Exigence in Bleu

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2005)

Krzysztof Kieslowski's Bleu remains in my mind, one of the most brilliant films ever created. All aspects of the film: the writing, the acting, the cinematography are absolutely stunning. Binoche is wonderful playing Julie, a woman emotionally racked by the sudden and tragic deaths of her husband and young daughter. In an attempt to stifle her pain, Julie tries to kill her past (she sells her house and burns her personal belongings), but learns that not matter how hard she tries, she cannot destroy her past, her story. Here is where the cinematography is so breathtaking, as Julie crumbles under the emotional weight, the color blue infiltrates the film and consumes all aspects of the screen. Blue becomes the manifestation of her pain. Kieslowski demonstrates his strict attention to detail and his ability to create exigent art. We all have something we can learn from this film.