It's hard to believe that someone carelessly discarded a cigarette on a roof overlooking an old structure, and this seemingly small act led to disaster. The butt landed in a pigeon’s nest and ignited some debris, setting off a chain of events that resulted in a massive fire. Jean-Jacques Annaud combines actual footage from the devastating blaze with scenes portraying how challenging it was for Parisian firefighters to reach Notre Dame and combat the flames while navigating blocked streets on Île de la Cité. You can practically feel the intense heat, see the smoke, and sense the fear as the firefighters struggled to get enough water pressure to fight the fire, all while molten material flowed across the roof like liquid metal – a striking echo of Charles Laughton's performance from 1939. The dramatic aspects are acceptable, but truthfully they aren’t really important; the film is mostly visually overwhelming. It’s easy to tell what’s authentic and what was recreated, thanks to the close-up photography, but that doesn’t detract from the experience. The movie highlights the bravery of those who worked to prevent a historical landmark from being destroyed, while also exploring the reactions—both horrified and deeply religious—of people struggling to comprehend such an event. It's all presented at a brisk and effective pace, running just under two hours. What I found truly frustrating was the number of onlookers everywhere, seemingly prioritizing their view over the emergency services’ ability to do their jobs – it seemed like they expected to be accommodated as long as they had a good spot. Despite that, it's captivating viewing and definitely worthwhile.

Source on TMDB