Lovers on the Bridge

Leos Carax’s The Lovers on the Bridge, presented by Martin Scorsese, is one of the most spectacularly romantic films of the 1990s. It follows the intense, convulsive relationship between one-eyed artist Michele (Juliette Binoche) and alcoholic street performer Alex (Denis Lavant). Paris’ oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf, is their home and their stage as they break up and get back together in increasingly explosive reunions both figurative and literal, including a jaw-dropping re-creation of the fireworks display that marked the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. Originally famous for budget overruns (Carax built an enormous set of the bridge and its environs), The Lovers on the Bridge is now justly revered as a deliriously entertaining depiction of amour fou.