Three Colors: Red (1994)
"Trois couleurs: Rouge" (original title)

Final entry in a trilogy of films dealing with contemporary French society concerns a model who discovers her neighbour is keen on invading people's privacy.

Director:

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz

Stars:

Irène Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Frédérique Feder

Top 250 #246 | Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Irène Jacob	...	Valentine (as Irene Jacob)
Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	Le juge
Frédérique Feder	...	Karin (as Frederique Feder)
Jean-Pierre Lorit	...	Auguste
Samuel Le Bihan	...	Le photographe (Photographer) (as Samuel Lebihan)
Marion Stalens	...	Le Vétérinaire (Veterinary surgeon)
Teco Celio	...	Le barman (Barman)
Bernard Escalon	...	Le disquaire (Record dealer)
Jean Schlegel	...	Le voisin (Neighbour)
Elzbieta Jasinska	...	La femme (Woman)
Paul Vermeulen	...	L'ami de Karin (Karen's friend)
Jean-Marie Daunas	...	Le gardien du théâtre (Theatre manager)
Roland Carey	...	Le trafiquant (Drug dealer)
Brigitte Raul
Leo Ramseyer

Storyline

Valentine is a young model living in Geneva. Because of a dog she ran over, she meets a retired judge who spies his neighbours' phone calls, not for money but to feed his cynicism. The film is the story of relationships between some human beings, Valentine and the judge, but also other people who may not be aware of the relationship they have with Valentine or/and the old judge. Redemption, forgiveness and compassion...

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Plot Keywords:

judge | model | dog | redemption | privacy | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a brief but strong sex scene

Details

Country:

France Switzerland Poland

Language:

French

Release Date:

December 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Red

Filming Locations:

Veyrier, Canton de Genève, Switzerland

Box Office

Gross:

$4,043,686 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

MK2 Productions, France 3 Cinéma, CAB Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Citing that it does not meet enough of the necessary guidelines concerning a film's "artistic control" within a foreign co-production, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disqualified the film from competing as Switzerland's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. (In an unprecedented move, Switzerland rejected the Academy's offer to submit another film.) Miramax Films' co-chairman Harvey Weinstein persuaded more than sixty industry heavyweights to sign a letter of complaint urging the Academy to reconsider its stance, to no avail.

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Goofs

Early in the movie, Auguste Bruner returns to his apartment from walking his dog, and his Jeep which is parked out front is parked one way. He goes upstairs, uses the phone and quickly returns downstairs to the Jeep which is now parked in the opposite direction.

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Quotes

The Judge: Perhaps you're the woman I never met.

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Connections

References Dead Poets Society (1989)

User Reviews

The Film I Will Always Remember Krzysztof Kieslowski For.

The final and most haunting of Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski's (Oscar-nominated) "Three Colors" Trilogy. "Red" completed a trilogy which paid homage to France and also sent a gift of philosophy and originality to the world cinema. It is once again modern-day France and a beautiful young model (the illuminating Irene Jacob) accidentally runs over a dog in her car. She discovers the dog belongs to an old retired court judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant). Trintignant is an elderly man who is a natural cynic and proves that the world is not what it seems by spying on all those around him in the neighborhood (even going so far as tapping into others' phone conversations). Jacob and Trintignant then go on an emotional journey together to learn that we are all connected in this topsy-turvy world. Thus the film ends up representing the French flag's red which shows the nation's fraternity. In the end the series is wrapped up with the strangest of twists that admittedly feels a little a forced. All three films in the trilogy are neatly tied together and that is really the only problem I had with this otherwise fine motion picture. Kieslowski and long-time co-writer Krzysztof Piesecwicz (Best Original Screenplay Oscar nominees in 1994) put a yellow ribbon on a strong professional partnership that always toed the line of greatness and went over the top here. When the "Three Colors" Trilogy was completed, Kieslowski (who had dominated the French and Polish cinema for nearly 25 years) vowed that he would never work again in movies. Sadly that would become a reality as the famed director would die in 1996, still in his mid-50s. Krzysztof Kieslowski's works are highly deep and very philosophical in all major respects. His trilogy was a fitting conclusion to a wonderful career and "Red" is a crowning achievement to one the finest film-makers who ever lived. 4.5 out of 5 stars.