Three Colors: White (1994) User Reviews

The Battle for Equality.

[nycritic · 9/10 · 15 December 2005]

Imagine that the woman you love has successfully filed a claim against you, and that this claim has become so nasty the courts have awarded her all her freedom. In turn, however, all which you have worked for so hard has gone down the drain and a pair of scissors snip your access to monetary freedom, effectively making you a homeless person who can't even go back home.

Much more vicious than its predecessor, THREE COLORS: WHITE introduces us to this story of a marriage gone sour. Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), named so for his clear link to the Everyman we all know as Charlie Chaplin (the actor has a passing resemblance to the character) is the man in question, who has lost everything and in turn is marinating in two very different emotions: the desire to get even, but the need to get his wife Dominique (Julie Delpy) back.

The tone established in WHITE is fate. Even in its darker moments there is an element that something beyond the characters' control is making its way to an uncertain conclusion. I can see that in the scene when Karol meets Mikolaj (Janusz Gajos), an enigmatic man who passes him by and recognizes a song he is playing on a comb: their interaction under the streets of Paris feels almost preordained and it's not surprising when soon Mikolaj, a man with a secret, is helping Karol get back to Poland.

What is surprising is the way these events happen, but I will not reveal them because of two things: one of them has to do with a test of friendship that suddenly swings the film into high gear and liberates it from its moral heaviness seen in the first third of the film, and secondly, because Kieszlowski connects several disjointed scenes involving Dominique and Karol that will eventually reveal themselves not to be out of time or imagined but very real.

THREE COLORS: WHITE is all about the symbolic nature of the color inasmuch as 'equality'. At the beginning Karol is 'erased' from society. He has been whited out because he could not consummate his marriage. There is a gun fired, but it only has blanks. Dominique is a woman with a white-hot, destructive personality. White doves come into a scene where Mikolaj, an angel of sorts, saves Karol from a grim destiny, and the angelic face of love is the white bust that survives most of the film as Karol begins his plans to move against Dominique.

At the same time we have two moments of its position in the French flag that also come into play when seen as a trilogy. At the beginning, Karol's freedom (blue) is destroyed as his bank card is repossessed. Equality (white) shimmers in one particular scene in which Dominique achieves orgasm. In the closing, irony-filled sequences, Dominique is seen enveloped in lush red tones, which will establish the tone of the next film RED, fraternity.

White as a wedding gown, as a dove...

[JuguAbraham · 8/10 · 2 August 2002]

Ostensibly Kieslowski chose white of the French flag to make a movie on equality. Equality if it can be reached in marriage, makes it work. Marriage is rocked when an equilibrium is not reached. A dove can be caressed and be a symbol of peace and purity; a dove can defecate and dirty as well

White in the movie is used as an epiphany of the joyous moments in marriage. The doves are weaved in Kieslowski visually and aurally to accentuate the marriage as a rite of passage in life. He brings in the phrase "light at the end of the tunnel" towards the end of the film. There is another marriage, that of Mikolaj in the subplot that also survives in a strange way.

The film begins with divorce proceedings and ends with the wife signalling the reinstatement of the wedding ring on her finger. The film begins with husband recalling the wedding that has failed. The doves flying overhead unload excreta on him. Towards the end of the film, the husband again recalls the wedding as he sets off for the wife's prison.

Kieslowski's treatise on equality is based on marriage as a great leveller with the doves flutter captured on the soundtrack appearing as a frequent reminder of marital bonds. It even appears in the underground metro, an unlikely place if you have a logical mind. You have to throw away logic if you need to enjoy this film.

There are aspects of the film that are obviously unrealistic. Putting a grown man in a suitcase and letting the suitcase go through airport security is not feasible. Moreover, the director shows the heavy suitcase perched precariously on a luggage cart. Impossible to believe all these details.

But the deeper question is whether Kieslowski was using marriage as a metaphor for politics? There is the mention of the Russian corpse with the head crushed for sale, there is a mention of the neon sign that sputters...The name Karol Karol seems reminiscent of Kafka.

Sex in this film is not to be taken at face value. Impotence of Karol Karol at strategic points of the film is deceptive. He apparently does more than hair care for women clients at his hair care parlor in Poland (suggested, not shown). I have a great admiration for Polish cinema, having gown up watching works of Wajda and Zanussi. I met Kieslowski in 1982 when he attended an international film festival in Bangalore, India, promoting his film "Camera Buff," another film with Jerzy Stuhr, who plays Jurek in "White". I took note of "Camera Buff" but I could not imagine the director of "Camera Buff" would evolve into a perfectionist a decade later. Stuhr has been metamorphosed from a live wire in "Camera Buff" to an effeminate colleague of Karol Karol in "White". "White" is a carefully made work with support of other top Polish directors in the wings--Zanussi and Agniezka Holland.

Although the film is heavy in symbolism, it is also a parody. Karol Karol comes to kill with a blank bullet and a real one. Did he plan that out, when he did not know who he was going to shoot?

The performances are all brilliant--the good Polish, Hungarian, and Czech filmmakers extract performances from their actors that could humble Hollywood directors, because the stars are not the actors but the directors. Great music. Great photography. And a very intelligent script.

