The Ice Tower

Plot

Cast

• Marion Cotillard as Cristina / The Snow Queen
• Clara Pacini as Jeanne / Bianca
• August Diehl as Max
• Gaspar Noé as Dino
• Marine Gesbert as Stéphanie
• Lilas-Rose Gilberti Poisot
• Dounia Sichov
• Raphael Reboul
• Wilhelm Bonnelle

  Production

Development

It was clear from the script that what happens in the film-within-the-film is, in fact, a continuation of what happened to Jeanne in real life, on the set. Similarly, what happens between her and Cristina mirrors what happens in the film. It's the same story which is being told sometimes in reality, sometimes in the film-within-the-film, or maybe in Jeanne's dreams at some point. Maybe she's the one who created the film-within-the-film? Together with Jonathan Ricquebourg we decided that The Snow Queen , shouldn't look too differently from our film. So the link, or the frontier of reality, would be blurred with the help of very slight differences. But still, I knew that I was going to edit it as a mix between reality and film: for example, now we are looking at Jeanne looking at the set, etc. What I wanted was to blur the frontier so there is emotional continuity.

Casting

Influences

• Black Narcissus – "A captivating blend of studio-bound artificiality and breathtaking painted backdrops that evoke the vastness of the high mountains. The tension between the two women on the precipice still lingers in my mind, and the madness that can possess a woman in an icy mountain landscape."
• The Birds – "I've always been drawn to Hitchcock's women, and Melanie, played by Tippi Hedren, feels like a distant cousin to Marion Cotillard's character—beautiful, cold and distant, but with deep inner turmoil. And then, of course, there are the birds. Always threatening."
• Shanghai Express – "Marlene Dietrich was the spark behind Cristina. Her elegance, her mystery—it's all there. And von Sternberg's fetishistic attention to mise-en-scène left an impression on me."
• A Midsummer Night's Dream – "The exquisite artwork: scenery, costumes, lightning—every detail conjures an enchanted vision, a shimmering world that sparkles."
• Warning Shadows – "The haunting interplay between realism and expressionism, using chiaroscuro like a language of its own—between on-screen and off-screen space. The theme of the 'double' has never been more compelling, with the shadow-puppeteer's show mirroring the relationships between his guests."
• Beauty and the Beast – "There's something in the dark fairy-tale atmosphere, steeped in snow and dread. The framing, the lighting, the unsettling beauty—a blend of surreal and the real within a toxic atmosphere really captured my imagination."
• Daughters of Darkness – "Delphine Seyrig's elegance, her erotic vibes, and the vampire kiss really resonated with me—she embodies cinematic allure. The twilight hotel adrift in a desolate landscape, the deep nostalgia and loneliness… And for Kümel's view on cinema: "One can mistreat the subjects as much as they want, but not the cinema."
• Deep Red – "Torino becomes a character in itself—mysterious and terrifyingly beautiful with its empty streets and arcades. Its mix of fascist and gothic architecture, the empty and dilapidated palazzo was a big influence in creating our environment."
• Veronika Voss – "A woman unraveling—an actress lost to morphine and memory. The blend of realism and theatricality feels dreamlike. The film within a film, the enigmatic storytelling, and the striking nods to German Expressionism continue to intrigue me."
• All About Eve – "While not a conscious inspiration, the parallels with The Ice Tower are undeniable—the accomplished actress, the adoring young admirer. I've watched it a few times and loved it. Maybe it crept in subconsciously, shaping things without me even realizing."

Filming

Release

Reception

Critical response

Industry reception

Accolades