Three Colors: White

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STEPHEN P Wow I was so hopeful this would be a really good show based on its reviews - maybe it is a 90's thing but this was basically a story of very unlikely and unbalanced revenge with no real reward for watching till the end. Well-made and different but such an unlikely revenge plot. I will not be watching the rest of the Three colors series I was so hopeful for. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/12/24 Full Review Matthew B While the films in Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colours Trilogy all operate well as stand-alone movies, White is the film that is better appreciated when viewed in context. The viewer who watches White on its own might form a misleading impression of Kieślowski's attitude towards women. On the surface, White might seem like a film designed to appeal to incels and other embittered males. A wife mistreats the husband that she is divorcing, but he picks himself up, makes a new life for himself, and then takes revenge on his wife in a manner that could be seen as mean-spirited. This is where context comes in. White is sandwiched between Blue and Red, two movies that centre on a strong-minded woman who is presented with love and admiration. If we see a strong woman punishing a weaker man and then getting her comeuppance in a Kieślowski movie, we need to look deeper. In the Three Colours Trilogy, Kieślowski loves all his leading characters, and that extends to the wife. Kieślowski does seek to steer the viewer away from this negative reading of the movie in a number of ways. He even softened the film's closing scene because he wanted to make Dominique Vidal (Julie Delpy) seem less like a monster. There are other ways in which such an interpretation is played down. Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski) is not a tough masculine figure. His name seems to doubly affirm an identity that is female (Karol is a male name, but one that is more often used as a girl's name in other countries). Karol has a strong feminine side. He is small and not physically strong. He is a qualified hairdresser who won competitions. If this man triumphs over his wife and the local criminals, it is a victory that is not achieved on macho terms, but through intelligence. Karol Karol is sympathetic in other ways. He is not at an unfair advantage to Dominique because she is a woman. Admittedly he suffers from the problem that he is in love with her, and she is (seemingly) not in love with him. However the imbalance between them is not the result of gender, and certainly not because women get a better deal than men. It is rather that Karol is disadvantaged because he is a Polish immigrant living in France. Attending the divorce court, Karol cannot speak French and needs the help of a translator. Both the civil and criminal laws are against him. He cannot prevent himself from losing his home and his bank card, which is cut up before his eyes. I imagine that Kieślowski has a good deal of empathy for Karol's predicament. As a Polish director working out of France, Kieślowski may well have experienced the difficulties of being an outsider in another country, or at least the fear of never being fully accepted. Is it too fanciful to wonder if it is not a coincidence that Karol Karol shares the same initials as the great film-maker? Rebirth might be said to be a theme in the movie. Two characters return from apparent death, and Karol is able to reinvent himself when he returns home. The ending promises another rebirth too. Perhaps the best way to view the relationship between Karol and Dominique is not as that of a hurt male seeking revenge, but rather as a peculiar sado-masochistic game of one-upmanship between the two lovers. It is uncertain if Dominique ever stops loving Karol, no matter what she says. She divorces him because he does not consummate the marriage. His failure to do so is never explained, and they appear to have had sex before they married. At the end of the movie when Karol has won out, Dominique uses sign language to suggest that she would like a reconciliation with him when she is free, perhaps even a remarriage. When they briefly appear at the end of Red, the last movie in the Three Colours Trilogy, they are together again. Whatever the dynamic between these two obsessed lovers, they are not finished with each other yet. I wrote a longer appreciation of White on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2021/01/19/three-colours-white-1994/ I wrote an overview of the Three Colours Trilogy also: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2021/01/09/krzysztof-kieslowskis-three-colours-trilogy-an-overview/ Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/22/23 Full Review Dave S Three Colors: White may be the weakest in Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy, but it's still a fairly interesting movie. When Dominique (Julie Delpy) divorces her husband Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowsky) for his failure to consummate their marriage, he initially slides into a life of misfortune and depression. However, fate being in his favor, he is ultimately able to turn the tables on his estranged wife in unimaginable ways. Compared to the other two films in the trilogy, the characters in White lack the same depth as those in its counterparts and it is not nearly as visually striking or stylish as Blue and Red, but the devious story is gripping throughout and the theme of equality (white being the representation of equality on the French flag, the theme of the trilogy) is presented from an interesting angle. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review isla s This is a film about longing, determination and belief I suppose. The plot was a bit bizarre at times and it didn't appeal to me as much as the previous film in this trilogy did (Three Colours: Blue) but its reasonably interesting. Its a bit too sad for my tastes I suppose. I quite liked the instrumental music played at times. Its not a memorable film but its ok - a fairly arty type of a film. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I'll be honest, I didn't realise this was meant to be dark comedy. That being said I enjoyed this one far better than the other two colour films. Stuff actually happens in this one and it has a neat plot. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Three Colors: White (1994) is the second film of the Three Colors trilogy, followed by Three Colors: Blue (1993) and Three Colors: Red (1994). The movie title refers to the second color of the French flag, and represents the second term/word of the French Motto ‘Equality’. In fact, that is the main theme or the idea that alludes the film. Equality through revenge. In contrast to Three Colors: Blue (1993) which uses dark tone (blue shades), this film comprises of much lighter tones in the scenes. In addition, this film is the only comedy in the trilogy. The film relies mainly on its plot/story unlike Three Colors: Blue (1993) which emphasizes the emotions and the psychological personality of the lead actress. Furthermore, Three Colors: White (1994) focuses on the lead actor while giving much lesser screen-time for the lead actress. The film is much better than Three Colors: Blue (1993) in terms of the plot. Despite that, the film is widely considered as the least favorite by most movie critics. Three Colors: White (1994) is a revenge story of a Polish immigrant-hairdresser named Karol Karol who got sued for divorce by his French wife, Dominique due to his impotency and the inability to consummate. Because of the divorce, he had no home and had his bank account frozen. Also, his wife, Dominique framed him for arson by deliberately setting fire on their salon. With the help of a wealthy Pole (Mikolaj), Karol escapes to Poland [by hiding inside his own suitcase]. After spending some time in Warsaw, he got rich and started a partnership business with Mikolaj. He then frames Dominique by faking his death while amending his will to let Dominique have all his property as a pretext. Due to this suspicion, Dominique went to jail. However, in the end, Dominique reveals that she finally wanted to remarry Karol. Hence, the revenge affected both equally which is also the theme of this film (i.e. equality). Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/05/22 Full Review Read all reviews

Three Colors: White

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