This is a major film of the nineties--providing superb wholesome entertainment and food for thought. The film deservedly won Kieslowski the "best director" award at the Berlin Film festival in 1994. It is sad for the world of cinema that Kieslowski is no longer with us.

"Three Colours Trilogy": Part 2

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 8 February 2017]

While 'Three Colours: White' may be the weakest of Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colours Trilogy", that is in no way saying that it is a bad film (to me it was actually still an extremely good one) and that it's testament to the trilogy's consistently high overall quality.

'Three Colours: White' could have been a little longer to give more development to the two leads' relationship and to Julie Delpy's character perhaps, and there are a couple of parts that do strain credibility. On the whole though, it is an entertaining, sad and thought-provoking examination of equality and revenge with a story detailing love on the rocks and the aftermath of Poland's Communist Regime.

Again it is very symbolic, especially in the linking to the protagonist's past (this time with a coin and a Marianna plaster bust) and again the recycling of bottles that ties in with the film's main theme of equality. This symbolism is this said intriguing and visually arresting, instead of being incoherent, one may not get the significance of it at first but reading up about the film and analyses of it has proved to be tremendously insightful.

Visually, 'Three Colours: White' is every bit as visually stunning as the previous film 'Three Colours: Blue'. The scenery is intentionally not flattering but at the same time it is also affectionate, and the film is exquisitely shot with the use of colour bold and striking. The music is not quite as symbolic as in 'Blue', but is still very much inspired and cleverly used, with a dark jauntiness to match the blackly comedic nature of the film and also a little pathos to mirror the emotions of the protagonist.

Writing is of the true black comedy/dry humour kind, enough to make one laugh heartily and cry unashamedly, with plenty of funny and poignant moments as well as blunt and thought-provoking ones. Kieslowski's direction is never intrusive.

Zbigniew Zamachowski excels par excellence in his tragicomic role, a very funny and nuanced turn. Julie Delpy's role is not as interesting, but she does bring a formidable edge and sensuality to it.

On the whole, the weakest of the trilogy but still extremely good. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Three Colors: Desire

[chaos-rampant · 17 March 2016]

Among user comments for this film, one claims the film is really about marriage, another assigns "stubborn spitefulness" to Delpy (she just wants her man to be able to get it on), or how it's about French society. Others seem to have taken Kieslowski at face value when he said that each film in the trilogy is inspired by the French republican motto and try to explain how this is the "egalite" film. Kieslowski may have coaxed funds from the French by giving them something they could buy into in a cultural way (he's pretty much said so) but we have no reason to rest there.

What makes this interesting is that the story such as you see it never really happened. Kieslowski makes a point to show us a man being flown to Poland in a suitcase, a hairdresser who is turned into a business mogul just like that, or why Delpy is locked up in prison with no evidence.

Blue was about memory, something that happened in the past and now resurfaces to color reality. This one is about imagined anticipation: desire. We have a marriage breaking apart, the courtroom bit is your anchor and probably the only safely real one. She used to love him until he couldn't get hard any more, but even this might be his own failure to save his marriage (a blow to male ego) taking shape as male impotence to consummate.

The rest of the film is wish-fulfillment fantasy where he pities himself as broke and homeless, endures all kinds of hardship until he picks himself up and becomes rich and powerful (that's virility for his male ego). He then watches her cry over his grave and stages his comeuppance after a night of giving her the best sex of her life of course.

This has all been the narrator's vindictive fantasy of a slighted ego. But love melts away this fantasy. He never leaves for Hong Kong as planned. He chooses to visit her in prison instead. Watching her through theater glasses from below, she motions to him about getting married again. It's all about a narrator living through the illusory reality that desire creates.

Compared to the other two in the trilogy, it comes out on the slight side, looking a bit like an episode from the Dekalog.

Conjugal wickedness that cries out for vengeance

[Aquilant · 8/10 · 29 April 2005]

WHITE IS THE COLOR OF DOMINIQUE'S WEDDING DRESS at the exit of the church, surrounded by the blazing whiteness of an overexposed background, full of subtle symbolisms imbued with hypnotic nuances. WHITE is the glimmer of the impending reflexes in the background of a lazy town buried under the snow. WHITE is the bust of a statue caressed as a memento of a love irremediably lost. WHITE is Dominique's final orgasm, a real scream of liberation from the yoke of her spiteful stubbornness, the false revenge of a woman unaware of her impending calamity, completely unacquainted with the bitter game of make-believe inspired by a wickedness that cries out for vengeance. According to Karol, the main character, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. His desire for revenge blows out his residual flickering flame of love after having suffered unforgivable affronts devised by his heartless wife.

"Trzy kolory: Bialy" (Three colors: White), second episode inspired to the three colors of the French flag and to the three principles of the French Revolution (Freedom, Equality and Fraternity), brings back to us two old acquaintances, Zbigniew Zamachowski (very similar to the pathetic Italian character Fantozzi,) and Jerzy Stuhr. It may be considered the most unforeseeable movie of the whole colors trilogy, full of sharp and witty tones of grotesque melodrama, with a reluctant and peevish Julie Delphy never seen so cold-mannered on the screen before. The inborn sense of Kieslovski's BLACK humor comes out here in all its might almost counterbalancing the concept of absolute WHITE connected with he story.

