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This is the last film of Krzysztof Kieslowski - one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. He intended to retire after this film, so in a way it is his artistic testament. He died a couple of years after making the film, and though it is said that he intended to return to directing, Destiny decided that this was indeed his last. And what a film!

'Rouge' the last film in the three colors French trilogy is actually a very Swiss film. Set in Geneva, one of the two main characters is a Swiss retired judge, and Durenmatt immediately comes to mind. But there is more Switzerland in the cool atmosphere, in the lack of communication of the characters, in the politeness that envelops cruelty of life. Several characters who start with little relationship will come together at the end in a moving and human final, which only a great artist could have staged.

Little else can be said that was not said and written hundred of times. Yes, the film starts slowly, and the fans of the American style of action movies or melodramas will get discouraged first and will get lost as viewers. They deserve it. The film gets quality as it advances, and one of the not so hidden messages is that real life and real humans are more interesting than the Hollywood cartoon and plastic action and characters. Cinema quality is very original, the image being a 'Study in Red', as the title shows. Acting is fabulous, with Irene Jacob and Jean-Louis Trintignant - the later in what will remain probable the best role of his old age.

A great film. Seeing it again probably adds, and I am happy to have it recorded on tape. 9/10 on my personal scale.

It is not only difficult to comment separately on the three parts of Kieslowski's trilogy, it seems obvious that the filmmaker wants us to do just the opposite: view them in order, Blue, White, and Red, and consider them together as one complete work. It is true they are distinct stories with distinct themes: liberty, equality, fraternity, and each them is developed with unique applications of intrigue and artistry. They are each well worth seeing independently, but I believe they are best seen as one work. Collectively, I would rate the trilogy as a 9; separately, I place each in my top ten for the years 1993 and 1994.

The color red is most memorable in the third movie as a backdrop in a billboard ad, the profiled model of which is the central of the movie's three main characters. The other two characters do a double-take of a varying degree of recognition when they first come upon the ad, posted larger than life alongside a busy city intersection. This ad is not a major part of the plot of this movie, yet its image becomes striking and is one of the reasons I have called Red a `mind-bending' film. This is the third of Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy, based on the Blue-White-Red of the French flag and the three parts of its motto, `Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.' The films stay primarily focused on these themes, keeping with the basic levels of one, two, or three main characters, yet with each film the complexity of plot escalates as the three principles move from fundamentally personal (Liberty, Blue) to relational (Equality, White) to social (Fraternity, Red). Red is my favorite of these films, and I give it a 9. It stands by itself as a great film, but one should see Blue and White first for the fullest effect.

The last film in the Three Colors trilogy, RED, is deceptively simple, yet it rounds out everything that came before in an enlightening way. It slightly resembles THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE in its theme of fraternity, and in its casting of Irene Jacob, who manages to exude a sense of curious innocence and integrity. She interprets the role of Valentine, a young Swiss model and student living in Geneva and experiencing a kind of emotional limbo as she awaits her boyfriend's return from England. Through a seemingly trivial twist of fate, she encounters a cynical retired judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who leads a lonely, world weary existence and eavesdrops on his neighbors' telephone conversations. Initially she finds his detached indifference appalling, and wants to report him, but her compassionate nature enables her to comprehend the greater plight of the man, one of leading a fruitless, lovelorn life. They form a touching friendship, and this sets the stage for another turn of events. Auguste (Jean-Pierre Lorit) is young judge who is in many ways a mirror image of Trintignant's character. He lives near Valentine, but through possible lack of synchronicity, they never meet. Upheavals in his life are accordingly similar to the old judge's, but this time, due to the presence of the noble Valentine, an old adversity can be turned on its side, bringing fulfillment for everyone.

With Red, there is a real sense of culmination unlike any other. Wistful, melancholy, yet life-affirming, the film offers hope in world full of supposed mistaken paths. Tritignant remarked on Kieslowski's talents in augmenting the emotions of the actors through his technique: "I'm very pleased with my work on this film - and I don't think it had a lot to do with me. For example, at the end of the film when my character goes to the window, looks outside, and starts to cry - I couldn't do it, I couldn't summon the tears. I tried to make myself cry but couldn't manage it. Krzysztof called the make-up lady who shot menthol into my eyes. We shot the scene and Krzysztof said 'It's good, next shot.' Recently I saw the finished film. I waited anxiously for this scene. And I cried when I saw myself."

Tritignant's nuanced portrayal is augmented by equally good work from Jacob who bears insight into her role as well: "Something really great about RED are the 'non-encounters' between Auguste and Valentine. They pass each other without ever meeting. They might be great for each other but they never meet. It reminds me of THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE where the two identical Veroniques are face to face but don't see each other. In RED this idea is reflected by the way Valentine can't face up to her life, her love, her sorrows. How can Auguste see her, or she him? How can they both release themselves from this blindness?"

The uplifting aura of this film shines even brighter given the pettiness with which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brushed it off. Due to the fact that is a multinational co-production, with a Polish director, mixed Swiss and French cast and crew, Red was not allowed to compete for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar as a film from Switzerland. Indeed, the trilogy itself is without a country as it transcends borders and even culture in its solemn inquiry into human nature and that is a prize in itself.

Trilogies are very interesting. Some go out with a bang (Lord of the Rings), some get progressively weaker (The Matrix), some get lost in obscurity (Blade, Back to the Future), but some maintain the genius, that seemingly ever-growing bright light that floats beyond the surface of its flawless exterior. Case and point: "Three Colors Trilogy". This chapter in the trilogy, being the last one, is the most philosophical and thought-provoking. In "Blue" we had a more visually stunning, more character-driven plot, in "White" it was more of a light hearted, narrative-driven story where we listen more to what the characters say than anything. "Red", however is focused on the "what ifs" and "how comes". It questions our own fate and focuses mainly on the past and the future than the present.

This chapter is about a young model who runs over a dog and brings him back to his owner. She soon finds out that the owner of the dog is actually a cynical retired judge who spies on his neighbors' phone calls through advanced spying equipment. All three films in the trilogies have very basic plot lines, but bring a lot more to the story. Consider in "Blue", the story of a woman dealing with the loss of her loved ones. We are constantly shown ideas about the contemporary French society and how that reflects the character's behavior. "Red" is not only about a young woman who finds shelter in an older man's life, but it is also about chance, hope, and fate.

Irene Jacob stars as Valentine Dussaut, who at first finds the old man (Jean-Louis Trintignant), whom we never find the name of, extremely self-centered and disgusting. Though through self reflective analysis, and her voyeuristic intentions, she learns that the judge would be the perfect man for her, if only he was 40 years younger. Irene lives across from another, younger judge, who highly resembles the old man. This is the "what if" that keeps circling in the movie. What if Irene were born 40 years ago? The old man would have been her perfect match. But what if the younger judge is actually her perfect match, since he so closely resembles the older one. Valentine doesn't know this, only we do, and Krzysztof Kieslowski subtly suggests this in almost every frame which Irene is in. We are constantly smacked in the face with his presence, as almost a suggestion of Irene's fate.

I mention that the old man does not have a name for a reason. That reason is because it is very symbolic to the overall theme in the story. We are to compare the old judge to Auguste (Jean-Pierre Lorit), the younger judge, in more than one way. We learn that the old man once had someone he loved but she got away. In another scene, we see Auguste heartbroken as the love of his life gets away with another man. There are constant reminders of whether or not Valentine will ever meet this man. Even though they pass each other without noticing every single day. There is also the motif of the telephone, to Valentine it is a way of keeping sane and updating her life, to Auguste it is what leads to his heartbreak, and to the old man, it is the only thing he has left. These three elements serve to shadow the characters own psychology. It is a sort of statement about what they are and who they are.

All three "Colors" films stand for a certain principle, most common in France. "Blue" stands for Liberty (the personal being), "White" stands for Equality (being accepted by more than one), and "Red" is Fraternity (to socialize, to learn). And although this final chapter is an obvious focus on the Fraternity principle, Kieslowski makes sure he brings in the other two as well, in order to connect all three stories. For example, we see the old man trying to reach out to Valentine and enlighten her with his spy equipment, which is a reflection of the Equality principle. We also see near the end that Valentine is doing some soul searching and that she's more concerned about herself than others (not picking up the phone when Michel calls), a clear example of Liberty. And with all three principles established, Kieslowski nicely connects all of the characters as well, in the final and most heartfelt scene.

"Red" is about where you could have been if you were older or younger. It is about whether or not there is someone completely perfect for everyone, and whether or not one person can change your life. The final chapter in the most awe-inspiring trilogy ever made, this film breaks barriers in both directing and storytelling. It is not only about our modern life, but about where life could and should be in our modern time. And although the movie is more subtle than both "Blue" and "White", it boldly exclaims a statement of love and compassion.

