8 Times Notre Dame set the scene for iconic movies

Last night the roof of Paris’ Notre Dame caught fire, maring one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the world. It’s too soon to know what exactly went up in the blaze and which of the religious artefacts managed to escape the flames, but the church holds a special place in the world’s imagination. Alongside the Eiffel Tour, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, it is what most people visualise when they think of the city of lights. Because of its long-standing history, the cathedral has naturally made numerous cameos in famous artwork and served as a character in and of itself in the way storytellers approach the French capital. Fast-forwarding to the cinematic age, SLEEK picked out eight of our favourite films that feature the gothic cathedral.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Perhaps the most ominous appearance on the list, Julie Deply and Ethan Hawk, float by the famous Cathedral in Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise. Hawk, playing the wide-eyed American abroad, remarks on how astonishing it is to see Notre-Dame in person. Deply, as a jaded Parisian, casually remarks on how the church will be gone one day, like the one that stood in the same place before it.

Charade (1963)

Audrey Hepburn plays opposite Cary Grant as the widow of a husband that was murdered after stealing a considerable fortune in Stanley Donen’s Charade. In one of the memorable scenes, the pair grab iced cream along the Quai de Montebello – which faces Notre Dame – and Hepburn muses about how nice it would be if they were in a different film from the list.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

The impressive view of Notre Dame has a distinct charm, which is probably what contributes to Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy, to finally forgetting about her earnest chef boyfriend in New York and going to a Parisian hotel with a publishing bad boy Christian Thompson, played Simon Barker, in The Devil Wears Prada.

Breathless (1960)

In Jean-Luc Godard’s French new wave masterpiece, Breathless (1960), the main character, played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, is constantly running from the police. After stealing a car, he is chased through the city, passing by Notre Dame. Although the church only appears briefly, it instantly anchors the car chase scene to the geography of the city.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1997)

Based on the Victor Hugo novel, by the same title, Peter Medak’s 1997 The Hunchback of Notre Dame, revolves around the political, spiritual and architectural significance of the cathedral in 15th century Paris. In this version, Salma Hayek plays the enchanting gypsy Esmeralda and fittingly, her real-life husband Gucci billionaire, Francois-Henri Pinault, has pledged $113 million to help rebuild Notre Dame (roughly half of what his French competitor Bernard Arnault of LVMH pledged).

Amélie (2001)

While the majority of the Jean-Pierre Jeunet film Amélie, takes place in Montmartre, the young protagonist comes down to the Ile de la Cité with her mother in the beginning of the film. The tragic suicide of the mother at Notre Dame sets up for the strained family dynamic that plays a central role in the idiosyncratic movie.

An American in Paris (1951)

Despite protests from the male lead, Gene Kelly, Vincente Minnelli’s An American in Paris was filmed on the MGM studio lot in California and not Paris. Still, the legendary dance numbers in front of a two-dimensional cut out of the Notre Dame silhouette was enough to inspire wanderlust in a generation of movie-gowers, including Hepburn’s character in Charade.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Although Woody Allen is now a controversial figure owing to allegations of sexual abuse and actors have publicly apologised for working with the director, his Midnight in Paris rivals any bus-tour in its coverage of Paris monuments, including Notre Dame. Owen Wilson famously sits besides former first lady of France and singer Carla Bruni in the park area behind the cathedral.