"Three colors: white" is very different from the other two episodes of the trilogy, but nonetheless the unmistakable touch of the genius can be generously found in the accurate care of the details, in the emotional intensity of the dialogs, in the careful analysis of the individual values, in his safe distance from the events represented by him, in his constant application of the principle of casualness and in his large use of metaphors (look for instance at the sequences of simultaneous flights of pigeons, symbolizing an open concept of freedom often cherished in his works). And Julie Delphy's following words sound as a sort of sincere homage to Kieslovski's art: "Kieslowski is a director who draws his inspiration from the true life of people, who instills his own soul into his movie, who dwells upon the details as if he wanted to examine the life under a microscope." Absolutely true. There is nothing else left to say: "Three colors: red" looms on the horizon.

my favorite of the trilogy

[dr_foreman · 10/10 · 6 July 2004]

I love the entire Three Colors trilogy, but "White" is my sentimental favorite because I sympathize so deeply with the hero. I've experienced the same kind of competitive, destructive love that drives Karol throughout this movie, and I'm also a nerdy schmuck like he is, so I found myself really commiserating with him.

Unfortunately, "White" has acquired a reputation as the weakest entry in the series. I think it's the odd one out, but certainly not the worst. It's the only one of the three that regularly stretches credibility (the plot twists are really wild), and the only one with a male protagonist, but it's also the most exciting of the films and, ultimately, the most disturbing. The ending in particular is a killer.

"Red" tinkers a bit with "White"; in fact, if I'm not mistaken, it entirely changes the resolution of this film for the worse. That's too bad. "White" works best on its own, as a pessimistic movie, without the more optimistic outlook of "Red" grafted on in retrospect. But since both films are so great on their own, I'm not too bothered by their failure to gel properly.

Levelling Up...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 6 February 2023]

Your pretty wife, has decided to divorce, as you're impotent and not hung like a horse, your debit card is taken, your lost, lonely, forsaken, and you're feeling rather low, full of remorse. A chance encounter gets you back to your homeland, to Poland where you hatch the perfect plan, to avenge all of the strife, from your uncaring ex-wife, and make you feel like you're actually a man.

Karol Karol goes from zero to hero as he takes his life from the depths of despair to the heights of a wealthy and successful businessman, in order to exact his cunning revenge on the wife that belittled and scorned him. A little bit daft and wholly unimaginable but mildly entertaining in a comical kind of way.

Kieslowski a masterful painter in Blue, White and Red: see all three!

[javold · 8/10 · 6 November 1999]

It is not only difficult to comment separately on the three parts of Kieslowski's trilogy, it seems obvious that the filmmaker wants us to do just the opposite: view them in order, Blue, White, and Red, and consider them together as one complete work. It is true they are distinct stories with distinct themes: liberty, equality, fraternity, and each them is developed with unique applications of intrigue and artistry. They are each well worth seeing independently, but I believe they are best seen as one work. Collectively, I would rate the trilogy as a 9; separately, I place each in my top ten for the years 1993 and 1994.

White is the fabric of a bride, chaste and pure at the outset of her marriage; later it is the flash of an orgasm in the dark; and then .... But any more said of the instances of white in this film might spoil it for the first-time viewer. Unlike Three Colors: Blue, White is a more plot-oriented movie, with two main characters to Blue's one. And this is as it should be. Blue's theme of Liberty, the first word of France's motto, is an individual's principle, while White's theme of Equality, the French motto's second word, requires at least two people. The central quest for liberty is personal; the struggle for equality is fundamentally social. White is the most conventional of the three Color films, and while it is still one of my ten top films of 1994, I rate it an 8, slightly less than the highly visual Blue and the mind-bending Red.

"When someone askes for help, you have to help him, right?"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 14 December 2017]

Finding the work of director Krzysztof Kieslowski has been a rewarding experience. "Three Colors:Blue" and 'Red' are both fascinating films, and I will say the same of 'White', however there are a number of story inconsistencies in this movie that give me pause. Aside from the near impossibility of making an airplane flight inside a suitcase, the time frame in which Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski) was able to acquire five thousand dollars to purchase the property from the old landowner was not clearly defined. It seemed like it occurred almost immediately upon overhearing the scheme, though at the time he had very little in the way of resources to speak of. Later, as one of the steps in the strategy to avoid detection following his 'death', Karol was supposed to fly to Hong Kong immediately after his 'corpse' was found. But he remained behind to view Dominique's (Julie Delpy) reaction at his funeral. But the biggest question mark might be concerning what charge the authorities had for arresting Dominique. Was it for fraud? As an accomplice in Karol's scheme? For the murder of Karol? I didn't think that was very well addressed, because even if she did begin cashing in on the will left by Karol, isn't that what any normal person would have done under the circumstances?

I thought the relationship between Karol and Mikolaj (Janusz Gajos), especially the scene at the train station, was cleverly handled. Karol granted Mikolaj a lifeline that he gladly accepted once he came face to face with the finality of death. It led to a business relationship and a revenge scheme against Dominique that was classic in it's execution. Though as I say, I didn't think Dominique's arrest came off as entirely credible. And when all was said, done, and sorted out, how was Karol Karol going to explain his sudden resurrection after more than a handful of mourners witnessed his 'burial'? The clincher however was when Karol viewed Dominique in her prison cell, and she signaled that she wanted to get married to him again. There's not too many ways I can rationalize this dysfunctional couple planning to get married all over again. It just didn't seem credible to me.