It's hard to imagine that "Red" was Kieslowski's last film, and that he died at such a young age. Nevertheless, the trilogy will always be his masterpiece and we will always remember him for his work that ranks right up with Bergman, Fellini, and Wenders as a truly remarkable director who's never been awarded with an Oscar. Kieslowski, you have been missed!

See Three Colors: Blue and Three Colors: White. They are both wonderful films and will give an added dimension to the finale Three Colors: Red. Red is a fantastic film. It can be enjoyed in a single viewing, and indeed, the climax of the film is very powerful in that first viewing. But, watch it again. Once you understand the use of symbolism and character parallels in this movie, you will see new things with each viewing. With the first viewing you understand that the film is the work of a brilliant mind. With each additional viewing, you find yourself discovering that it is, in fact, a work of genius. Red is meant to symbolize fraternity in the French flag. The story turns the theme of fraternity around to be viewed at angles one would never suspect. The facets of fraternity shared by the different characters is as deep as you care to peer. If you are used to the blatant "symbolism" in most mass films, you may find Red a bit slow. You may find yourself looking at a screen filled with intensity that you do not fathom... and yawning, wonder what all the excitement is about. This is not a mindless, vicarious experience. Everything is not explained to you. You must think as you watch. You must see... not simply look. Wonderful movie... one meant to be enjoyed by a wonderful moviegoer.

"Red" is a collection of carefully and masterly shot scenes connected between themselves by a weak plot.

Each scene is pleasant to watch and the acting is great. My objection is that characters lack density and the way they interact is far from clear. Moreover each subplot is either sketchy or implausible. Let me mention two main examples: the relationship of Valentine and her boyfriend; the attitudes and activity of the retired judge. The lot of insufficiently crafted coincidences does not help, either. Towards the end, the shipwreck works less as a contribution to a dramatic solution than it evokes a comic character of Aunt Julie and the scriptwriter (a novel by Vargas LLosa, where a failed, crazed writer of radio serials, unable to find an appropriate epilogue, decides to drown all the main characters by sinking a ship with them on board). The film is thus built around a handful of symbols whose pertinence to the story being told is arbitrary and needs explanation.

In conclusion, the film leaves you with a first positive impression but this does not stand up to closer scrutiny.

The final part of Kieslowski's trilogy based on the colors of the French flag finds the director at peace with the metaphysical and transcendent nature of the cinematic image. In Red, imagery is paramount, as well as the obvious but clever color coding. However, rather than adhering to empty aesthetic contrivances based on the 'cinema du look', Kieslowski's Red is a multi-layered, densely plotted meditation on the nature of fate and love. In Red, love and fate are intertwined but complex notions, dictated as much by the whims of human beings as the invisible parallel associations that seems to pass us by. You sense Red is really an allegory, a reenactment of Prospero's omnipresent gestures in The Tempest, yet it is more than its story appears. Red demands countless viewings, and in each viewing something new is discovered that weaves itself into the already immaculately plotted structure.

Although Red stands alone as a masterwork from Kieslowski, it's best viewed as part of the trilogy. Elements of Blue and White are referenced in Red, which knowing viewers will enjoy.

Reasonably Intriguing, but slow-moving with a trite ending.

The third movie in Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy. Each movie is separate and doesn't feature characters from the previous one(s) (except at the end of Red, but it made no difference to the story and was essentially Kieslowski showing off).

The first, Blue, was engaging and mostly reasonably interesting. Doesn't end very well, but getting to the end was an interesting journey.

White, however, doesn't have that same level of engagement or interest. Starts off okay, develops slowly and without a sense of direction, then all of a sudden you have some fairly bizarre and implausible twists. Then it ends. Even more unsatisfactory ending than Blue.

Red is marginally better than White. Was reasonably intriguing, but none of that intrigue ultimately goes anywhere. I was hoping for an exploration on themes like privacy, or a Conversation-like thriller, but the first one was only touched on and the second never materialized. Instead we have a lot of pretentious talking, about nothing that significant. Moves very slowly.

Some interesting themes are explored, especially fate and coincidence, but in a very heavy-handed and obvious fashion.

Plus, the ending just seems predictable. Throw in Kieslowski throwing in a few characters from Blue and White, just because he can, and it just feels very trite.

