A Study of Dissociated, Interior Conscience, Thus Blue

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 2008)

Juliette Binoche is impressively becoming in her role as a woman whose husband and child are killed in a car accident within the first five minutes of the movie. Then proceeds a story that we imagine must be about how she wrestles with her loss, but as she is abruptly set free from the connection of family, Julie attempts to fortify herself from everyone in her life and live in isolation from those former ties. However, she finds herself making new connections she can't seem to help but make. What a beautiful capture of humanity that is. Many of us would love to take advantage of a golden, if heartbreaking, opportunity to sever all ties. Yet the film presents a profound question: To what extent do we need human contact? Is it something even the most walled-off of us can do without?
Blue is the perfect color for such a subject. It's a moody, quiet color that evokes water, which complements emotion in many ways. Kieslowski has made such a personal film, such a deeply personal insight which feels like, for him, it was bold. He parades proudly his telling story with a theme of powerful music.