But as the saying goes - Love is blind. The corollary to that would be, of course, that marriage is an eye-opener.

White As....

[boblipton · 9/10 · 19 June 2020]

Julie Delpy divorces Zbigniew Zamachowski, saying the marriage has never been consummated. He immediately becomes an un-person in Paris; hisbank card is torn up, he has no place to sleep, Miss Delpy sets their hair salon on fire and tells the police he did it. He doesn't have a passport, so he's reduced to playing tunes on his comb in the Metro. There he's befriended by Janusz Gajos, who smuggles him back to Poland in his luggage in return for killing him. Zamachowski doesn't kill him. Instead, he becomes a capitalist and takes Gajos into partnership.

Partly a satire on capitalism, partly a meditation on love, and mostly a meditation on passion, this entry into Krzysztof Kieslowski's Couleurs trilogy is a visual feast. I have been looking at the director's early short works, and he likes to use a purely visual style of film making, in which the audience must puzzle out why the characters are doing what they're doing, and become invested in the movie as a result. As in the other two movies, the title color is important, with a vast symbolic importance that becomes apparent only at the end. It's another visual and cinematic feast from the late director.

Like The Middle Of An Oreo...

[ferbs54 · 7/10 · 28 September 2007]

The second film in Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Blue, White & Red" trilogy, "White" (1993), is decidedly lighter in tone than its predecessor and should manage to appeal to a wider audience. In it we meet Karol Karol, a Polish hairdresser living in Paris who has just been divorced by his wife Dominique (the gorgeous Julie Delpy, who is not unfairly compared to the Brigitte Bardot of "Contempt" in this picture), due to a spell of impotence. At first blush something of a nebbish, Karol soon shows that he is nevertheless quite the resourceful character. Back in his wintry-white native land, he manages to somehow get back on his feet, rebuild his life despite numerous adversities--as had Juliette Binoche in "Blue"--and even contrive a get-even scheme involving his ex. As in the previous film, the directing and photography are just outstanding, and Zbigniew Zamachowski is at once sympathetic, funny and charismatic in "White"'s lead role. Sharp-eyed fans of "Blue" will note Ms. Binoche's Julie character in "White"'s opening courtroom scene, as well as the same old lady at the recycling bin (this latter background character would also, strangely, resurface in "Red"); just some fun elements to help tie this loosely linked trio of films together, I suppose. Despite being a bit more straightforward than the other two films in the trilogy, "White" still offers food for thought, as well as some puzzling moments. For example, viewers who will be able to interpret Delpy's hand gestures at the tail end of the picture are certainly better than me. (Then again, I've always been pretty bad at any hand pantomime more involved than a raised middle finger; guess I'd make a lousy deaf person!) Fortunately, Delpy explains these mysterious gestures for us in one of the DVD's copious extras. I'm also somewhat at a loss as to how the color white's corresponding to "equality" on the French flag pertains here. Are we supposed to think that Karol and Dominique are equals of sorts by the film's end? I suppose so. The white of the title can just as easily be regarded, though, as corresponding to the sweet and pleasing center of an Oreo cookie, in the middle of two decidedly darker segments...

Justice, and then some

[perica-43151 · 10/10 · 19 July 2018]

The most underappreciated film of the Krzysztof Kieslowski's famous trilogy, White is the most direct, simplest, bitterest but also precise and very satisfying. This is one smart movie, and if you are interested in the subject of justice, equality, then it is a must see. The movie has aged well and is perhaps the best one to start with if you want to watch his movies.

An interesting and cynical study in revenge

[calspers · 6/10 · 16 November 2019]

Krzysztof Kieslowski's second of the Three Colors trilgy' "White" (1994), is a much more simple film than its predecessor, "Blue" (1993).

We follow Karol, who is divorced from Dominique, who cruelly attempts to hurt Karol in the worst ways possobly, especially considering her still loves her deeply.

Visually, it is almost as impressive a film as "Blue", also drawing on symbolism in its visual storytelling, and the acting is brilliant - particularly Julie Delpy portraying Dominique.

In spite of an interesting plot, I did not find the film to be nearly as touching as "Blue", but rather cruel in its message and execution.

For me, definitely a weaker film than its predecessor, but holding several qualities of its own. I wouldn't recommend anyone to see this as a must-see - especially from the trilogy.

Unbelievable characters, unbelievable plot

[lyre · 5/10 · 11 December 2004]

I liked the first film of this trilogy, but this second one is making me wonder whether it will be worthwhile to watch the third.

Its obvious that Kieslowski is trying somehow to speak of the eternal issues, love, death, wealth, poverty, loyalty, betrayal... unfortunately it just doesn't work.

(Spoiler warning: don't read further if you don't want to know anything about what happens in this film)

We have here an impotant husband in love with a beautiful wife, who says she needs him desperately but divorces him and frames him for arson.