I feel at a loss, so brilliant is this film. Kieslowski is a writer, a philosopher; and while an excellent filmmaker, his greatness lies in his writing; and "Red" is his paradigm. This film is a metafictional study of the artist's judgement in the creation of his fictional world; of how an artist can attempt to remake life -- even his own -- thru his art, even as he cannot escape the knowledge that, no matter how he involves himself in his story, it is still fiction and he is still outside of his remade world, still burdened with its unreality and the reality of the life he has tried to artistically remake. And magically, all of this is not to the smallest degree at the expense of a wonderful story about the mysteries of love and fate and the characters who live out this story, this pre-judged destiny. If I had to choose, I might nominate this the greatest film ever made.

I'm surprised how this movie got amazing reviews and was declared a masterpiece. The main lead's acting was not convincing at all. I couldn't imagine her as a real model and her facial expressions were too fake for the naive, compassionate character she was supposed to play. The dialogue was total cliche, the story was plain boring. It was nothing I haven't seen before. Someone commented they felt alive while watching the movie. I could feel I was slowly dying! My last hope was that the movie doesn't go too far into serving the older-aged male director's cliche of connecting a young and pretty female character to a much older, wise, male character but it did anyway. I gave a six because the camera and the acting from the male lead was good. It was still a very disappointing watch overall.

I'm afraid I'm going to be the sole contrarian among all other critics and users here. Not only do I think that Red is the weakest of the Three Colors trilogy, I think it's a weak film overall. The rebirth of Valentine and the judge felt a bit weak and was let down by the actress' bland disposition. I suppose her forgiving nature is what led her to form a friendship with the judge but when she often seems as disinterested as he (and even comparable to the melancholy in Blue), it makes for a disaffected narrative. The side story of the young law students whose life parallels the judge's life story didn't add much beyond repetition masquerading as profundity. Hey, at least someone helped the bottle into the recycling bin this time.

One of my favorite films of all time. With beautiful cinematography and a story that ties the previous Kieslowski films ("Blue" and "White") together. The film introduces us to Valentine (played by the glowingly real Irene Jacob), a beautiful and innocent Swiss model and student, who at first glance seems to be happy until one night she accidentally runs over a dog. The dog belongs to a retired old Judge who finds fulfillment in listening to his neighbors telephone calls via wavelength radio. Valentine is at first disgusted and pities him in his own self-pity and despair. But as the Judge and Valentine get to know one another a strange, but fateful bond begins to form. As a subplot, a handsome young Judge named Auguste (who lives across the street from Valentine) has experiences that are exactly like those of the Old Judge! Experiences that will soon lead Auguste into Valentine and into a reunion with characters from the French flag colors trilogy.

I loved the love story withing a love story plot and the mystery that resolves the characters that eventually fate takes a hand and lead them to each other. Irene Jacob is absolutely lovely in the role of Valentine. Her large brown eyes seem to echo this innocence and curiosity that is both passionate and touching. It's a film that asks us to watch out for the signs that will soon lead us to our destinies. A very intriguing film and a movie lover's dream.

"Three Colours: Red" is an out-of-body movie experience. It is the third on the masterful Krzystof Kieslowski's powerful and original Three Colours trilogy, and it is the best. I've never seen a film like it. It is a masterpiece. See this movie. Who says foreign cinema is boring? This film is riveting! There is too much in this movie to begin making comments. I reckon this is the best film of the 90s(although I heven't seen Goodfellas or Pulp Fiction). It is JUST underneath "Citizen Kane". I love it! I recommend it to anyone in the right age! Kieslowski was one of the most original directors of all time. Such a shame that this, his finest work, was his last.

Its my favourite film because there's so much going on that you don't see at first and so many things that make you wonder "Did Kieslowski mean that or is it in my head?" For instance - is the judge meant to be God or some supreme being ?

Also Irene Jacob as in The Double Life Of Veronique is outstanding, there may be a few superficially prettier actresses but none who manage to convey beauty of spirit with physical beauty the way she does.

Tritingnant also is magnificent without really saying much and the things he does say are excellent such as his answer to Valentine . . . "Be".

If you want to watch just one Krzysztof Kieslowski movie, this is the one to recommend. It deals with the brotherhood theme, loosely speaking. A bit contrived and pretentious, it delivers. It is a touching masterpiece which rounded the trilogy perfectly.

Valentine Dussaut (Irène Jacob) is a young model in Geneva. She accidentally run over a dog. The dog's owner is retired judge Joseph Kern (Jean-Louis Trintignant). He seems unconcerned and Valentine takes the dog to the vet. The dog returns to Kern where Valentine discovers that he eavesdrop on his neighbors' phone calls. Meanwhile Auguste Bruner and his girlfriend Karin are on one of those phone calls as his life intertwines with Valentine.

