Fire of Love
Fire of Love
Starring Maurice Krafft, Katia Krafft, Miranda Joy
Directed by Sara Dosa
Narrated by Miranda July, "Fire of Love" focuses solely on the lives of Maurice and Katia Krafft - from their first blind date to their final fantastical adventure before meeting their untimely demise at the hands of Japan's Mount Unzen - and how their shared love of volcanoes and each other fueled them forward to acquire some of the most fascinating shots of volcanoes ever put to screen. More importantly, their findings and discoveries led to governments taking more notice about the dangers of volcanoes and helped save lives by noticing some warning signs before a volcano explodes.
The documentary is a fascinating genre because it tells the stories of people that we generally wouldn't have known otherwise, even though the Kraffts were more well-known than other documentary subjects. They tell without the glamorous Hollywood edit their stories in such a personal, deeply-felt way that you can't help but be inspired by them. Be it Alex Honnold's "Free Solo," Marc-Andre Lecerc's "The Alpinist," Philippe Petit's "Man on Wire" or David Kellman, Robert Shafran and Eddy Galland's "Three Identical Strangers," you get to witness and behold unique stories told through their eyes and camera lens, capturing a magic that's lost when they receive the generic Hollywood treatment.
"Fire of Love" focuses on the fiery romance between the Kraffts, and how they always stood by each other's side as they stared death in the face time and time again. Volcanoes often get a bad rap as they're seen as nature's fury unleashed, causing death and destruction in their path, but the Kraffts found a sort of beauty in them, and they understood that volcanoes were necessary for the continual shifting of the earth's plates, erupting in grandiose grandeur that showcases the awesome power of nature.
Maurice and Katia had their share love of volcanoes, but they also were different in what they enjoyed about them. Katia said that while she enjoyed the stillness of it, focusing on taking still shots that are absolutely stunning, while Maurice was more the adventurer, focusing on filming live action and being right in the middle of it. This balance allows us to see volcanoes both in their explosive glory and delicate finality, blending moving pictures and stills that captivate us in a way that we wouldn't if it had been solely one or the other. What also set this documentary apart is that there's no modern-day interviews about people who knew the Kraffts, but rather their story told through what they captured, and nothing more. This gives an even deeper sense of appreciation for them and the work that they did, and the passion that they enjoyed.
Despite it being their love story, it's also a documentary about the volcanoes that fueled their united fire, and I even learned something I never knew about volcanoes before: there's two types of eruptions - red and grey. Red eruptions are the most beautiful and also the least deadly, as the magma and lava that flows from them do so in a river-like way, crafting a flow that one can follow closeby without fear of getting burnt. Grey eruptions, however, are the most deadly, as they spring out and spray into the atmosphere, releasing clouds of dust and ash dozens of miles away, and its one of these volcanic eruptions that led to the Kraffts - and 41 other people - demise. Katia said she likes "when he [Maurice] walks in front of me...if he's going to die, I'd rather be with him," and in the end that's what happened: they died side-by-side doing what they loved, and "Fire of Love" is a beautiful love letter that we get to witness.
The Score: A+
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