The despondent husband becomes a homeless street dweller, trying to get some money for food by playing a homemade comb and waxpaper kazoo.

He randomly meets someone who helps him get back to Poland, at which point, through a set of very unlikely circumstances he quickly becomes super-rich.

Then he stages his own death to get his wife back, and when she has proved she really does love him, he frames her for the murder (also in a very unbelievable way).

In the end, it appears that they'll be together again as soon as she can escape from jail, which, given the unlikely circumstances of the rest of the movie, seems a foregone conclusion.

Does any of this make sense or mean anything? Perhaps to some, but not to me. If this had been a Hollywood movie, made using a commercial esthetic, it would have been lambasted by critics for its silly plot and nonsensical characterizations. Instead, it's an "art" film, and somehow this makes all the silliness seem profound.

Don't be fooled. This movie just doesn't work.

Obsessive Desire

[lightyear15 · 10/10 · 4 August 2003]

Seeing revenge in "Blanc" it's like you left the theater a couple of minutes before the end of the movie. The final scene is the explanation of Karol's strange actions. It is not a revenge story, it is a story of obsessive desire of possession. The "love"-story of Karol for Dominique. He tried to posses Dominique, he becomes a wealthy man and he is able to do ANYTHING to have her. Well, `anything' includes evil things. When a bird flies away from the master that "loves" it so much, what should be done? To put the bird into a cage. In this way, Karol will be able to see, feed, speak and listen Dominique every day. Karol finally posses Dominique.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 10/10 · 12 June 2005]

Another interesting chapter in the saga, it is not as technically impressive as 'Bleu' but the story's premise is certainly more fascinating this time. Delpy pretty much plays a stereotype of evil, but as her soon to be divorced husband, Zamachowski is great, and it is quite interesting to follow his experiences, even if his motivations are a bit hard to relate to. Kieslowski uses some great camera angles once again, and this is another very well shot film, as well as one with some brilliantly fitting music, plus slow motion is used very effectively. There are ideas about love, equality and revenge, the plot is intriguing, and there are some very intense moments, making it another solid entry in the trilogy, even if it is not as critically acclaimed as the first film, 'Trois Couleurs: Bleu' or the last film, 'Trois Couleurs: Rouge'.

Not As Great As Blue But Definitely Still A Strong Piece Of Work

[donuthaters12 · 7/10 · 12 June 2014]

Review In A Nutshell:

White tells the story of a male Polish hairdresser, Karol, who was left by his wife, Dominique, with nothing. He deals with this loss by going back to Poland and rebuilding himself.

The first I noticed when going through this film was how light it all felt, all the weight that I felt on the director's previous film, Blue, were mostly lifted. I wasn't so much disappointed with the change in tone as there are many moments in this film where the plot and narrative benefited from it, but I was underwhelmed by Kieslowski's execution. The director couldn't seem to make me feel comprehensively invested to the protagonist, as I personally felt he wasn't explored enough and the intentions of the character wasn't truly clear to me throughout.

Thankfully I enjoyed the journey that the protagonist has taken, as we get to see him start off on the bottom of the world, figuratively speaking of course, and building himself up slowly to becoming a respectable and "fulfilled" man. He doesn't reach this stage without playing dirty of course, Karol is still a normal human being and would do whatever he can in order to get ahead, but it was handled in such a way that we don't think less of him. I saw this rebuilding as just a constructive coping mechanism towards the tragic loss he just suffered, and I think in a way all of what he has made for himself was all for her or at least something to prove to her. During the film's third act, we can see that he is still in pain and even though he could get anything he wants there is still a void in him that hasn't been filled, and that is love. It was her love that he has always wanted, and he blames himself for not being able to show and prove that to her during their marriage. For Karol, content doesn't come from wealth, respect and fame, it comes from Dominique.

The film's photography was also a major change from the first film of the trilogy. Colors seem to be warmer, and the color seems to dominate a lot of the film's images, possibly enforcing the idea of purity and beauty. It connects really well with the film's plot and narrative, making certain situations coming off as comically charged rather than dire, giving us a glimpse of how the film would feel during its resolution. The score also was change from the previous film, switching from the grand and dramatic tone to something much lighter and sharper. I found the score to be effective, particularly during the moments where the film wants us to feel sorry for Karol or when he examines or thinks about his one true love, Dominique. We are able to understand his fascination with her, and the music helps support that.

Zbigniew Zamachowski plays the film's protagonist, Karol. He was wonderful in the role, though it wasn't at the same level of amazing as Binoche in Blue. The actor was able to manipulate my feelings towards the character, with one moment feeling highly sorry then the next moment feeling proud of what he has become. He was able to change the appearance of his exterior while keeping his internal qualities the same. Julie Delpy was also pretty good in the role, but it would have been better if she was given a bit more screen time; then again this is Karol's story, not hers.

White may not be a step up as I hoped it would be from Blue, but it's still a great piece of work from Kieslowski. Hopefully Red would be at least just as good as this, if not better.

Parallel Conditionals

[tedg · 16 March 2004]

Spoilers herein.

Kieslowski's trilogy is usually explained, even by him, in trivial terms, this being the "equality" segment. But this is an intelligent filmmaker, one of the type who actually thinks about the narrative stance of his projects. In this case, we have "Blue" which follows - but not quite - the standard convention of reporting something that happened in the past.

