As a part of the Roncesvalles Polish Festival, the Revue Cinema is pleased to present the timeless Tricolor trilogy by Polish cinematic master Krzysztof Kieślowski.

Blue, White and Red, the glorious trilogy of French films from legendary Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski will be screening at The Revue during the Roncesvalles Polish Festival, September 16-18, thanks to the BIA’s sponsorship.

All three movies are essential viewing for lovers of international cinema. Using the three national colours of France, representing Equality, Liberty and Fraternity,Kieślowski, creates a thematically complex yet wholly accessible trilogy unlike any other series in cinema. Each film is unique and self-contained, but linked, each weaving in and out with grace. There’s no particular order in which they need to be seen.

Kieślowski specifically chose three different cinematographers to shoot his films, resulting in three distinct “looks.” Blue, as shot by Piotr Sobocinski, is dark and brooding, using predominantly blues (of course), but also deep yellows and noirish grey shadows concealing much of his frames. White is the least stylistic, a bright and traditionally composed imagery subordinate to the narrative, while Red is shot with a dreamy romantic effortless style, energetic and effervescent.

Blue (1993)

Blue, is the darkest of the the three films but also the most intimate and contained. After a tragic car accident, Julie (Juliette Binoche) is left a grieving widow and dodging questions from the media about her late husband’s (a renowned composer) unfinished concerto. Sequestering herself from the world and the emotional pain of her losses, she finds strange solace in a female companion of her husband’s.

Kieślowski represents Blue as Liberty, using the strange irony of Julie’s new friendship with the former illicit lover. This relationship frees her of her former life and allows her to become a new woman.

In keeping with Julie’s internalized emotions, Kieślowski employs a distinctly abstract and impressionistic cinematic style. As shot by Slawomir Idziak, Blue is bathed in deep blues and yellows absorbing light and constraining his world in shadows and darkness. Unlike the complex plotting of Red, Blue is sparse, fueled by mood and texture and the brooding emotions of it’s heroine. The result is intoxicating.

White (1994)

Usually billed as the ‘comedy’ of the three films, White, is Kieślowski at his most affable, but also most cruel. The unusual setup, after the supremely absurd opening scene, shows the complete destruction of his lead character Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), a Polish immigrant who stands agape in a courtroom where his wife  is divorcing him for his inability to consummate their marriage. What shame. The casting of Julie Delpy, normally portrayed as sweet and innocent fanciful girl in other pictures, aids in disarming us to her cruelty and selfishness toward Karol.

After a series of other mishaps, Karol, at his lowest moment meets another Polish ex-pat who asks Karol to kill him as a favour, in exchange for money. Through this random association (a strong theme across all the films) we see Karol builds his life and career back up to the point where he is wealthy and successful and finally ready to exact revenge on his cruel ex-wife, who left him so many years ago.

Within this noirish black comedy set up Kieślowski presents a sharp political allegory to Poland’s post communist-era financial troubles with the rest of Europe. As an immigrant in a strange land, Karol’s inability to intergrate into French society causes him to resort to underground illegal means to achieve his success, which echoes the rise of Eastern European crime in the 90’s and beyond. With nothing to lose, Karol exploits the tenets of the free market capitalist mentality to become a self-made entrepreneur fueled by his deep rooted desire to destroy his opponents – in this case his equally diabolical (though gorgeous) ex-wife.

Red (1994)

While it’s painful to even consider ranking these films, arguably Red is the standout picture, the last of the Three Colours films, garnering Kieślowski two Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. Portraying the theme of Fraternity, Kieślowski puts us in the shoes of Valentine (Irene Jacob), a model, who, while driving home from a photoshoot, accidently hits a dog. Her compassion for the animal causes her to seek out her owner, thus sparking a remarkable journey of discovery and resolution of her own inner anguish.

Red is the most romantic of the three film; hence, the use of that colour prominently throughout. Yet, Kieślowski’s heroine never experiences love. We can feel love in the air, like God almighty moving his chess-piece characters around to be in a position to fall in love, or at least release themselves from their fates. Such is the happenstance meeting of Valentine and Kern, the dog’s sad owner, who spends his days listening in on his neighbour’s conversations. Kern’s emotional reconciliation is brought out by Valentine’s gentle innocence.

As with the other two films Kieślowski uses coincidence and chance to express his themes of existence, love, repentence and forgiveness. Kieślowski’s use of parallel narratives which twist and turn within one another and even, however obliquely, double-back through the other films of the trilogy gloriously connects all three characters as one form of human conscience. Red is ellipitical without being self-consciously clever. It glorious finale to this landmark series.

No shows booked at the moment.

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The Revue Cinema is located at 400 Roncesvalles Avenue, just south of Howard Park Avenue.

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Don’t miss the Toronto Polish Film Festival, coming October 21-23, 2011 and presented by Ekran.