The concluding chapter in filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colors" trilogy, Red stars the luminous Irène Jacob as Valentine, a young student and fashion model who befriends a bitter former judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant, his character a proxy for Kieslowski himself). Their accidental meeting is just one of the many chance encounters woven through the narrative fabric of this feature, the most accomplished effort in Kieslowski's highly ambitious series. Like its predecessors, Red corresponds to a color of the French flag, as well as the color's symbolic attributes. The subject here is fraternity, and indeed, its central characters are all closely connected, their destinies locked on a collision course. The film's final scene even ties up the trilogy by bringing together the protagonists of the other features. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Review
The concluding film in his "Three Colors" trilogy, Krzysztof Kieslowski's Red (1994) explores the mysterious connections among isolated lives. From the opening shot, zooming through telephone lines for a call that ends in a busy signal, Kieslowski's intricately structured narrative plays off connections missed, accidental and intended, seductively weaving a story of interlocking destinies among the aptly named model Valentine, an embittered, eavesdropping retired judge, and a young jurist. While Kieslowski's mobile camera repeatedly links characters together, the presence of phones, dogs, and a giant billboard of Valentine also suggests bonds among them that will perhaps have a positive effect. With the composition and cinematography steeped in the title color, from orange-amber lighting to the judge's red-brown study, Kieslowski infuses the film with a redemptive warmth that belies its melancholy concerns with loss and loneliness. The themes of the "Three Colors" trilogy were loosely based on the colors of the French flag: Blue (liberty), White (equality), and Red (fraternity). Although the ending brings together all of the trilogy's themes, Kieslowski leaves the stories hanging -- but at a moment of deliverance. Red was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. Upon its release, Kieslowski announced his retirement from moviemaking; he died in 1996. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
