The Great Arch (2025), directed by Stéphane Demoustier, is a French biopic telling the story of the construction of The Great Arch of Defence (La Grande Arche) in 1980s Paris. The film highlights themes of perfectionism, self-isolation, and political tensions, as well as showcasing a deep love story that acts as the main character’s moral compass in his obsession with his work. The film did a wonderful job in portraying Spreckelsen’s unique career, an artist who never really gained recognition.

The film opened on October 1, 2026, in Melbourne, with advance screenings happening in late September. I did enjoy the film, but I think what really made this screening so memorable was the wholesome experience I had at Backlot Studios, which deserves a huge shout-out for being so welcoming. Their theatre is so intimate, and everyone was so lovely. When I entered the building, I was so graciously greeted, likely because I looked extremely lost, as per usual. I ticked off my name under Farrago and walked into the screening room and found a perfect seat.

It did hit me, though, that I was definitely the youngest there, and likely the only student, as more people came in. I was 100 percent not as well-versed in French media compared to the rest of the crowd, after hearing conversations about people’s favourites and relatively niche films and books. Possibly my favourite part of the screening was hearing everyone, and I mean around ten other people, laugh during the film, which I did perceive as a comedy. I don’t believe I missed any of the jokes — it was just your natural written dialogue about an architecture project in Paris. It was genuinely endearing and made me wonder if I had completely missed the comedic element of the film. 

The film follows Johan Otto von Spreckelsen (Claes Bang), a Danish “nobody” architect who won the 1983 competition to design a monumental building that sits on the axis between the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. Spreckelsen, a 53-year-old architecture professor, is suddenly thrust into possibly the largest construction project of its time in France, which invites political tensions, competing architects, and advisors into his work.

The film is more or less your “tortured artist” drama, but is beautifully captured with the uniqueness of French cinematography. After losing touch with French cinema as of late, with no one to blame but myself, The Great Arch reminded me why I love it. The film had striking colours and cinematography that takes you right into 1980s France. The scene where Spreckelsen shows rival architect and project manager of The Cube, Paul Andreu (Swann Arlaud), his previous work on a cathedral was one of my favourites from the whole film. The scene really set the tone of their relationship, being two sides of the same coin: extremely passionate about their art but also with biting egos and the need to control. It was truly well written and shot, which can be said for the whole film.

Danish actor Claes Bang gave a stellar performance as Johan Otto von Spreckelsen, and I was shocked to learn that neither the real architect nor Bang could speak French, the actor learning his French lines specifically for the film production. As much as I love the tortured artist convention, it is pretty easy to take yourself out of it when the trope is usually heavily dramatised in the media. Claes Bang’s depiction of Spreckelsen captured the layers of one’s perfectionism and passion for art. You only got to see how deep it truly went as the film went on and people continued to take advantage of his status as an “unknown.”

Someone who equally stole the show was Swann Arlaud, who played French Architect Paul Andreu. Arlaud, who had his global breakout in the Oscar-nominated Anatomy of a Fall (2023), was excellently cast as Spreckelsen’s rival, despite both ultimately having the same goals and passions, they let their pride get in the way of their partnership.

Sidse Babett Knudsen also gave such a memorable performance as Liv von Spreckelsen, Johan Otto von Spreckelsen’s personal anchor. The love story between the two acted as the emotional grounding of the film, with two people clashing over their work and personal lives. Although their home lives were sidelined and we didn’t really get to see her deeper ambitions or her perspective, she truly makes an impact across the film, especially given that the film is through her husband’s point of view.

If I had to give one criticism, I would say the ending was a little rushed. The film was paced so well and took you through the whole process and conflicts faced when constructing the Cube up until the end, when Spreckelsen’s story was closed in what felt like a flash. Although I did find the last scene amazingly shot and meaningful to the story. It could’ve used an extra 10-15 minutes for better closure. Nevertheless, the film was a moving piece of media, sharing the story of an ambitious and determined artist whose name often goes unknown or uncredited despite his contribution to the architecture of Paris.