Fraternity despite differences in the third part of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s monumental trilogy.
Returning back home by car, University of Geneva student and fashion model Valentine accidentally hits the dog of retired judge Joseph Kern. Having little interest in the fate of the dog, the judge is more preoccupied with eavesdropping on neighbors' telephone conversations. Outraged by Kern's indifference, Valentine decides to heal the dog herself, while bringing some diversity and conversation into the everyday life of the cynical old man in the process. Despite the difference in age and views, they suddenly find a common language with each other. Dedicated to brotherhood, part three of Kieślowski’s monumental trilogy Three Colors earned the Polish director two Oscar nominations (for best screenplay and best director) and composer Zbigniew Preisner, a César Award.
One of the 1990s’ cult art films, it opens with an unforgettable Channel crossing scene: diving into the tunnel in England, the camera resurfaces on the mainland following a signal through telephone wires. Kieślowski thus declares the theme of literal and spiritual connection, which permeates the entire trilogy, but is most evident here, in the warm, intuitive, and sensual Red. Another major theme it picks up is coincidences: like Blue, Red begins with a car accident, and the young lawyer Auguste, Valentine's love interest, works in court—that is, where White’s protagonists Dominique and Karol's divorce took place. By persistently alluding, overtly and implicitly, to the events and characters of the first two parts, Kieślowski pushes the sense of interconnectedness to the limit.
Whereas the previous pictures are set in Western and Eastern Europe (France and Poland, respectively), in Red the action unfolds in neutral Switzerland, the cradle of international law. Kieślowski’s co-writer was Krzysztof Pesiewicz, a lawyer and politician who also advised him on Dekalog, a project that explored ethical dilemmas. The tandem of a judge-playing-god and a lonely student helping him set up a moral compass was performed by Jean-Louis Trintignant (The Conformist) and Irène Jacob (The Double Life of Véronique). Kieslowski’s last work, after its completion, the director announced retirement from cinema and two years later died of a heart attack, leaving future generations of viewers with the immortal image of Valentine’s melancholic profile with a chewing gum bubble against the red background.
The film will be screened in French with Russian subtitles.
Three Colors: White
Dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski
Switzerland, France, Poland, 1994. 99 min. 18+