Paris, France

In A VIEW TO A KILL, Roger Moore stars as James Bond for the seventh and final time. Filming of the 14th Bond movie began on 23 June 1984 in Iceland (see Jökulsárlón, Iceland) and ended on 16 January 1985 at the Pinewood Studios in London. The film studio was destroyed by fire on 27 June 1984, but was rebuilt and reopend in January 1985. The largest stage was named Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage.

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In addition to Iceland and England, filming on location was done in Switzerland and California. In France, the historic Château de Chantilly and the Eiffel Tower, including the surrounding bridges over the river Seine, were chosen. James Bond travels to Paris to meet Achille Aubergine (Jean Rougerie), a French detective who knows more about Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), a German wealthy industrialist linked to the elimination of secret agent 003.

The meeting takes place at Le Jules Verne restaurant on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. Before Aubergine can say anything, he is murdered by May Day (Grace Jones), accomplice and lover of Zorin.

The Eiffel Tower is first seen from the Avenue Hussein Ier de Jordanie near the Jardins de Trocadéro. The camera zooms in on the restaurant. During our visit, this street was closed due to renovations. The Eiffel Tower itself was also partially under scaffolding. We therefore went higher up to Esplanade de Trocadéro to take photos. The view was partially obstructed by a fence. We did not go into Le Jules Verne; in the film, the restaurant is a set.

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Eiffel Tower, Paris, 2 March 2022

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Eiffel Tower, Paris, 2 March 2022

May Day leaves the restaurant and runs up the Eiffel Tower. She manages to escape by jumping from the top with a parachute, leaving a stunned Bond behind. The film clearly shows that a platform was built for the jump, performed by stuntman B.J. Worth. The paratrooper has an overview of the river Seine River, including the Pont Alexandre III, which is seen twice more in the film.

If you wish to climb the Eiffel Tower, either on foot or by elevator, it is advised to buy tickets in advance because of the high demand, see The Eiffel Tower.

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Jardins de Trocadéro seen from the
Eiffel Tower, Paris, 2 March 2022

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Eiffel Tower, Paris, 2 March 2022

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Grand Palais and Avenue Charles Floquet seen from the
Eiffel Tower, Paris, 2 March 2022

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River Seine seen from the Eiffel Tower, Paris, 2 March 2022

Bond is not yet defeated. He jumps on top of the elevator that goes down and steals a taxi. He drives over the steps of the Pont d'Iéna and lands on the Port de la Bourdonnais along the Seine.

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Port de la Bourdonnais, Paris, 2 March 2022

The chase by taxi, which is halved along the way, ends at the Pont Alexandre III. Built between 1897 and 1900, this bridge was named after Tsar Alexander III. More than other bridges in Paris, the Pont Alexandre III is richly decorated.

Pont Alexandre III, Paris, 3 March 2022

Next to Art Nouveau street lamps, there is a massive masonry socle at each corner with a winged horse on top, executed in gilt bronze. In the middle of the bridge, there are two reliefs on the railing representing nymphs. The sculpture from which Bond jumps represents the nymphs of the Seine with the coat of arms of Paris. On the other side of the bridge, the nymphs of the Neva hold the coat of arms of Imperial Russia. The reliefs are now painted black and gold and have additional ornaments in the shape of bulrushes, partly executed in glass.

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Pont Alexandre III, Paris, 3 March 2022

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Pont Alexandre III, Paris, 3 March 2022

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Pont Alexandre III, Paris, 3 March 2022

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Pont Alexandre III, Paris, 3 March 2022

May Day manages to escape and Bond, who has left a trail of destruction, is imprisoned at a police station at 3 Quai de l'Horloge. The next day, he is picked up by M (Robert Brown) and Sir Godfrey Tibbett (Patrick Macnee). The building is called La Conciergerie and is actually a courthouse. The street was partly blocked off during our visit so the photo does not quite show the same location. The bridge on the right is the Pont Neuf.

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Quai de l'Horloge, Paris, 3 March 2022

The car crosses the Pont Alexandre III. Through the rear window, part of the Dôme des Invalides can be seen, originally a Louis XIV-commissioned retirement home for war veterans. The complex also houses Napoleon's tomb since 1840. I had not realised that the Pont Alexandre III is featured a third time in the film. The photo shows the Dôme des Invalides from the bridge but not from where the film camera stood.

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Pont Alexandre III, Paris, 3 March 2022

Screenshots © EON Productions