Gustave Eiffel looks over Paris from the tower that he has conceived, designed, and delivered. He casts his mind back to when he was delivering an iron bridge over the River Garonne at the town of Bordeaux. One of his workmen fell into the turbulent waters of the river. Unhesitatingly, he dived in and rescued the man. By chance driving by, Adrienne Bourgès, then unknown to Eiffel, saw the rescue. To prevent further such accidents, Eiffel asked a wealthy local bourgeois, who happened to be Adrienne’s father, for wood for safety scaffolding.
Bourgès invited him to lunch, where he sat with many others including Adrienne, who pretended that she hadn’t seen the rescue, but still indicated that she admired him. She spoke up to her father to support Eiffel’s request for wood for scaffolding. He was struck to the heart by her beauty, dash, and grace. As he left, she invited him to her coming birthday party. At the last moment, she confessed that she had seen the rescue.
Threaded through the film are more memories. As Eiffel designs the Tour, he recalls the birthday party, at which they played musical chairs, and Eiffel and Adrienne smiled at each other. When she saw him alone, as a birthday present, he gave her a copy of an old book on the art of building metal bridges. She told him that she recognised his individuality, and suddenly kissed him on the cheek. Surprised, he withdrew as she rejoined the many at the party.
Another time during the building of the bridge over the Garonne, one evening, she went walking around the works and they encountered each other. He invited her into his office or quarters. He told her that she was charming, but still a spoiled child, just toying with him. She walked out in dudgeon.
He soon called after her, but she kept walking and deliberately fell backwards into the river. He ran and jumped in to rescue her. They were wet and cold. He lit the stove in his office, put a blanket on her, and they held each other to get warm. Then they kissed closely, and again. And more closely.
Soon their passion grew. They thought of marriage. These memories perhaps sustain Eiffel through the vicissitudes of his delivery of the Tour. Suddenly, Adrienne went away from home. Her father told Eiffel that she had been stringing him along, and no longer wanted to marry him. Eiffel didn’t believe him, and seized him by his coat lapels. Bourgès threw Eiffel to the ground and drove off.
Eiffel picked himself up and resolved to wait for Adrienne. Her mother and father told her she couldn’t marry Eiffel because he wasn’t good enough for her. She replied that she was expecting his baby. She ran out of the house, chased by her father. Finding the gates closed, she climbed up to go over them, but fell on one of their points, and sustained a penetrating abdominal wound.
Eiffel is a 2021 French romantic drama film directed by Martin Bourboulon, from a script written by Caroline Bongrand. The film stars Romain Duris as Gustave Eiffel and follows a fictionalized romance between Eiffel and Adrienne Bourgès, his childhood sweetheart, played by Emma Mackey. It also stars Pierre Deladonchamps in a supporting role.
Eiffel premiered on March 2, 2021 at the Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia, and was released in France on October 13, 2021, by Pathé Distribution. It was released on June 3, 2022 in the United States by Blue Fox Entertainment. The film received generally positive reviews, and grossed over $13 million worldwide.
Eiffel (2022)
Directed by: Martin Bourboulon
Starring: Romain Duris, Emma Mackey, Pierre Deladonchamps, Armande Boulanger, Bruno Raffaelli, Alexandre Steiger, Andranic Manet, Philippe Hérisson, Stéphane Boucher, Sophie Fougère
Screenplay by: Caroline Bongrand
Production Design by: Stéphane Taillasson
Cinematography by: Matias Boucard
Film Editing by: Virginie Bruant, Valérie Deseine
Costume Design by: Thierry Delettre
Set Decoration by: Frédéric Delrue, Antoine Dore, Jessy Kupperman
Art Direction by: Gilles Boillot, Dominique Moisan
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
MPAA Rating: R for some sexuality / nudity.
Distributed by: Pathé Distribution (France, Blue Fox Entertainment (United States)
Release Date: October 13, 2021 (France), June 3, 2022 (United States)
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