`Red' gives you a meditation on two folded presents. `White,' this film, is cast as depicting the future, in particular the conditional future. While other films attempt this more directly, ` White' - among the three - is so subtle that you have to actually pay attention.

Everything is what you would do, every detail and plot element from the courthouse sequence. Is it all imagined? It doesn't matter, but if you consider it so - many parallel futures - it is easier to see how it fits in with the others. Even to the tense of the French Karol studies.

I rate this as the least of the three because he does too much in the plot. The plot is there only to provide a skeleton for the rest, and it is intended to keep us occupied while he does his thing. But its just too elaborate to serve as a mere skeleton and gets in the way. Many viewers even think the story is what the film is about.

Each of the three is an excellent film, but you must see the others first to get this one to register. Each of the three deals with a sense. This is `sight.'

The DVD commentary is pretty useless, in my estimation. It is not enough to have been there.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

White

[cultfilmfan · 9/10 · 22 December 2005]

White is a Polish film in Polish and French with English subtitles. The film is the second series in the Three Colours trilogy which started with the film Blue and ends with Red. The film takes place in France where a man named Karol Karol whose wife Dominique just divorced him. To make matters work Karol's bank account is frozen and he has no money and no place to go. In the subway he meets a man named Mikolaj who helps him get back to his homeland of Poland. Karol eventually gets there, but not the way he planned on. Once he gets to Poland some friends help him get back on his feet and establish himself. Soon he is doing fine, but is still upset over what Dominique did to him. So with some more help he plans a scheme of revenge to get back at her. Winner of The Silver Berlin Bear for Best Director (Krzysztof Kieslowski, who also co-wrote the film) at The Berlin International Film Festival. White has good direction, a good script, good performances by the entire cast, good original music and good cinematography. White is a very interesting film. From where it started off in the beginning I had no idea how it would end or what would happen next. It kept me following the movie eagerly waiting to see what happened next. It is a very smart and sharp story and the acting and great direction make this film really stand out as well. This film is in no ways similar to Blue, the previous film in the series and I really admire the director for making two totally different films that each work really well. I really loved White because of it's sharp script and because it kept me compelled and interested and I really did not know how it was going to turn out. After these two great films I'm looking forward to completing the series by watching Red. Judging by what I thought of Blue and White, I'm sure I'm going to like Red very much as well.

Good acting and cinematography can't cover for a tatty first-draft script!

[Pedro_H · 6/10 · 31 March 2004]

A Pole living in Paris has problems with his hairdresser wife, becomes a bum, but chances on a way to stage a comeback - and get his own back on his neurotic wife!

While I have plenty of time for Krzysztof Kieslowski's work I find them a mixed bag. I started by believing that this was going to a farce, but somehow the movie seems to fight the only thing it is suited to being. No approach to any movie is "wrong", but this seems a movie at war with itself.

Small points seem laboured over, extended (Kubrick like) and others are painted with a thick brush. Don't let the drab Polish scenery fool you -we are heading towards an Alice in Wonderland finale!

The truth is that the script isn't very good and no director can rise above a mediocre script. One scene reminds me of the Rockford Files where villains bang on the door in the middle of the night and Jim Rockford opens the door to a gun in his face. Here we have a guy who is a bum one minute and a sharp businessman the next! The same guy that was bamboozled as to how to get home without money! Maybe it is the hair-gel that has raised his IQ!

People don't travel in suitcases to get from France to Poland because their passport is stolen. You would contact the Polish embassy! Or what about hitchhiking and sneaking across the border? Or borrowing money from people back home and getting a ticket back? And when you finally get out if it - wouldn't you, like, be a bit stiff or find the light made you blink a little?

The one thing I have learnt is that I don't like too much nonsense in serious films. This film lives on its acting and its sense of intrigue. However it is actually poorly written (everything that happens could make sense with a bit more care and explanation) and ends with a scene I don't really understand at all. And I don't tell me you do - because where is the information to understand it fully? How can you understand a court case/legal process (and I have to presume that there even was one!) without seeing it?

Least favorite of the three, but doesn't stop it from being genius!

[highkite · 10/10 · 4 August 2006]

This is the second installment in probably the best trilogy ever created. Though this one is not as strong as its predecessor, it does offer a unique and stylistic way of looking at life. It's a dark comedy about acceptance, love and betrayal. Can one man really start over in a new place? Can he heal from the pain that his wife caused him? Like in "Blue", it questions such things but does not mention it as much as it visually suggests it. And while it's not as powerful or complex as "Blue", it does play as a very unique and flowing transition between the two more dominant and relevant films.

"White" is a story about a man named Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), a professional Polish hair-cutter who marries a young and beautiful French woman. He moves to France to live with her, and not long after, she divorces him because he's unable to have sex. He then again leaves France in an attempt to start a new life and win Dominique's (Julie Delpy) heart back. While on his journey though, he gets incredibly lucky and becomes wealthy, then pretends he's dead and waits for Dominique to come in order for him to see if she still loves him.

