The fact that “Fire of Love” is almost entirely told through archival footage shot by Katia and Maurice is what makes it such a fascinating watch. As the movie progresses, you are subconsciously reminded that, yes, the volcanos on screen are real and they’re both extremely dangerous and beautiful. Short of dropping its actors on an active volcano and putting them threateningly close to actual spewing lava, as the Kraffts actually did, no live-action remake would be able to accurately reflect the jaw-dropping wonder of “Fire of Love.”
That alluring danger of physically being at the source of these unimaginable natural phenomena was at the forefront of the couple’s research — how can something so magical come from the Earth, and what makes it so volatile? These are questions Katia and Maurice struggled with, fueling their insatiable quest for knowledge. However, simply writing down their ideas and observations wasn’t enough. They needed to document them on film so they could share the magic of volcanos with the rest of the world.