A brief review of the three colors trilogy by Krzysztof Kieślowski
Blue
Navigating life despite it all
Three colors: blue is the first part of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s trilogy.
The movie is about Julie (Juliette Binoche) who loses her husband and daughter in a tragic car accident. We follow Julie as she tries to navigate her new existence.
The movie has an almost dreamlike quality to it at times with blue being present throughout most of the film. It’s always nice to see films utilize colors in interesting ways, instead of the generic stuff in most big blockbusters. However, the use of blue is not exactly a gimmick, it never feels as if the filmmaker is trying to be profound.
Blue is not a film where an awful lot of things happen. We see Julie go through her emotions in an effort to live on with the immense burden of sorrow that rests in almost every frame of the film. Julie is a stern and strong-willed character. At first, she comes off as almost too stoic and indifferent to everything; this is partly justified due to her having just lost her family. Yet throughout the film, we see her make connections with other people. She forges friendships and bonds with strangers and helps them along their journey. A very interesting juxtaposition is thus created between the way Julie represents herself and the way she acts.
The film is full of moments that will stay in your mind long after the film is over. The film takes its time and lets these moments sit, this creates a slow pacing that fits and further enhances the film. The slow pace is never a problem since the film is only 90 minutes long. The cinematography and direction are both top notch like when Julie is told of the ascendant at the hospital, the doctor is reflected in her eye and we do not see her. Juliette Binoche delivered a performance for the history books with a powerful yet underplayed performance.
White
White is a film that had a lot to live up to. Being the sequel to such an amazing film as Blue expectations were rightfully raised high. Did the film meet them? No, but is it still a good film? Let’s find out.
The film is about a polish immigrant named Karol Karol who has recently divorced his wife Dominique. Just like its predecessor, the film is a slow-moving character piece about a man with financial problems struggling to get over his ex-wife. Dominique is not in the movie a lot, but she inquires in every scene, hunting the narrative. Karol befriends a man named Mikolaj who helps him get back to Poland.
The film is about perseverance and how important it is to keep going. There is a beautiful scene between Karol and Mikolaj concerning a gun and the will to live. I found the film captivating and inspiring. Karol’s journey from a man who fights his way back from financial and emotional despair was brilliant. Even after he gets beaten multiple times he still gets up and continues on.
The movie is definitely good, but I do think the first film Blue was outstanding and better overall. The performance by Juliette Binoche is still something that haunts me. I do think White works, but as an overall experience, It is not as good as the first.
Red
Red is the last of the three colors trilogy and what a conclusion. The film follows a model named Valentine who meets a former judge who spies on other people through a radio system. This is both unethical and illegal, but Valentine is unable to stop him. The two people meet when Valentine accidentally hits the judge’s dog in her car. The Judge is totally indifferent to the fact that his dog is gone. In fact, he seems totally indifferent to anything. However, he starts to open up again due to his friendship with Valentine.
Red is like Blue and white a slow-moving character study. The color red is of course connected with the theme of love. We follow a man named August in his romantic endeavors. August and Valentine never meet, but they live close to each other. Even though they do not know of each other’s existence they often share the frame with one of them being in the background. One of them will leave the shot only for the other to appear and pick up the story again.
Red is a perfect conclusion for the trilogy. The three films don’t have anything to do with each other except for a cameo here and there. Yet the ending scene wraps up all the other films along with giving the viewer some closure.
Appeal
You enjoy slow-moving character pieces that showcase the beauty of everyday life.