Themes: Success is the Best Revenge, Rags To Riches, Unrequited Love
Main Cast: Zbigniew Zamachowski, Julie Delpy, Janusz Gajos, Jerzy Stuhr, Florence Pernel, Juliette Binoche
Release Year: 1994
Country: PL/FR/CH
Run Time: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
The second feature in filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colors" trilogy, the black comedy White features Zbigniew Zamachowski as Karol Karol, an expatriate Polish hairdresser whose French wife (the breathtaking Julie Delpy) divorces him after just six months of marriage because of his impotency. Penniless and devoid of his passport, Karol must journey back to Poland by hiding in a trunk. Upon his return, he slowly begins amassing a considerable fortune, ultimately hatching a perverse plot for revenge. Often unjustly dismissed as the weak link in the trilogy, White grows in strength upon repeated viewings. An allegory about equality, the film is mordantly witty, a cynical look at power, marriage and capitalism. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Review
The second of writer/director Krzysztof Kieslowski's impressive Three Colors Trilogy, Trois Couleurs: Blanc is also the lightest of the three movies. Compared to the stark tragedy of Bleu (1993) and the subtle, multi-character epiphanies of Rouge (1994), Blanc is more of a romantic comedy, expanding upon the director's poetic, philosophical style. The comedic tone is deceptive: Kieslowski offers a surprisingly profound, ironic look at how the emptiness of life can be so deeply affected by love. Polish actor Zbigniew Zamachowski turns in a charming, Chaplin-esque performance as the bitter, bemused hero, and the striking Julie Delpy is appropriately cast as the cruel wife who divorces him due to his impotency. Complementing the performances is cinematographer Edward Klosinski, who perfectly captures the paradoxically bleak but bright grays and browns of Poland. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide
