contains priceless religious relics — a crown of thorns believed to be the original from the Crucifixion and a nail from the True Cross. Sensibly, they are securely locked up — but who has the key? 

We know how the story ends — the Cathedral is still standing, repairs are advancing and nobody was killed. But Annaud, co-scripting with Thomas Bidegain (A Prophet, La Famille Belier, which was adapted into English as CODA, and Stillwater) delivers a thriller infused with genuine suspense because the fire fighters have no idea whether they will succeed or if the building, weakened by heat and water, will collapse, taking them — and possibly a lot of nearby structures — with it. 

Incredibly, it was the first day of work for the man whose job it was to monitor an ageing panel designed to warn of telltale smoke in the edifice. It is not only a landmark and a tourist attraction, it is a house of worship — and a very big ‘house’ at that. Security personnel checked out an alarm at 6:17 p.m. and gave the all-clear after worshippers had been evacuated. Unfortunately, when people were invited back in to continue the mass, the fire really was taking hold, invisibly, over their heads since the wrong spot had been checked. 

It is a rule in screenwriting that to keep the viewer engaged, you force your protagonists to confront and overcome obstacles. In real life, that fateful day was almost nothing but obstacles. And the film’s sometimes minute-by-minute structure embraces that. In just one of many hard-to-believe but true elements, the head of the Paris fire brigade learns of the fire 28 minutes after it began from a colleague vacationing in Florence, Italy who has received and forwarded a mobile phone image of the blaze in Paris.

Images of the Cathedral aflame quickly hit screens all over the world. And what makes this movie consistently watchable despite clunky moments is the brilliant way they have incorporated genuine footage — from government drones overhead, from TV cameras, from cell phones — into the re-created proceedings.  

We have all seen flames and smoke billowing from the ancient timber roof, the moment when the spire fell. But what nobody has seen until now — except the fire fighters and some clergy — is what went on inside the building. Through incredibly impressive production design, Annaud’s technical team puts us in the narrow stone staircases, unstable rafters, in the bell towers. The air is quickly completely toxic inside, the fire fighters need oxygen. It is great to have a hose but what if it is not long enough and the water pressure is a fraction of what is needed due to poorly maintained pipes? And once the temperature reaches inferno status, the last thing you want to drop onto you or your vulnerable hose is melted liquid lead. 

Shot for IMAX, the film is consistently visual and the emotional pegs are built in. Thanks to its scrupulously accurate spatial geography, it is easy to see how the men in charge of the Paris fire brigade really did get stuck in traffic. It is rush hour on larger streets and always tricky on narrow streets. Viewers garner fresh appreciation for not leaving your bicycle or delivery van where it says to keep the way clear. Ace production designer Jean Rabasse’s true-to-scale replica sets, which were subjected to fierce but controlled flames, impart an authentic aura. Cast and crew wore real fire-fighting gear that could withstand temperatures of 1300° F and the effort pays off. Carefully choreographed highlights in the belfry, the transept and especially the truly spectacular collapse of the spire and vault crashing down into the nave have sit-up-and-take-notice power.

There is minimal humour in the proceedings but you have got to love a stand-in for Donald Trump sending inane unhelpful firefighting advice via tweet. There are a few faces that will be familiar to French audiences but no stars. And none are required. The acting is down-to-earth and unfussy.  

Despite the composer’s exceptional track record, the near-relentless over-emphatic score by Simon Franglen does the film no favours — the stunning sound design alone would have sufficed at many junctures. 

The script resorts to the occasional shamelessly heart-tugging aside: who wouldn’t want the fire department to come rescue that elderly woman’s stranded kitty from a steep slanted roof? And that little girl who runs back in to light a candle to the Virgin is easy to identify with if you are not too busy slapping your forehead. 

Eight locksmiths are credited, as very old keys on crowded key rings play supporting roles.

Iconic man-made structures synonymous with Paris have served the French film business well of late. Eiffel was one of the nation’s 5 most successful screen exports in 2021. It seems almost guaranteed that this venture will also earn that distinction.