Drei Farben - Weiß

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.

White is the fabric of a bride, chaste and pure at the outset of her marriage; later it is the flash of an orgasm in the dark; and then .... But any more said of the instances of white in this film might spoil it for the first-time viewer. Unlike Three Colors: Blue, White is a more plot-oriented movie, with two main characters to Blue's one. And this is as it should be. Blue's theme of Liberty, the first word of France's motto, is an individual's principle, while White's theme of Equality, the French motto's second word, requires at least two people. The central quest for liberty is personal; the struggle for equality is fundamentally social. White is the most conventional of the three Color films, and while it is still one of my ten top films of 1994, I rate it an 8, slightly less than the highly visual Blue and the mind-bending Red.

Your pretty wife, has decided to divorce, as you're impotent and not hung like a horse, your debit card is taken, your lost, lonely, forsaken, and you're feeling rather low, full of remorse. A chance encounter gets you back to your homeland, to Poland where you hatch the perfect plan, to avenge all of the strife, from your uncaring ex-wife, and make you feel like you're actually a man.

Karol Karol goes from zero to hero as he takes his life from the depths of despair to the heights of a wealthy and successful businessman, in order to exact his cunning revenge on the wife that belittled and scorned him. A little bit daft and wholly unimaginable but mildly entertaining in a comical kind of way.

While 'Three Colours: White' may be the weakest of Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colours Trilogy", that is in no way saying that it is a bad film (to me it was actually still an extremely good one) and that it's testament to the trilogy's consistently high overall quality.

'Three Colours: White' could have been a little longer to give more development to the two leads' relationship and to Julie Delpy's character perhaps, and there are a couple of parts that do strain credibility. On the whole though, it is an entertaining, sad and thought-provoking examination of equality and revenge with a story detailing love on the rocks and the aftermath of Poland's Communist Regime.

Again it is very symbolic, especially in the linking to the protagonist's past (this time with a coin and a Marianna plaster bust) and again the recycling of bottles that ties in with the film's main theme of equality. This symbolism is this said intriguing and visually arresting, instead of being incoherent, one may not get the significance of it at first but reading up about the film and analyses of it has proved to be tremendously insightful.

Visually, 'Three Colours: White' is every bit as visually stunning as the previous film 'Three Colours: Blue'. The scenery is intentionally not flattering but at the same time it is also affectionate, and the film is exquisitely shot with the use of colour bold and striking. The music is not quite as symbolic as in 'Blue', but is still very much inspired and cleverly used, with a dark jauntiness to match the blackly comedic nature of the film and also a little pathos to mirror the emotions of the protagonist.

Writing is of the true black comedy/dry humour kind, enough to make one laugh heartily and cry unashamedly, with plenty of funny and poignant moments as well as blunt and thought-provoking ones. Kieslowski's direction is never intrusive.

Zbigniew Zamachowski excels par excellence in his tragicomic role, a very funny and nuanced turn. Julie Delpy's role is not as interesting, but she does bring a formidable edge and sensuality to it.

On the whole, the weakest of the trilogy but still extremely good. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Krzysztof Kieslowski's second installment in his "Three Colors" trilogy does not quite reach the greatness of his earlier or latter work, but is still a strangely interesting viewing experience that ends up being a dominant success by its final act in spite of some shortcomings. "White" (representing equality to the French) plays more light-hearted than "Blue" or "Red". It is modern-day France and a Polish hairdresser (Zbigniew Zamachowski) and his amazingly beautiful French wife (Julie Delpy) are going through a messy divorce due to Zamachowski's inability to perform sexually. The divorce crushes Zamachowski emotionally and financially. He is forced to leave France and go back to Poland, becoming a Metro beggar that has basically lost everything. However, with a little help, Zamachowski will get back up and vow revenge on the woman that ruined his life and took his self-dignity. Sometimes revenge can be sweet, but what happens when it does not necessarily accomplish what you had hoped? "White" is a little strange to the series. Its dark humor makes it stand out in an already unique set of films. The film is not near as emotional as "Blue" or near as rough as "Red". Instead it uses heart rather than thought at times to get its story across. This is not a bad thing, but it is just an odd chapter for Kieslowski. My least favorite of the trilogy (not saying I don't still like the movie very much), "White" still creates a tone that makes it a cinematic winner. Watch for Juliette Binoche (the greatest performer of the series) in what ends up being a cameo role. 4 stars out of 5.

I love the entire Three Colors trilogy, but "White" is my sentimental favorite because I sympathize so deeply with the hero. I've experienced the same kind of competitive, destructive love that drives Karol throughout this movie, and I'm also a nerdy schmuck like he is, so I found myself really commiserating with him.

Unfortunately, "White" has acquired a reputation as the weakest entry in the series. I think it's the odd one out, but certainly not the worst. It's the only one of the three that regularly stretches credibility (the plot twists are really wild), and the only one with a male protagonist, but it's also the most exciting of the films and, ultimately, the most disturbing. The ending in particular is a killer.

"Red" tinkers a bit with "White"; in fact, if I'm not mistaken, it entirely changes the resolution of this film for the worse. That's too bad. "White" works best on its own, as a pessimistic movie, without the more optimistic outlook of "Red" grafted on in retrospect. But since both films are so great on their own, I'm not too bothered by their failure to gel properly.