This is of course a perfect plot for comedy and it makes a lot of room for silly, slapstick jokes. Kieslowski wants to emphasize on the philosophical aspect of the movie just as much as the comedy. He chooses element that represent freedom and life (the statue of the woman that reminds Karol of Dominique), and the post-communistic lifestyle of a born communist. There is both a lighthearted and a more dark, sinister quality about "White". It's a typical 'you love me so you can't forget me' film, but does not play out in your conventional clichéd way. And while this lighthearted moment is shown, a dark overtone is prevalent. For example, when Karol meets Mikolaj and tells him of his beautiful wife, he goes and voyeuristically points her out, only to find her in bed with another man. He calls her and tells her he loves her, but she puts the phone up to her mouth and moans as loud as she can.

I mention voyeurism because that is a very reoccurring theme in the movie. Even Julie from "Blue" acts like almost a spy as she walks into the courtroom while Karol and Dominique are privately settling their divorce. Kieslowski creates a very voyeuristic feel in the movie so that we as the audience feel like we are overlooking the lives of others. Unlike Hitchcock though, Kieslowski does this but does not make us feel guilty about it, since of course, we don't witness a murder!

In this second installment, "White" is a quiet reminder that you can have a great film without going too deep into the themes and symbolisms. I have to agree with most of the people that "White" is the weakest of the genre, but it is a tremendously genius transition movie, a sort of light presence in the other two more darker films.

About getting even and making something of yourself

[Vartiainen · 6/10 · 14 December 2018]

The second film in Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy, named after the colours of the French flag and loosely themed after the values of French Revolution. With this one obviously named White and dealing with the value of equality.

Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), a Polish citizen, gets divorced by his French wife for reasons of impotence. Humiliated and ashamed he smuggles himself back to Poland and starts to build himself into something in order to prove to his ex-wife that she made a mistake.

Out of the whole trilogy, this one has the most comedic tone and the most easily followed plotline. Once again the colour white is very much present, but this time it is not reflected as well in the values. White is the color of order, the color of calmness, of purity and/or death. Whereas Karol's whole crusade has a very passionate feeling to it. There is a certain amount of clinical detachment to his actions, but even then the symbolism is rather missing.

On the other hand, the film is a lot of fun to watch. It is rather short and there are a lot of scenes that feel rushed, more like bullet points than actual scenes, but it's still enjoyable to follow and the ending is deliciously raw.

Like its predecessor, White is a good gateway film into more artistic films. Perhaps even more so because out of the whole trilogy it is the closest to a normal, contemporary film.

a very good film

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 29 July 2005]

I wish I could give this movie an 8.5! It's much better than average and I really had a hard time choosing between a score of 8 and 9! The movie starts with a schmuck going to court because his wife of only a few months is divorcing him. He adores her but he feels intimidated by her and unable to consummate their marriage. It seems that based on the plot this is probably because the wife is a very sexy but very cold and calculating bitch. I could easily understand a man feeling too intimidated by her to maintain an erection.

Her nastiness comes out just after the divorce is granted when she does everything she can to destroy him--even though he is a basically decent guy. You really feel for him as he's left with no money, no passport and she set him up to be accused of arson just because she could! Despite all this, he loves her dearly and I found myself feeling a little frustrated with him, as I wanted him to get mad or even or something! And, I was delighted to see just how delicious his ultimate revenge would be!! By the film's end, I was relieved to see him act, though the final scene is up to several possible interpretations and you really aren't sure if he intends to save her or keep her hanging at the end. Good job.

Kieslowski's bittersweet comedic story spiced with lasting love and vengeance

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 19 January 2023]

Sensitive and haunting film with deliberate and attractive developing regarding a peculiar revenge . In the second entry in Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy, Polish immigrant Karol Karol (Zamachowski) finds himself out of a marriage, a job and a country when his French wife, Dominique (Julie Delpy), divorces him after six months. This is 2º outing in the thought-provoking and brooding trilogy by deceased Polish director Krystof Kieslowski is actually inspired by the French tricolor flag , here ¨White¨. The story , hung loosely round notions of personal and political equality , concerning the despair and desire for vengeance felt by a degrading Polish hairdresser. Initially , Karol having lost everything, he has no idea what to do with his life. But , after a macabre transaction with fellow expatriate Mikolaj enables him to go back to Poland , Karol begins afresh and directs his newly developed cunning to re-igniting Dominique's love.

Droll black comedy that takes a scalpel to the impoverished ethics of the new money-obsessed Poland , and to the selfish impulses tied up with our desires for a balanced sexual relationship . It is often cruel , of course, and cool as an icepick, but it's still endowed with enough unsentimental humanity to end with a moving , lyrical power of love . Second of a thoughtful trilogy of films dealing with contemporary Polish society , it concerns how a hairdresser gets in trouble with his wife , and submitted to a humiliating trial and so director Kieslowski uses the ending to tie up loose ends . This is an agreeable film , a symphony of pain as well as knowledge and filmed in enjoyable style , good sense and high sensitivity . The picture has various subtle references about the important and highly-valued trilogy . Being necessary to keep an eye on cinematographic use of the deep color White , including a colorful and evocative photography by cameraman Edward Klosinski , it is essential to be understood the story. This is second one of the acclaimed of Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy, the film was nominated for Academy Awards and French Cesar : Best Director, Best Original Screenplay Music : Zbigniew Preisner and Best Cinematography . ¨Trois Couleurs : White¨ boasts a good cast , such as Julie Delpy who relies on the internalized affection rather than overwhelming displays for expression , Zbigniew Zamachowski , Janusz Gajos and Jerzy Stuhr . As well as the great musical score , as composer Zbigniew Preisner composes a rousing and impressive soundtrack . There appears some characters from the first two films of the trilogy ; including cameos by Juliette Binoche and Florence Pernal . As with the other movies, the film's final sequence shows a character crying. The 1995 Annual Cesar Awards , presented by the French Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, it is France's main national film awards, considered by many in France, and internationally, to be the French equivalent of the American Academy Awards gave to this film several deserved Cesar prizes . Rating : 7/10, Good , above average film , worthwhile watching .

