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Trois Couleurs (Three Colours) films by Krzysztof Kieślowski

I adore the Trois Couleurs (Trilogie) films by Krzysztof Kieślowski.
The Three Colours Trilogy: Blue, White and Red, represent the French Revolution ideals and slogans: “Liberty”, “Equality” and “Fraternity” respectfully in our modern time.

Trois couleurs: Bleu – Three Colours: Blue

The story is about Julie, wife of a famous French composer, who her husband and child died in a car accident recently. Before the accident, she held a blue handkerchief out of the car, a sign of longing for freedom.

After the accident, she became melancholic and suicidal.

Nevertheless, she started her journey to freedom. She sold her home and left every remembrance of her previous life. Even, she asked her husband’s colleague (whom she knew that had feeling for her) to come home, so after one night, no attachment of the past, could follow her.

She took refuge in a small flat in Paris and, as the film nicely showed, by jumping and immersing in the Blue pool, she was devoured by freedom.

But her past hunts Julie and her freedom, just like the blue chandelier that she kept. Her husband’s colleague, a boy who found a necklace near to the accident location, and even a flute player in front of her flat; all of them reminded her past.

Julie failed to achieve the freedom and liberty and at the end of the film, she called her husband’s friend and went to his house this time (opposite of the last time). She chose the love (and its captivity) over her new freedom.

The soundtrack of this film is gorgeous.

Trois couleurs: Blanc—Three Colours: White

Karol, a Polish hairdresser, is used to be married to Dominique, a French girl. But now because he is incapable of sex, she has divorced him.

Karol’s personality, As Kieślowski mentioned this in his interview, is based on Chaplin’s tramp: Appropriate actions in inappropriate situations and vice versa.

Karol, by observing the white pigeons in front of Paris Justice House, longed for the equality. Nevertheless, his trial was humiliating and unsuccessful.

Thanks to Dominique; Karol, now without passport and money, even was running from police.

However, his character’s breakdown happened when he listened to Dominique having sex with another man in a telephone call; he took out the coin out of the public telephone angrily. This coin that he kept from this point of the film; is the symbol of his change. Now, he is a determined and decisive.

Regarding his new character, Karol in Poland (just after U.S.S.R. collapse), made lots of money (naturally by swindling and defrauding). But still is obsessed with Dominique’s memory.

Eventually, Karol set up a plan to make Dominique guilty of his fake death. He lured Dominique to Poland…

After having sex with her in Poland, the scene became white, which indicates that they are even now.

At the end of the film, Karol with tearful eyes, watches Dominique in a prison cell by a binocular.

One of the important aspects of this film is its brave portal of new capitalist Poland. Of course, nowadays, everyone is acquainted with the corruption and mafias and lack of stability in East Europe; but at the beginning of the 90s, such views were rare and unique and even courageous. Kieślowski was one of the first persons who showed the symptoms of future catastrophe.

When Karol was looking for a death body to fake his death, his driver said to him that “Nowadays everything is for sale”.

Trois couleurs: Rouge—Three Colours: Red


Red is the colour of fraternity.

The story is about Valentine (Iren Jacob), a student and part-time fashion model in Geneva. She has a suspicious and domineering boyfriend.
Her car accident with a dog caused her to be acquainted with a former judge: Kern.

Kern had an eavesdropping tool and listened to his neighbour’s telephone calls. He showed to her the corruption, betrayal, brutality, and even drug dealing in the society. But Valentine, who has a sixteen years old drug addict brother, told him that she doesn’t believe the corruption of all people and said many people are only weak.

The former judge denounced himself to the police, so he could find and talk to Valentine again. Meanwhile, Valentine has a young neighbour, Auguste, who studies for a judicial exam to become a judge; he represents the life of young Kern.

Auguste had a girlfriend who betrayed him, and left him with just a fountain pen.

Valentine and Kern became more and more friend, and Kern told her that he had a dream about her: being fifty years old and happy.

Kern (the former judge) told Valentine that he should have met someone like her in his young age instead of her ex-girlfriend.

Valentine decided to travel back to England with a ferry (as the Kern suggested) but a severe storm caused the ferry to be sunk and the only survivors are main characters of the trilogy. Valentine is with the young judge now: Auguste, which indicates a new relationship.

These three films are elegiac to the French Revolution ideals and goals.

Nevertheless, during watching the films, I remember one of the most elegant quotes about French Revolution: Zho Enlai’s quote about French Revolution outcomes: “It’s too soon to say.”

P.S. please notice the different ways that main characters handle the recycling bottles in the three film…


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