Blue

Krzysztof Kieslowski is regarded as one of the leading film makers of our time and after watching Blue, the first part of his trilogy ‘Trois couleurs’ (Three Colors), I understand why. The theme of the movie is Liberty - from personal sorrows and painful past - which is poignantly depicted in the life of Julie as she struggles to recover from the death of her husband and young daughter in a car accident. After her failed attempt to commit suicide, Julie starts afresh in a new environment leading an anonymous life. But past (her husband was a famous composer) keeps knocking on her door again and again. The unfinished compositions and the pregnant mistress of her husband pull her back into a life she desperately was running away from. In this process she discovers affection and a new cause which eventually gives her freedom to chart a different course from her past.

Juliette Binoche powerfully brings out the raw emotions of Julie, often relying on nothing more than deep melancholy eyes and unnerving silence. Kieslowski is a master of using music instead of dialogs (there are very few of them) in moving the story forwards. Some of the scenes, especially the one in which Julie hears her husband’s music while swimming, are absolutely hair raising. The delicate screenplay and soul touching photography truly make this movie stand apart. One of the better once I have seen in a long time.