NOTE: WE HAVE ONLY SEEN ONLINE SCREENERS

So film loving people. A note from the world of film reviewing. It is not easy, nor is it as rewarding as many a person, dreaming of being the next Ali Plumb, would believe. THREE COLOURS TRILOGY is a case in point. Curzon, the company releasing it, have been unable to deliver to us either the set (understandable as its £89,99) or links to the extras, art work etc. The films are Krzysztof Kieślowski undoubted masterpieces. Ones that Mark Cousins (name dropping wanker that I am) sung praise after praise about. Of course it is obvious that they celebrate the French ideals of Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. Exploring how in the 1990s, after the collapse of the Iron curtain, rising of consumer capitalism and loss of a singular identity, their relevance to the contemporary world. Kieślowski did have a moralist view of human nature, although it was more humanistic than he was credited with (yes indeed BFI friends). So to the films and I shall review the transfers and give a brief synopsis of each. Then a lovely rating for you.

THREE COLOURS BLUE

Julliette Binoche plays as Julie, the wife of a famous French composer. She has lost her husband and daughter in an automobile accident. However she survived it herself. While recovering in hospital, she tries and fails to commit suicide. After being released from hospital, she sets about destroying what remains of her husbands work. Julie, who is thought to have helped write much of her husband’s famous pieces, fragments as things progress. The best of the three films in terms of power and execution, it currently looks astounding in its 4K realisation. Kieślowski was a very visual storyteller, but magnetic on his encapsulation of character. Tonally, the film feels heavy, as it should but also marries the soundscape and visual reverberation well. I would have loved to see what essays had to add to the film here.

BLUE 9/10

THREE COLOURS WHITE

Now finally. Julie Delpy darkly comedic turn as wife Dominique to Polish barber Karol Karol. They attend a court case that appeared briefly in BLUE.  He finds out his wife does not love him, as he was unable to consummate the marriage. A divorce is granted, but somethings aren’t as simple as that to end. Funny in places, bleak in others, the 4k turn has less of an effect then you would expect or suppose. I do not feel that this is a ‘bad thing’, as the film is a feel thing. There are things to enjoy and for me, this is the easiest film (I wanted to see or read about others thoughts on this).

WHITE 7/10

THREE COLOURS RED

Irène Jacob is Valentine Dussaut. She is not only a University of Geneva student but a part-time model. Her possessive boyfriend is unhappy with her in many ways, but trying as he might, he is unable to control her from overseas. When he plans to meet her in London, this might be the start of another round of aggressive control. However, when she poses for an ad campaign, a photograph of her displaying sadness is chosen as the face of the product. This is the most rewarding, if not the most difficult of the three. I still prefer BLUE, for its askes existential questions but RED is a stand out film in anyone else’s biography. From a 4K perspective, taking the high detail and dense frame to new heights would be hard. The Curzon DVD of this is flat and soft, so this corrects all of those mistakes. But there is more. Definition, clarity and a feel like silk on the screen. Nice.

RED 8/10

Overall ,  three great films done as much justice as they likely will get now. It is not as good as the Criterion set but it certainly looks great from a box aesthetic and the 4K are often more of a revelation than other films, given the same polish.

• One 4K Ultra HD disc of each film: New 4K restoration presented in Dolby Vision HDR, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD sound, English & optional English SDH subtitles
• One Blu-Ray disc of each film with 5.1 surround DTS-HD sound and Special Features.
• Bonus Blu-Ray disc including 12 short films and more
• 5 Art cards each illustrated by a different artist
• 32 pages booklet including new interview with Julie Delpy
• Digipack and hardcover slipcase in a canvas Curzon Collection slipcase
• Design by Andrew Bannister

Three Colours Blu-Ray discs:

• Three cinema lessons with Krzysztof Kieślowski
• Interviews with Juliette Binoche, Julie Delpy, Irène Jacob, editor Jacques Witta & producer Marin Karmitz
• Making of & Cannes Featurette
• Theatrical Trailers

Bonus Blu-Ray Disc:

• 10 short films by Kieślowski: The Office (1966), The Tram (1966), Concert of Requests (1967), I Was a Soldier (1971), Factory (1971), Hospital (1977), Seven Women of Different Ages (1979), From a Night Porter’s Point of View (1979), Railway Station (1980), Talking Heads (1980)
• 2 Additional short films: The Musicians (1958), by Kieślowski’s teacher and mentor, The Face (1966), starring Kieślowski
• Still Alive: A Film About Krzysztof Kieślowski (Documentary, 2005)
• Slavoj Žižek on Krzysztof Kieślowski (extract from The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, 2005)
• In Search of Kieślowski: A Restoration Project (2021)