128. Three Colours - White ( Trois couleurs: Blanc); movie review

 

THREE COLOURS WHITE

Cert 15

92 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong sex, language

After being so disappointed by the first in the Three Colours trilogy I can't say I was looking forward to Krzysztof Kieślowski's follow-up.

But, possibly because of my low expectation, I was pleasantly surprised.

For me, White has much more about it than Blue because it is more plot-focused and has an especially satisfying finale.

The Three Colours are based around the French Revolution themes of liberté, égalité, fraternité.

White picks up equality through Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski) who is left penniless in Paris after being divorced by his wife (Julie Delpy).

He is reduced to begging on the streets but, thanks to a fellow countryman (Janusz Gajos), finds his way back to his native Poland where he starts to rebuild his life.

In its early stages, the audience has the impression of Karol as something of a doormat who allows life to happen to him.

However, he shows unexpected gumption to turn things around without ever forgetting the humiliation he suffered in France.

The development of Karol is as smart as the character's execution by Zamachowski.

He is as believable in distress as he faces the potential of his demise as he is when he grabs life and goes on his upward trajectory.

And Kieślowski's working-class backdrops, especially in Poland, create the atmosphere in which such a character could thrive.

Although the film is low on action, it takes the audience in surprising directions.

Suffice it to say, I now relish next week's release of Red - the third instalment of Three Colours.

 

Reasons to watch: Intriguing thriller

Reasons to avoid: Low on action

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know?  Krzysztof Kieślowski directed all three films in the trilogy, Blue, White, and Red, in less than ten months (from September 1992 to May 1993)

The final word. Krzysztof Kieślowski: "I have one good characteristic. I’m a pessimist, so I always imagine the worst. To me, the future is a black hole. It frightens me."

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