The Girl on the Bridge (1999)

One night, a fading entertainer intervenes when a woman contemplates suicide, beginning a strange, unpredictable relationship.

Director:

Patrice Leconte

Writers:

Serge Frydman (dialogue), Serge Frydman (screenplay)

Stars:

Vanessa Paradis, Daniel Auteuil, Frédéric Pfluger

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vanessa Paradis	...	Adèle
Daniel Auteuil	...	Gabor
Frédéric Pfluger	...	Contortionist
Dimitris Georgalas	...	Takis (as Demetre Georgalas)
Catherine Lascault	...	Irene
Isabelle Petit-Jacques	...	Bride
Mireille Mossé	...	Miss Memory
Didier Lemoine	...	TGV Ticket Conductor
Bertie Cortez	...	Kusak
Stéphane Metzger	...	Italian Waiter
Claude Aufaure	...	Suicide Victim
Farouk Bermouga	...	TGV Waiter
Nicolas Donato	...	Mr. Loyal
Enzo Etokyo	...	Italian Megaphone
Giorgios Gatzios	...	Barker

Storyline

It's night on a Paris bridge. A girl leans over Seine River with tears in her eyes and a violent yearning to drown her sorrows. Out of nowhere someone takes an interest in her. He is Gabor, a knife thrower who needs a human target for his show. The girl, Adele, has never been lucky and nowhere else to go. So she follows him. They travel along the northern bank of the Mediterranean to perform and in the process win a big fortune through gambling. Although both of them continue a platonic relationship, the sex-starved girl attempts to sleep with handsome guys she encounters throughout the journey. Finally, Adele falls in love with a newly-wed groom and both of them elope to Greece, while Gabor is stuck in Turkey. Then Adele is dumped by the groom. Only by now both Gabor and Adele realize that luck isn't with them unless they get together again. But both of them are so broke that they can't even feed themselves, let alone getting back to Paris and reunite...

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Plot Keywords:

seine | greece | tears | knife | love | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening sequence lasts for more than 7 minutes with a monologue by Vanessa Paradis. In the DVD commentary, director 'Patrice Leconte' says that a single shot was necessary using several cameras.

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Goofs

After the train has passed, Gabor steps off the rail, and again after the cut.

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Quotes

Adèle: Learn to lose, or you'll take wining for granted.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps/Wonderland/Thomas and the Magic Railroad/Space Cowboys/The Girl on the Bridge (2000)

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Soundtracks

Per Domenico Morelli
Performed by Banda Ionico

User Reviews

Brilliant and Enchanting. The most beautiful example of poetic realism in modern cinema

For years I was asking myself: the beauty of the early French films, the poetic realism, the simplicity and magic of the early Italian neorealists - where have they gone? I was missing that moment of pure cinema magic, the feel of people, the love for life in the movies. The unforgettable pictures of our childhood created by people like Carne and Vigo, Rene Clair, de Sica and Fellini. Now they are back. Patrick Leconte has created a very original, highly enjoyable little masterpiece that has it all in a modern movie. This beautiful black and white love story is a great moment of contemporary cinema that leaves you with that deeply happy feeling, that cinema sometimes seem to have forgotten about. As a producer and director myself, I was searching for a long time for any modern piece of film that picks up on that wonderful poetic movie tradition that combines reality with a flowing, surreal dream-like storytelling that your heart directly understands. Leconte's gentle and lighthearted, yet perfect command of visual language and editing makes this simple little story about a knife-thrower and cabaret artist and his "victim" and partner, a suicidal young woman, one of my happiest cinema experiences in the last 20 years. That people do this kind of movies these days, gives you hope. We need more movies like this. This is a film that nobody should miss that loves poetry, love, life and circus as major elements of cinema and human existence. Congratulations to Patrice Leconte and his inspired DP Jean Marie Dreujou.

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Classics

Country:

France

Language:

French Italian Greek

Release Date:

31 March 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

Girl on the Bridge

Filming Locations:

Athens, Greece

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$66,567, 30 July 2000

Gross USA:

$1,708,496

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, France 2 Cinéma, Les Films Christian Fechner

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1