SERIES REVIEW – The Notre-Dame series explores the raging inferno that brought down the cathedral’s iconic spire and much of its roof, and the impact of the devastating events on the Parisian community. The six-episode Netflix series follows the firefighters and citizens as they deal with the terrible struggle against a national tragedy.

People around the world were shocked when the spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral collapsed on 15 April 2019. Every action of the Paris firefighters was watched minute by minute by the whole world, including Trump, whose tweets in bad taste will be unforgettable. Saving Notre-Dame was not simply about saving a building of historic importance, but rather about preserving a sentiment for which they took a risk, and as a result the cathedral remains standing tall. The cause of the fire is still unknown. It is assumed that the fire started during restoration work.

The second Notre-Dame movie this year

Earlier this year, the film “Notre-Dame on Fire” was shown in IMAX. And here we are two months before the end of the year, and Netflix is releasing “Notre-Dame: La Part Du Feu”, which focuses on the emotions attached to the place and how the Notre-Dame fire affected individuals related and unrelated.

The mini-series, directed by Herve Hadmar, is based on the book “La Nuit De Notre-Dame”, written by the Paris Fire Brigade and Romain Gubert. Although the way the characters and relationships were explored was emotionally rich, the story was often rather heavy-handed and overly melodramatic.

Six different characters

The fire chief, General Ducourt, was holding his letter of resignation in his hand when he received a call informing him of the Notre-Dame fire. He knew that his brigade needed him in command and he stepped up to do his duty without hesitation.

Having recently lost the man she loved, the Notre Dame fire presented a challenge for Alice. She had to overcome her fears and leave the comfort of her memories to save the cathedral. She had to prove herself to her lover, Ben, who had died in the line of duty in a firefighting accident.

While Alice faced the fire to prove her worth, Elena was thrust into a catastrophic situation because of the publicity. Elena came to Paris to become a journalist and was ready to take on any challenge. When her boss demanded unseen footage of the Notre Dame fire, she found a way to get inside the cathedral. His experience in the building somehow changed him as a person.

Colonel Varese, firefighter and believer, never gave up on saving Notre-Dame. He believed that God had sent him on a mission to protect the Gothic cathedral.

For Max, the Notre-Dame fire was the day he searched endlessly for his daughter Victoire. To reunite his family, Max had to face situations he never thought he would have to face.

For Victoire, 15 April, 2019 was the day she found a friend in a little boy named Billy. The two of them were walking through the streets of Paris and unexpectedly became inseparable. The day Notre-Dame burned, Bassem felt closer to his wife than ever before. The characters’ paths crossed; some stories intertwined with others, resulting in an emotional conclusion to the six-episode miniseries.

True Amazons

The women in Notre-Dame are fierce and determined. Alice (Megan Northam) had to overcome her personal loss and dedicate herself to her duty. Varese (Caroline Proust) constantly pressured General Ducourt to take risks. He played a decisive role in saving the cathedral. Elena’s (Alice Issaz) sheer determination helped her secretly get into the cathedral. Once she left the building, she made a decision that required enormous courage and strength. Victoire (Marie Zabukovec) is a broken, drug-addled girl, yet she was the one who held Billy’s hand when he was lost. Billy’s journey to find his father at the firehouse took an unexpected turn, leading to a beautiful ending.

Impressive scenes, but overall a flat story

“Notre-Dame” is not unique in its storytelling, but it is certainly an emotional rollercoaster. The scene in which Victoire steals a jeweled cross from a client the night before the Notre-Dame burned was impressive. The series powerfully represents the idea of how important it is for humanity to maintain a place of faith.

Apart from a few effective moments, the series is mostly flat. The trajectory of each story is predictable, apart from Billy’s journey. The story of Baseem and his wife was rushed. The characters lacked depth, and the whole story seemed unnecessary.

Convincing performances

The series accurately depicts the event and can be watched to understand how the Paris fire brigade coped with the gigantic fire that left a scar on the lives of every Parisian. Overall, the actors did give convincing performances, but even that was not enough to force the overly melodramatic and cheesy story down their throats. The constant use of non-diegetic voices to heighten emotions felt overwhelming and monotonous by the end.

Notre-Dame is not an exceptional work, but it is enjoyable. Notre-Dame contains several fictional elements, but when it comes to how the Paris Fire Department handled the fire, it sticks to the real-life account. It is one of the many Netflix series that can be watched without any expectations of quality film.

What works in the series is the way it combines fact and emotion. Undeniably, the Notre Dame fire is a moment in recent history that is ‘burned’ into the memory of Parisians and more or less the rest of the world. People remember such events by what their lives were like at the time, and Notre-Dame focuses on just that. The film seeks to gather personal accounts from a number of characters whose lives were, in one way or another, greatly affected by the day of the Notre-Dame fire.

-BadSector-