The picture belongs to trilogy referencing to the structure of the Three Colours trilogy - blue, white, red-, in that order, mirroring the French flag : 1º ¨Blue¨ starred by Juliette Binoche , dealing with a tragedy by a car accident and the subsequent consequences on an affecting woman , as the grieved widow retakes her life after surviving a car crash which killed her family , here ¨Blue¨ stands for ¨Liberty¨. It is followed by this ¨Trois Couleurs : Blanc¨ regarding a bewildered Polish hairdresser is divorced by his disdainful French spouse and returning to his family in Poland when he decides to fake his death ; being starred by July Delpy and Zamachowski . And, finally, Trois couleurs: Red (1994) that some critics considering to be the best entry in the compelling trilogy, it is about a young model whose life changes forever after a chance encounter with a reclusive retired judge whose the outlandish hobby is listen to his neighbour's phone calls , being starred by Irene Jacob and Jean-Louis Trintignant. This interesting and very prized trilogy is essential and indispensable seeing.

Wonderful, but c'mon

[sabiyajones · 5/10 · 2 October 2010]

Equality, schmeequality. The protagonist's personality is developed at length, while we only have select glimpses of Delpy's character. Because her character is not developed properly, we're left with the possibility that Karol is in love with her because of her beauty. Her surface... Yet, throughout the movie, we see life thru Karol's eyes & feel for him...how could this woman be so cruel & not love him despite his flaws in bed. Obviously he loves her. So, this is the perspective...and we're led to feel at the end that she is put in jail as a punishment in a moral sense, for her inability to love him & overlook the flaws. It's a tiresome, weary moral that is drummed into us over & over in movie after movie, TV program after TV program, perhaps because so many stories are told by guys. The moral is this: To all the beautiful, model-like women - you should love us (less than average guys), just look below our surface & see our cleverness, wittiness, resourcefulness, intelligence, innocence, (insert positive quality), etc etc. Yet, you still have to be a model (many movies fail to show other types of women). Anotherwards: appearances shouldn't be important to you, but they are damn important to us. In fact, we won't develop your character any further, but show a limited snapshot (in this case, her vengefulness) & focus on your superficial beauty. MORAL: LESS THAN AVERAGE GUY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MODEL _ IF SHE CANNOT BE PERSUADED, SHE'S (insert descriptive negative adjectives) We're starting off here with the oldest of inequalities...why not tell a story about a less than average-looking woman who is in love with a modelesque guy, if he doesn't want to be with her, he ends up in jail for being superficial, since he couldn't look beyond her flaws. Or better yet, even out the appearance of both...veer away from the tired clichés if you're striving to tell about equality in some way, shape or form. Of course, equality can never be attained, people won't be the same...but let's be a start off a little bit closer than this movie does.

By social standards, Dominique is above average in beauty (thin with long beautiful hair and attractive features). Karol is below average height with short arms, OK features. Why not tell a story about him being madly in love with a woman of equivalent beauty. Maybe she's got short legs with a waist that isn't so thin & pock marks on her face. Develop her character a little more...how did she feel when her husband couldn't make love to her (starts to feel unattractive, feels confusion, sadness, unfulfilled, anger that eventually turns her into spite). We are expected to judge her for dumping him for not being able to make love to her. Look, guys cheat on their wives/girlfriends all the time for a lot less, even when they're 'performing' above standard in bed.

So if directors habitually setup this double standard, it gets really boring. I want to see directors who are able to tell this story: the gorgeous guy digs deep within himself to appreciate the wonderful qualities below the surface, below the flaws, frailties of a less than average looking woman & he finds that he should learn to look for all the endearing qualities, not be so superficial...

I want to see directors tell this story too, especially directors they are able to critique gorgeous women for not doing the same (as what is asked of the gorgeous man in my previous paragraph)....and stop producing loads of movies to convince gorgeous women (or average woman who spend hours to become gorgeous) everywhere that they should go for the 'nerdy schmucks' or old men (who don't spend but a minute or two on their appearances). Well, I don't see that happening until the old men, nerdy schmucks, or sympathizers who make movies can see how hypocritical they're being. Honestly this type of movie would be OK, yikes, if it wasn't for the scalding criticism & lack of character development of Dominique's. You just want to hate her, hmmm? Besides this less than stellar moral, it was a great movie for the rolling sequence of events & character development of the others in the cast...really enjoyed it.