Have you ever watched an event where everything seems to go wrong in the most entertaining way? That was the scene at the Olympics opening ceremony recently.
Picture the French National Orchestra drenched in see-through plastic ponchos, and a grand piano filling up with water like a makeshift rain barrel. It was a memorable wash-out, and who doesn’t enjoy watching France’s attempts at grandeur end in a bit of a mess?
It’s hard to believe now, but when the Eiffel Tower was first built, Parisians weren’t exactly thrilled. So much so, that a decade after its completion, they held a competition to find a way to cover it up for the 1900 World Fair.
The tower was dismissed as ‘useless and monstrous’. Some of the proposed ideas to disguise it included a giant belfry with a clock on top and a tubular shaft capped by a large brass globe. To put it mildly, those ideas were far from charming.
A Journey Through History
The BBC4 documentary *Eiffel Tower: Building The Impossible* took us on a fascinating journey through Gustave Eiffel’s life. Narrated by Geraldine James, the show mixed archival footage with CGI to highlight Eiffel’s achievements.
Eiffel didn’t just build the tallest structure of his time; he also masterminded the Statue of Liberty and devised a system of locks for the Panama Canal. His work made Isambard Kingdom Brunel look like a weekend tinkerer.
The Technical Marvel
The documentary delved into the technical brilliance of Eiffel’s designs. Much of the technical explanation was in French with subtitles, requiring close attention to fully grasp his innovations.
The key to Eiffel’s success lay in the strength of his criss-crossing girders, which made his structures lightweight despite the tower’s impressive 7,000-ton weight. Every component had to be meticulously crafted, with measurements accurate to a tenth of a millimeter.
Surviving History
One intriguing segment took us to Vietnam, where two of Eiffel’s early bridges continue to span the river in Ho Chi Minh City.
The professor who guided us there seemed quite anxious, clinging to a moped’s saddle as they navigated through chaotic traffic.
Odd Details and Digital Imagery
The documentary was full of quirky details.
After the Eiffel Tower was completed, Eiffel himself faced disgrace, convicted of fraud and sentenced to two years in prison.
Originally intended to be dismantled after 20 years, the tower was spared because it proved valuable as a radio antenna. The computer-generated images of Eiffel, sporting a distinguished beard and top hat, were created using AI software.
While this avoided the cost of hiring actors, it made Gustave look more like a digital waxwork than a real person.
TDPel Media
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