Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

The three colors trilogy is a French-language masterwork by Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski. The first installment, Blue, released in 1993, stars the beautiful Juliette Binoche as Julie. Julie survives a car crash in which her husband, a famous classical composer, and only child are killed and in which she herself is injured. She learns the awful truth upon recovering consciousness in the hospital. Distraught beyond words, she comes close to undertaking suicide but finds herself unable to do so at the last minute. In order to deal with her pain, she dissociates herself completely from her previous life and friends. What follows is the story of how Julie rediscovers meaning in life from her special capacity to positively impact the lives of others. Julie's resilience and selflessness make her one of the most remarkable and worthy heroines in film literature. Binoche's performance is remarkable as is the musical elements in the film. The color blue is emphasized to great visual effect throughout the film.

Part two of the trilogy, White, produced in 1994, is the least satisfying of the three films but nonetheless an original plot. It deals with a failed marriage involving a hapless Polish hairdresser, Karol, and his French wife, Dominique. She has divorced him because of his inability to perform sexually. Out of anger, she also frames him for arson by setting fire to her own salon. The plot then revolves around Karol's methodical pursuit of revenge. There is an interesting subplot involving a friendship that emerges between Karol and a depressed businessman, Mikolaj.

The final segment of the trilogy, Red, also from 1994, is very nearly as marvelous in its effect as Blue. It focuses on a friendship that emerges between a young female model, Valentine, and a retired judge, Joseph, played by Jean-Louis Trintignant. Their relationship has a parent-child quality to it, she gaining from his wisdom and experience and he from her beauty, vitality, and innocent idealism, which contrasts with his own cynicism. Red examines the notions of fate and coincidence through the tactic of intersecting story lines. On several occasions, while one story is proceeding in the foreground, a character from another story line passes by in the background. Finally, in the dramatic conclusion, the story lines of all three of the films of the trilogy are woven creatively together.

Each of these movies is a great film experience in its own right, especially the first and last of the three, but they need to be seen in order for best effect.


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You might want to check out these other excellent films from France:

Alphaville
Amélie
The Battle of Algiers
La Belle et la Bête
Bob le Flambeur
Le Boucher
Boudu Saved from Drowning
A Bout de Souffle
La Cage aux Folles
Céline and Julie Go Boating
La Cérémonie
La Chèvre
Children of Paradise
Cléo from 5 to 7
Un Coeur en Hiver
Contempt
Cyrano de Bergerac
Delicatessen
The Dinner Game
Diva
The Earrings of Madame de . . .
Entre Nous
Eyes Without a Face
La Femme Nikita
Forbidden Games
French Cancan
Grand Illusion
Harvest
Hate
The Horseman on the Roof
Jean de Florette/Manon
The King of Hearts
Last Year at Marienbad
Life and Nothing But
Madame Rosa
A Man Escaped
Le Million
Monsieur Hire
The Mother and the Whore
La Nuit de Varennes
Pépé le Moko
Peppermint Soda
Playtime
Providence
Rififi
La Ronde
Round Midnight
The Rules of the Game
Le Samourai
Summer
A Sunday in the Country
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Vagabond
Wages of Fear

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older