The Great Arch Review: Perfectionism At A Cost

Claes Bang leads The Great Arch, playing an unknown architect who wins a competition in the early 80s to design and build a new monument in Paris.

An unknown, but talented, Danish architect won, and quickly began planning what his idea of a contemporary monument would look like. The Great Arch (L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche) mixes a part fictitious script with real characters to outline the story of Johan Otto von Spreckelsen’s years in Paris creating the blueprint for La Grande Arche de la Défense. 

Claes Bang plays Spreckelsen, a talented architect known for creating grand, present-day churches in Denmark, among other structures. Little is known about him as a person, but writer and director of The Great Arch Stéphane Demoustier, along with a basis material from Laurence Cossé and her book “La Grande Arche”, puts realistic conversations between Spreckelsen and his wife, and arguments with his creative team to the screen to give his character life. 

Bang embodies Spreckelsen as if he knew him personally. It’s like watching Tony Curran’s portrayal of Van Gogh in Doctor Who (which never fails to make anyone tear up in such a short amount of time), or even the way Margot Robbie plays Tonya Harding with such gravity. He may not be as famous as those listed, but it feels like such a personal biopic that to some, it’s just as important of a story. Spreckelsen’s frustration as the runtime goes on is reflected in Bang’s performance, which may just be one of the best of the year. And it’s worth a note that Bang doesn’t speak French, or understand it, yet he speaks fluently every time he’s on screen. 

Spreckelsen knows exactly what he wants to create from the get-go: a Cube. But not just any cube. It’s a four dimensional hyper-cube, with many non-negotiable specifics, like the way the windows open and the direction the staircase runs. At times it’s frustrating, as he’s given so much freedom to design yet it’s not all possible. Why should he have to compromise when it’s his monument? In fact, he claims that his “very existence has led me to this design” which sketches out from the beginning how passionate and personal this project is to him. 

It’s more than just an exemplary central performance that elevates The Great Arch, though. We’re met with two stellar supporting roles: Xavier Dolan as Jean-Louis Sublion, who can light up a scene just by taking a drag of his cigarette, and Swann Arlaud as Paul Andreu, another architect who takes a hands-on approach with Spreckelsen. Andreu lost the competition to design the new structure, and so makes it his mission to guide, and partner with our winner to make his complex cube a success. Arlaud reaches highs in his performance that are similarly seen in his role of Vincent in Anatomy of a Fall. 

To make a film about architecture, it’s paramount to get the visuals right. The Great Arch thankfully hits the jackpot with its cinematography, engineered by David Chambille. An aspect ratio of 4:3 is clever, and invariably frames Paris in the most gorgeous way. Whilst the film is about the characters and their lives leading up to the building of La Grande Arche de la Défense, without a backdrop that boasts an 80s Paris, it would have been hard to make the story believable. In every facet, it feels accomplished. 

The Great Arch (L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16-18, 2025.