A.K.A.: Trois Couleurs: Rouge
Country: France /
Poland / Switzerland
Genre(s): Drama
Director: Krzysztof
Kieslowski
Cast: Irene Jacob /
Jean-Louis Trintignant / Frederique Feder
Plot
After accidentally
hitting his dog with her car, a young woman meets a former judge who spies on
his neighbor’s phone conversations. The
pair begin an unlikely friendship that changes both of them.
What I Liked
Fraternity. That’s
what the third color, red, stands for in the French flag, and that is the theme
behind Krzysztof Kieslowski’s third film in a series loosely based on those
colors. It seems like a simple enough
task to create a film showing how all of us are connected, especially through a
medium that is in itself an example of that theme. However, Kieslowski does so in a way that
transcends any Oprah Book Club notion of togetherness and brotherhood. This is a comprehensive portrait of how human
beings are together in this world, both to our benefit and to our
detriment. We are shown how some people
find togetherness in the most undesired places while others try to force
togetherness in situations where it will not and cannot work. Fraternity, we find, is both elusive and
unavoidable. It is desperately sought
out by some and taken for granted by others.
The most mundane actions of our daily lives can have a profound impact
on those of people we may never meet. I’m
rambling now, but all of the above is illustrated in the 99 minutes of this
film.
“Three Colors: Red” has the depth and pacing of a novel. In fact, had it been a novel, I suspect it
would be considered among the best of the twentieth century, a musing on
postmodern life in the technology age. Each
of the main characters is a stand-in for themes greater than themselves. In fact, I believe one of them, the reclusive
old judge spying on his neighbors, can easily be read as a stand-in for the
Christian God, among other things. Full
of all of the complexity of human nature, emotion, morality, and even fate,
this is not only an excellent movie; it is a terrific piece of literature, as
well. It is clear that the death of
Kieslowski in 1996 robbed the world of a significant artist.
What I Didn’t Like
I haven’t seen the second film in the series (“Blue” is the
first; “White” the second, “Red” the third), because it wasn’t included in the
book I use as my source. Based on how
good the other two are, I’m sure I’ll be watching it sooner, rather than
later. However, “Red” can be said to be
guilty of the same point of criticism that which some might find in “Blue.” That is, watching it can be seen as too
intellectual of an enterprise; the pure entertainment value is limited. To quote my entry on “Blue,” “It is possible to spend too much of the film
trying to recognize all that the filmmakers are trying to convey through their
art, as opposed to sitting back and enjoying a moving film.” Some may say the same thing about this film.
“Red” also has the
added drawback of not starring Juliette Binoche, who turned in an outstanding
performance in “Blue.” Because the films
are only loosely linked to one another, they are primarily about different
characters and thus have different actors (Though Binoche makes a brief
appearance towards the conclusion). Irene
Jacob has the lead in this film and she is good. She has a beautiful and expressive face that immediately
makes her character sympathetic, if not terribly interesting. Perhaps her character was meant to be a blank
slate, someone in whom the viewer can see his or herself during the journey of discovery
that is “Red.” In which case, Jacob does
the job required of her.
Most Memorable Scene
The bizarre
relationship between the main characters in this film begins with the woman’s
invasion of the man’s home while he is sleeping. Not much later she is shocked to learn that he
too has been invading the homes of others (if only with his ears), and with far
less praiseworthy intentions. Yet she is
clearly interested in joining him in his voyeurism, despite her professions of
being disgusted with his actions and philosophy. The scene where she stays in the man’s room
as he switches his radio signal from house to house, listening on the affairs
of his neighbors, and finds she has more in common with this lonely, strange
man and his victims than she wants to admit is the crux of the film and its
message.
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
