Three Colours: Red (Trois couleurs: Rouge, 1994)

Cinephiles today usually associate world "trilogy" with Hollywood's excuse for making an extra sequel of popular film. Film trilogies that were originally designed as trilogies are rarity. One of such trilogies - Krysztof Kieszlowski's Three Colours - is different from most other trilogies in one important detail; despite the differences in style, plots and characters, the quality of all three films is more or less same. All those who watch Blue, White and Red, concluding part of the trilogy might attest to that.

The plot of this film is set in Geneva. Protagonist is Valentine (played by Irène Jacob), young woman who supports her studies by modelling. One night her car runs over and injures a dog. Valentine decides to return the wounded animal to its owner, retired judge Jacques Kern (played by Jean-Louis Trintignant). When she arrives at his home, she is appalled when she sees bitter, cynical man who seems not to care about his pet. Even more appalling thing about Kern is his strange hobby of wiretapping neighbours. Although initially revolted, Valentine gradually befriends the old man whose early life might have resembled life of Auguste (played by Jean-Pierre Lorit), young law student in love with Karin (played by Frederique Feder), girl who works as telephone weather forecaster.

Red is the best-acted and best-photographed film of Three Colours trilogy. Even Zbigniew Preisner's musical score, unlike his efforts in Blue and White, is ear pleasing. However, ironically, Red is also the most unusual part of the trilogy, mainly because its connections with the other two films are somewhat questionable. The trilogy was named after the colours of French flag and each film had to explore the ideals of French Revolution - liberty, equality and fraternity. Two previous films indeed dealt with those ideals in their own way. Red, which is supposed to explore issues of fraternity of modern world, deals with more abstract problem of alienation instead. Furthermore, while other two films take place in France, this one is set in Switzerland, country where French Revolution has rather different meaning than in Paris. Kieszlowski was perhaps aware that some viewers would ask questions about third film being connected with previous two, so he concludes and trilogy with finale that unites major protagonist of all three films. When this happens, the audience won't feel cheated - Red doesn't offer easy answers, but Kieszlowski fans would probably know that the complexity is not the flaw in Kieszlowski's films; it gives them opportunity to make their own minds and witness some great film making in the process. Red was Kieszlowski's last film, made two years before his death, and everyone who sees it might see how the world of cinema suffered a great loss with his passing.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on June 5th 2003)

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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/110-trois-couleurs-rouge?language=en-US
Critic: AA