Eiffel

Gustave Eiffel, who gave France its famous tower, has been often portrayed as a practical man, a brilliant engineer and the architect of iron. Eiffel, directed by Martin Bourboulon, paints a rather different, softer picture of Eiffel as a hopeless romantic whose monument was as much a celebration of love as an engineering masterpiece. This period drama suggests that the tower’s A form was a tribute to Eiffel’s great love, Adrienne Bourgès, skillfully played by Emma Mackey (Maeve in the Netflix series Sex Education).

Played by Romain Duris, Gustave struggles with striking workers and financial setbacks as he organises the construction of the Eiffel Tower. Bourboulon intermittently shows us the construction site, where Eiffel’s men work hard and the tower increasingly grows. However, the main intrigue revolves around Gustave’s romance with Adrienne, a married woman with whom he had a relationship. Flashbacks from both Gustave and Adrienne’s perspectives show the lovers 20 years back, kissing against fireplace backdrops and Parisian sunsets before Adrienne’s disapproving parents intervene. Her unexpected return as Gustave deals with various obstacles to the tower’s completion, fuels his creativity and commitment.

Duris looks enticing in period garb, as does Mackey, who never disappoints and is both convincing and fun to watch as a seemingly spoiled young lady who turns out to have a deeper personality than appearances suggest. The troubled love story is portrayed with passion and warmth, which makes it impossible not to become a little invested. Unfortunately, that’s not enough. Several scenes of the film, especially the ones set on the construction site, end up being dull and repetitive.

The film claims to be “freely inspired” by historical facts and accurately shows how Eiffel was an unpopular figure in late 19^th-century Paris. However, film critics have complained about the inaccuracy of many historical details.

Issues of class, wealth and power are present as well, but this is a bittersweet love story at heart, an undemanding – and not very successful – melodrama.

Diletta Lobuono

Eiffel is released in select cinemas on 12^th August 2022.

Watch the trailer for Eiffel here: