NOTRE DAME ON FIRE
Cert 12A★★★
In cinemas now
We expect firefighters to rush into burning buildings to save fellow humans. But should we ask them to risk their lives to protect bricks, stone and mortar?
That’s one of the questions raised by Jean-Jacques Annaud’s spectacular film about the 2019 inferno that almost levelled the Catholic cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris.
A clever blend of archive footage and slickly staged reconstructions, this film offers a fascinating behindthe-scenes look at the disaster.
Unlike the fire itself, the film takes a while to get going. Before the first hose is turned on we follow the staff of the cathedral as they fail to detect the initial blaze due to a combination of a dodgy alarm system, huge staircases, elderly staff and an overly complicated system of keys.
When the firefighters finally make it through gridlocked traffic, their first priority is to save the cathedral’s ancient relics, including a crown of thorns which some believe were worn by Jesus Christ.
It’s only when the cathedral appears doomed that anyone ponders the ethics of sacrificing firefighters for inanimate objects.
President Macron gives tacit approval for firefighters to volunteer for a “suicide mission”. As the heroic score swells, the detached documentary feel finally gives way to something a bit closer to a Hollywood disaster movie.
Against the odds, the mission is a success. But, if you follow the news, you’ll know that bit already.