Girl on the Bridge

For the 1951 film, see The Girl on the Bridge (1951 film).

The Girl on the Bridge (French: La fille sur le pont)^[2] is a 1999 French drama film^[3] shot in black and white and directed by Patrice Leconte, starring Daniel Auteuil and Vanessa Paradis.

Girl on the Bridge
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Patrice Leconte
Written by	Serge Frydman
Produced by	Christian Fechner
Starring	Daniel Auteuil Vanessa Paradis
Cinematography	Jean-Marie Dreujou
Edited by	Joëlle Hache
Distributed by	UGC Fox Distribution
Release date	31 March 1999 (1999-03-31) [1]
Running time	90 minutes
Country	France
Language	French
Box office	$5.1 million

Plot

The story centres around knifethrower Gabor (Auteuil) and a young woman called Adèle (Paradis), whom he meets as she prepares to jump from a bridge. Gabor intervenes, persuading Adèle to become the target girl in his knifethrowing act. The film follows their relationship as they travel abroad, selling and performing their act. Their companionship and teamwork mean great luck for both of them. When they are separated, she in Greece and he in Turkey, their lives once again become luckless.

Cast

• Daniel Auteuil as Gabor
• Vanessa Paradis as Adèle
• Frédéric Pfluger as Contortionist
• Demetre Georgalas as Takis
• Catherine Lascault as Irène
• Isabelle Petit-Jacques as Bride
• Mireille Mossé as Miss Memory
• Didier Lemoine as TGV ticket conductor
• Mylène Farmer (uncredited guest appearance in a hallway and beside the stage)
• Bertie Cortez as Kusak
• Stéphane Metzger as Italian waiter
• Claude Aufaure as Suicide victim
• Farouk Bermouga as TGV waiter
• Nicolas Donato as Mr. Loyal
• Enzo Etokyo as Italian megaphone
• Giorgios Gatzios as Barker

Music

The soundtrack consists entirely of existing music, with Who Will Take My Dreams Away by Marianne Faithfull, I'm Sorry by Brenda Lee and Goodbye in a version of Benny Goodman recurring during the film. Other music includes other numbers by Benny Goodman and Noro Morales, Festival in Valencia by Charles Smitton, Italian music by the Orchestra Secondo Casadei, Turkish music from the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble, and the Austrian National Anthem.

Release

The film grossed 22.6 million Franc ($3.4 million) in France.^[4] Paramount Classics acquired the United States distribution rights to this film and gave it a limited U.S. theatrical release on July 28, 2000; the film went on to gross $1,708,839 in U.S. theaters,^[5] which was a good result for a non-English film. Ruth Vitale (president of Paramount Classics at that time) declared herself pleased with the film's performance in the U.S. market.^[6] However, Paramount did not release the film on DVD until July 2008.

Daniel Auteuil won a César as best actor for his role in 2000, and a similar prize at the Festival de Sant Jordi in 2001. The film won the Prix du public at the Cinemania festival in Montréal in 1999 and the best foreign film at the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards in 2000.

The action of the film proper begins on the Passerelle Debilly in Paris, and ends on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul.

See also

• Impalement arts