Or The Lovers on the Bridge as the English have so wrongly translated. Pont Neuf (the Ninth Bridge) is the oldest bridge in Paris and it definitely takes this symbolic and romantic meaning as the ‘everlasting’ and the ‘mysteriously strong’.
The film takes place while this particular bridge is under construction. A young man Alex (Denis Lavant) is a homeless drug-addict who lives on the Pont Neuf with his older friend. The peaceful yet somewhat odd lifestyle of the two men is disrupted when a woman, Michele (Juliette Binoche), appears to express her wish to live on the same bridge. Alex immediately falls in love with Michele and a strangely magical, passionate and yet a very obsessive love story commences.
What makes this film stand out is the crude reality of the whole situation the two lovers are thrown into. They are both the kind of people that just go along with what life has to offer and this is why their relationship is so intense. Alex’s blind love for Michele gradually turns into an obsession.
I believe that this is the way that the French see love. You do not have to posses anything, yet you can give away anything, including yourself, to your beloved just be by his side. This extreme way of thinking and seeing is kind of mystical and magical to observe in our times and it somehow is perceived as ‘radical’. But in my opinion, Les Amants du Pont Neuf just sharpens the joy and the over-whelming ecstasy of discovering the person you desire.
It is, without a doubt, one of the most simplistically ingenious films. As practically the whole film is filmed on the Pont Neuf, it might seem monotonous or boring, however, admittedly, it is a very rewarding location for a film. The wind and the water form this outstanding ambiance and the buildings of Paris along the riverside create this romantic, yet very realistically urban atmosphere. Not even once while watching, have I forgotten that they were living on the bridge in Paris, which, let’s repeat, is one of the most important aspects of the film that makes it very imaginary yet realistic at the same time.
The overall pace of the film is quite slow. Scenes are long and not very lively. Therefore the few more dynamic scenes really stand out and are very well accepted. They do not seem out of place, on the contrary, they provide this touch of life and ecstasy that sometimes is what makes people feel alive. The complete scene of the 4th of July where the fireworks rise above the Pont Neuf and the two lovers dance intoxicated while the changing colours sparkle in the sky is one of the most impressive scenes I’ve seen captured on film. They capture this numb and primitive need to move and to feel, not something that has to be over-thought.
Les Amants du Pont Neuf is truly a spectacular film that will inspire you to pursue your craziest dreams and to believe in the possibility of them being actually turned to reality. Amazingly simplistic, yet touching such fundamental truths. 9.5/10 :)
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