I'm sure that I missed one hundred different things in this movie. The interconnections are fascinating. I do want more energetic life from the movie. It's a bit slow. I would have prefer Kern's story be reenacted rather than just simply told. The connections are poetic. My biggest suggestion is to watch the trilogy in order.

You hurt a dog when out driving when distracted, you find the owner but he's totally refracted, an eavesdropper, retired judge, set in his ways and cannot budge, you are appalled at how his life is being enacted. Your encounter leads to more as you connect, get the chance to interact and to inspect, events unfold and the judge changes, adjusts the focus of his ranges, to each other there's a noticeable effect.

It's a wonderful performance from Irène Jacob in a multithreaded tale of friendship and connection. As with Blue, you can spin any number of interpretations from the symbolism and imagery, and will quite probably come to any number of conflicting conclusions. The whole trilogy wraps itself up at the close and might allow you to tie off a few loose ends, or may leave you with more.

A long time ago, between 1998-2000 i think, i watched THREE COLORS BLUE and THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE. I didn't like them. I intend to revisit them though because i was really young and maybe i was not as emotionally mature as it required, in order to appreciate movies like them. However, i've been watching art movies all of my life. I usually appreciated them even though i was young. So, there is a possibility that Kieslowski movies are not exactly to my liking.

In any case, i believe RED is a good movie. I was not that impressed during the first 20 minutes but as it unfolded, it became more interesting, dare i say, exciting. Great acting, a unique story, nice cinematography. I couldn't guess where it goes, story took some unpredictable turns and there was even a mystery element. At the ending, it was even touching.

Still, this is definitely not a masterpiece. This 100/100 rating at METACRITIC is a joke. This is no CASABLANCA/SOLYARIS/DOGVILLE/WUTHERING HEIGHTS etc. Ending was touching as i said but awkward too. This movie has not much depth or substance in order to justify the definition of a MASTERPIECE. This is a forgettable movie even though there were some beautiful scenes. A young naive woman and a cynical old man, come on, this is trite.

Still, it's a good drama that every cinephile should watch.

For years I've been running around in countless music stores searching for a record of that fantastic composer Van den Budenmayer, maybe even the actual record Valentine bought for the old judge in "Red". Only after reading the credits here at IMDB, I discovered that the name is just an alter ego for Zbigniew Preisner, who is also in charge of the musical score in some of Kieslowski's other films. Nevertheless, it is still great music that supports the story told by the movie very well.

British critics were always envious as to how French cinema effortlessly made intelligent films containing a lot of talking. Three Colours: Red was directed and co-written by Polish Kieslowski and is set in Swiss Geneva. Although if you have ever been to Geneva Airport, there is an exit which takes you to French soil.

The film in his heart has two stories that could be interchangeable. Is it a story about the law student Auguste or the experiences of the judge in his younger days?

Valentine is a student and part time model living in Geneva, her boyfriend is in England. She runs over a dog and goes to see the owner, a retired cynical and aloof Judge. She discovers that he uses devices to eavesdrop on his neighbours phone conversations.

One of the neighbour's Karin is the girlfriend of Auguste, the law student who lives near Valentine's house. Although horrified by the Judge's actions she gets to know the Judge and they become friends.

This film was the last of the Three Colours Trilogy and it signifies Fraternity. The characters who are disparate are connected somehow. Auguste and Valentine are neighbours and so is the Judge and Karin. Judge's relationship with a past girlfriend mirrors the unravelling of Auguste's and Karin's.

By the end the characters mingle with some of the characters from the other two films. Kieslowski brings his films full circle.

It is a thoughtful film but it also has lots and lots of talking. Red plays a strong element in the design and cinematography, although it is well made, even elegantly constructed I did find the pace leaden.

I was told to watch this amazing film. I needed to evolve my tastes and appreciation for great film making. Well I do admit I lack an eye for great art. To me a paint splatter on canvas is just that. A piece of dog poo on the ground is also just that. Anyone who preaches to the untrained masses what art is would be the first to tell you that the Jesus image on a piece of toast is merely an illusion.

I did not find anything endearing about the characters in this film. The story is boring and nothing happens. I think there are 2 other films making up this trilogy but you can't pay me enough to watch them.

Unfortunately, count me in as one of those uneducated and un-evolved movie critics. This movie is Jesus toast I don't get the hype.