FRENCHLY: The Eiffel Tower & Other Paris Monuments in the Movies
May 27, 2022
"Martin Bourboulon’s new movie about Gustav Eiffel and his famous tower announces from the start that it’s “freely inspired by a true story.” Promising the untold story behind the masterpiece, Eiffel opens with the renowned engineer, played by Romain Duris, riding high after the gushing reception of his little gift to the USA—the Statue of Liberty. With the 1889 World’s Fair being held in Paris, everyone expects something equally bold and iconic from him. When an early model of the tower lands on his desk, he declares it ugly. But in the film, as in real life, Eiffel had a sudden change of heart. From one day to the next, he became obsessed with erecting the tower he’d rejected. He announces it will be 300-meters high, the world’s tallest building at the time. His metal tower won’t just be a building. It will defy gravity. It will draw people from all over the world. It will be France’s tower."
