Three Colors: Blue (Trois couleurs: Bleu) poster & wallpaper

Juliette Binoche, Benoit Regent, Florence Pernel

First of a trilogy of films dealing with contemporary French society concerns how a composer deals with the death of her husband and child.

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93% liked it

31,172 ratings

R, 1 hr. 40 min.

Directed by: Krzysztof Kieslowski

Release Date: September 3, 1993

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DVD Release Date: March 4, 2003

Stats: 1,847 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,847)

  • flixsterman
    June 6, 2009
    flixsterman
    Krzysztof Kieslowski's masterful statement on French society and one woman's struggle to come to terms with the loss of her husband and child. Juliette Binoche gives a mesmerizing performance as a character who, through the process of grief, reconciles her life. Five stars (bec...( read more)ause Flixster won't let me give it six).
  • dreamfaeries
    October 6, 2008
    dreamfaeries
    It was an okay movie but very slow. I had to watch it in segments to keep from getting too bored.
  • emerson17
    September 23, 2008
    emerson17
    Behind the low-cost façade, rests a discreet masterpiece waiting in the gloom. Behind the false flatness of the narrative lie a handful of mysteries. And when this soft dedication hopefully unveils its true nature, a blinding rain of neon tubes dazzles our sleepy eyes.
  • her69eyes
    July 10, 2008
    her69eyes
    I wasn't quite sure what to make of "Blue" for about the first half of the film. Aesthetically, it was absolutely beautiful and the cinematography was just so wonderful... but, it's so off the wall! Today, "innovation" is defined by these incredibly leaps of style in films that m...( read more)ay look pretty, but completely leave the viewer unsatisfied. However, among many things in the film, the subtle "fade to black mid-scene" technique Kieslowski uses is one of the most powerful and unique transitions i've ever seen. And I haven't seen it since. This film is an absolute marriage of music and images, by the end it almost feels like you're watching some sort of music video. So, while I was not feeling my first taste of Kieslowski right away... i've got to say that right after it was finished I had to add a whole bunch of his work to my NetFlix queue. This was, in many ways, a masterpiece.

    Before the film starts, we get the impression that Julie (Juliette Binoche) had everything. However, shortly after, it's all taken away in a horrific car crash - leaving her husband and daughter dead. Her method of grief isn't exactly textbook. She sells her house, burns her composer husband's work, and takes off to live in seclusion. She becomes so intimately invested into her own small world - caring more about a sugar cube absorbing coffee than the people who are trying to be with her. This, the first of Kieslowski's "Three Color" trilogy, is about liberty - but not in a political sense, it's a completely personal liberty. However, in a way this becomes ironic. By becoming "free" and distancing herself from the world around her, she ends up more trapped than she was to begin with.

    Juliette Binoche delivers a completely memorable one-woman show. For a script that's fairly void of dialogue, Juliette is demanded to convey her emotions all through expression and body movement. Thankfully, she does a wonderful job. At times you feel horrible for her, such as at the beginning of the film. However, for a woman with such soft and delicate features, she certainly can be intimidating. We don't ever really like Julie all that much because she almost comes off as "rude" and "hard" to everyone, even when her actions are nice. For instance, there's a scene where she gives her house to her husband's mistress, and by her body language you'd think she was giving her nothing but a big sock in the nose. Her range is seemingly unlimited, and it at all times makes for a completely interesting and multi-dimensional character.

    Two men that should be held on an equal level to Juliette's contributions are Krzysztof Kieslowski and director of photography Slwomir Idziak. Kieslowski almost comes off as a madman in his obsession for perfection. There's a special feature on the DVD in which he explains that they had to search for a sugar cube that would absorb coffee in exactly 5 seconds - nothing else would do. 8 seconds is far too long. This attention to specific detail, matched with interesting and beautiful shots by Idziak, is an absolutely wonderful combination. The scenes in the pool are some of the most visually stunning images you'll ever see.

    Color, of course, is a big factor in this film. And well, you guessed it, blue is the main player. Blue seems to work it's way into every frame, and it's always a dominating color. While this may seem like a hindrance to the film or some sort of "gimmick", it's actually very powerful. Not only does it constantly remind us of "liberty", blue's calming nature makes this film almost come off as a meditation. Between the deep blues, classical music, and completely smooth and fluid editing it really takes you into the film's world. This is completely enveloping.

    For a film that's simply about coping with the loss of a loved one, this is surprisingly original and and at all times unique. This is such an intimate character study, however the beauty of it is that we never feel we're "inside" the main character. We get her, and we get why she's doing what she's doing - but at all times we feel like we're on the outside. It's a film that's incredibly personal and quiet, but distances itself from the viewer to the point where it becomes more of an exploration of human nature more than a melodramatic narrative. I cannot wait to see "White" and "Red".
  • kenstachnik
    July 9, 2008
    kenstachnik
    A movie of immense emotional power. Binoche gives her finest performances in this tale of loss, grief and rebirth.
  • blacksheepboy
    November 10, 2009
    blacksheepboy
    Blue is a painful incursion into heavy suffering and grief, making this curious bridge between sorrow (blue) and emotional liberty (the blue colour of the French flag), and Binoche is wonderful as a woman torn by lost.
  • speedymymy
    November 4, 2009
    speedymymy
    Les plans de caméra sont captivants et le jeu des acteurs est génial!!
  • aniacel
    October 31, 2009
    aniacel
    Interesting and moving
  • sabrinagramos
    October 28, 2009
    sabrinagramos
    Such sharp detail: textures, patterns, everything sounds and looks so purposeful and crisp-- all the objects, all the little maneuvers. This is good in my opinion, this intensity of intentionality.... It is why you watch Kieloowski's work in the first place
  • kunam88
    September 28, 2009
    kunam88
    gripping,and beautifully shot.but slow pace

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