Watch Three Colors: Blue

In Three Colors: Blue, French director Krzysztof Kieslowski explores the theme of liberty through the story of a woman named Julie, played by Juliette Binoche. Julie is a successful composer and wife to renowned composer Patrice de Courcy (Francois Berleand). When a car accident kills Patrice and the couple's daughter, Julie decides to cut all ties to her past life and start anew.

The film opens with a beautiful piece of music that is later revealed to be Julie's own composition. This music is the only thing that seems to console her in the aftermath of the tragedy. We see her trying to escape her old life in various ways - by selling her belongings, signing away her inheritance, and even attempting suicide. However, she is unable to fully disconnect from her past, particularly the memories of her daughter.

As Julie begins to put her life back together, she becomes entangled in the lives of others. First, there is Olivier (Benoit Regent), who was working on Patrice's final composition before his death. Julie is hesitant to help him complete the work, but eventually agrees and finds solace in the process. She also meets a man named Lucien (Zbigniew Zamachowski) who is a friend of Patrice's and was on his way to visit him when the accident occurred. Lucien is a bit of a scoundrel, but he becomes a source of comfort for Julie.

Throughout the film, Kieslowski uses color as a powerful visual motif. The blue of the title is omnipresent, from Julie's wardrobe to the lighting of many scenes. The use of blue creates a mood of melancholy and introspection, but also suggests a sense of calm and clarity. The other two films in the Three Colors trilogy, White (symbolizing equality) and Red (symbolizing fraternity) also use color to convey thematic ideas.

The performances in Three Colors: Blue are excellent, particularly that of Binoche. She carries the weight of the film on her shoulders, and is able to convey a range of emotions without ever resorting to sentimentality or histrionics. Her face often registers a subtle sadness, but there are also moments of joy and even humor.

The film also features a haunting score by Zbigniew Preisner, who had worked with Kieslowski on several previous films. The music is both mournful and uplifting, and plays a key role in the emotional impact of the movie. The use of Julie's own composition, with its recurring motif of a single note, is particularly effective.

At its core, Three Colors: Blue is a meditation on grief and the process of healing. Julie's journey is one of self-discovery, as she learns to live without her husband and daughter, and to find beauty and meaning in her life once again. The film also touches on themes of class, politics, and the role of the artist in society, although these are secondary to Julie's story.

Overall, Three Colors: Blue is a powerful and moving film that deserves to be seen by anyone who appreciates great cinema. Kieslowski's masterful storytelling and Binoche's unforgettable performance make it a true masterpiece.

Three Colors: Blue is a 1993 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8 and a MetaScore of 87.