Kieslowski Korner: Three Colors Trilogy

[JosephDaley 26]

I feel like I'm in the insurgent minority among the listenership of the show who proudly and adamantly advocates for more diverse types of films being considered for Canonization, at least when I'm not puffing up my chest and being an all around blowhard over the acceptance of genre filmmaking, and in general I do tend to be overly impassioned when defending the things that I love. But, many listeners in the recent battle and discussion of/for the prospective induction and Canonization of Stuart Gordon's 'Re-Animator' (Proudly and declaratively still a YES) has helped me to see that we have a lot of ground yet to cover with The Canon, and one of those areas that has yet to really be trudged through is World Cinema. A moment ago I put forward and suggested a battle royale between two perennial classics from Chinese auteur Wong Kar-wai, and now I'd like to submit another suggestion: Krzysztof Kieslowski and his crowning cinematic achievement, 'Three Colors'.

 

I feel like I'm apart of an even slimmer minority of folks who've taken the journey through the cinema of Kieslowski, and I find that to be a downright shame. Like Wong Kar-wai, Kieslowski is one of the finest filmmakers in film history, and he deserves to be Canonized. No better way to do that than to take a look at his finest cinematic achievement.

 

[HoldenMartinson 221]

As I mentioned at the top of the indulgence picks thread, Kieślowski is among my favorite filmmakers. Devin has mentioned The Decalogue on a couple of occasions, but you could do almost any of his films. I'd go with the Three Colors trilogy, but I'd also submit The Double Life of Veronique, No End, and Blind Chance. Again, both Short Film expansions on the adultery and murder episodes of The Decalogue are up for discussion. Maybe a three-way versus of the trilogy? The only problem is that this would devolve into Red versus Blue. But yeah. His films are legitimately watchable, textually dense, and brutally human works of filmmaking.

[Ryan L 57]

I watched Blind Chance in my film course about narrative (we also watched films like Abre Los Ojos, Roshomon, Run Lola Run, Momento, and Citizen Kane to analyze atypical structures). I'd be interested in doing a single film Kielowski episode so people can discover his films rather than a versus where people might not of seen either and would just go in totally blind. I think one of the Three Colors films might be good for that since they're relatively well known internationally and would thus get a fair criticism shake whereas I think we have a habit auto-inducting the international fare. Not saying they don't belong in the Canon, but I don't want the episode to be a formulity (like Citizen Kane would be). This is also why a Kirosawa would be great and get a fare shake (I'd love a remake versus between Yojimbo and A Fistful).

[JosephDaley 26]

I have to admit.... It would turn into Red versus Blue, but White is the film I return to more and more. It's the fun one, and Red is the one that feels the most lush and sexual. Blue just leaves me so devastated, but it is probably the slam dunk if there ever was one. I've seen the Short Film expansions but not every episode of the series proper. I adore Short Film About Love. Killing, I'm less warm too, but I still greatly respect it. Perhaps a single episode for Kieslowski with just one film to talk about would be better for people who aren't familiar... Perhaps like the Satyajit Ray episode?

 

Which movie if you did only one? To mirror the Apu Trilogy, we could do Blue? That would be a slam dunk, personally I want all Three. I would never let in just Fellowship of the Ring, for instance.

[JosephDaley 26]

Also... Blind Chance.... Such an unnerving experience right at first, but I do really love that movie too. Also also... Kurosawa episode is a must, I don't think that would be a slam dunk though. If it were Seven Samurai, I think it would be by reputation alone, but I've noticed that a lot of my friends who love movies and the group that I manage out here in the Midwest, which is at something like a 107 members, with like 36-42 continually active members, really haven't explored Kurosawa beyond Seven Samurai or The Hidden Fortress. I just feel like Devin and Amy won't get to Seven Samurai until after they do an episode with one of Kurosawa's non-Jidaigekis. Or am I crazy?! Also, Kenji Mizuguchi episode would be lovely. I know everyone would love to put forward Ugetsu, but I'd love to hear them spar it out over one of his lesser known films like Utamaro and His Five Women

[HoldenMartinson 221]

Which movie if you did only one? To mirror the Apu Trilogy, we could do Blue? That would be a slam dunk, personally I want all Three. I would never let in just Fellowship of the Ring, for instance.

I'd love to do all three as one, but if I had to pick one, I think I'd nominate Red. It's a film that encapsulates most themes across Kieślowski's filmography. Which makes sense. It is, after all, hisfilm about unification--hence its core theme of "fraternité." That said, I looooooooove Blue, and would happily vote that sucker in.

 

Also... Blind Chance.... Such an unnerving experience right at first, but I do really love that movie too. Also also... Kurosawa episode is a must, I don't think that would be a slam dunk though. If it were Seven Samurai, I think it would be by reputation alone, but I've noticed that a lot of my friends who love movies and the group that I manage out here in the Midwest, which is at something like a 107 members, with like 36-42 continually active members, really haven't explored Kurosawa beyond Seven Samurai or The Hidden Fortress. I just feel like Devin and Amy won't get to Seven Samurai until after they do an episode with one of Kurosawa's non-Jidaigekis. Or am I crazy?! Also, Kenji Mizuguchi episode would be lovely. I know everyone would love to put forward Ugetsu, but I'd love to hear them spar it out over one of his lesser known films like Utamaro and His Five Women

Blind Chance is great. If I'm ranking Kieślowski films, it falls a little lower, but I adore this film. Would love to hear an episode on it.

 

As for Kurosawa, I agree. Maybe do one of his lesser-known films. Utamaro and His Five Women are great. Like I said on the Kurosawa thread, my pick would be Stray Dog, which is my favorite of his films. I'd also put up High and Low, and Drunken Angel. He has such a diverse filmography, and has so many terrific films. There's a Ran versus Throne of Blood thread around here, as a Shakespeare adaptation faceoff suggestion. That'd be cool. Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, Red Beard, Rashomon, and Yojimbo are all great, but I'd rather start elsewhere as well.