Trzy kolory: Bialy (1994)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski (scenario) and
Krzysztof Piesiewicz (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 February 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Second of a trilogy of films dealing with contemporary French society shows a man dealing with a Polish immigrant whose wife wants to divorce him because he can't perform in bed.

Plot Keywords:

French | Divorce | Equality | Metro | Revenge

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Zbigniew Zamachowski	...	Karol Karol
Julie Delpy	...	Dominique
Janusz Gajos	...	Mikolaj
Jerzy Stuhr	...	Jurek
Aleksander Bardini	...	Le notaire (The Lawyer)
Grzegorz Warchol	...	L'elégant (The Elegant Man)
Cezary Harasimowicz	...	L'inspecteur (The Inspector)
Jerzy Nowak	...	La vieux payson (The Old Farmer)
Jerzy Trela	...	Monsieur Bronek
Cezary Pazura	...	Le propriétaire du bureau de change (Bureau de Change Proprietor)
Michel Lisowski	...	L'interprète (The Interpreter)
Philippe Morier-Genoud	...	Le juge (The Judge) (as Philippe Morier Genoud)
Piotr Machalica	...	L'homme de haute taille (The Tall Man)
Francis Coffinet	...	L'employé de banque (The Bank Employee)
Barbara Dziekan	...	La caissière (The Cashier)
Yannick Evely	...	L'employée du metro (The Metro Employee)
Marzena Trybala	...	L'employée du Mariott (The Mariott Employee)
Jacques Disses	...	L'avocat de Dominique (Dominique's Lawyer)
Teresa Budzisz-Krzyzanowska	...	Madame Jadwiga
Krystyna Bigelmajer		(as K. Bigelmajer)
Marianna Grodzka-Marziano		(as M. Marciano)
Maria Robaszkiewicz		(as M. Robaszkiewicz)
Jerzy Dominik		(as J. Dominik)
Jan Mayzel		(as J. Mayzel)
Zdzislaw Rychter		(as Z. Richter)
Jakub Grzegorek		(as J. Grzegorek)
J. Modet
Bozena Szymanska		(as B. Szymanska)
Malgorzata Kaczmarska		(as M. Kaczmarska)
Liliana Okowity		(as L. Okowity)
Bartlomiej Topa		(as B. Topa)
Aleksander Kalinowski		(as A. Kalinowski)
Adam Paplinski		(as A. Paplinski)
Wanda Wróblewska		(as W. Wróblewska)
Stan Latek		(as S. Latek)
Wojciech Paszkowski		(as W. Paszkowski)
M. Verner
Joanna Ladynska		(as J. Ladynska)
Malgorzata Prazmowska		(as M. Prazmowska)
Piotr Zelt		(as P. Zelt)
Juliette Binoche	...	Julie Vignon (de Courcy)
Florence Pernel
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrzej Precigs

Directed by
Krzysztof Kieslowski

Writing credits
Krzysztof Kieslowski		(scenario) and
Krzysztof Piesiewicz		(scenario)
Agnieszka Holland		(scenario collaborator) and
Edward Zebrowski		(scenario collaborator) and
Edward Klosinski		(scenario collaborator)
Marcin Latallo		(dialogue translation)

Produced by
Yvon Crenn	....	executive producer
Marin Karmitz	....	producer

Original Music by
Zbigniew Preisner

Cinematography by
Edward Klosinski

Film Editing by
Urszula Lesiak

Casting by
Teresa Violetta Buhl
Margot Capelier

Production Design by
Halina Dobrowolska
Claude Lenoir

Set Decoration by
Tomasz Kowalski
Dariusz Lipinski
Henryk Puchalski

Makeup Department
Jean-Pierre Caminade	....	hair stylist
Jadwiga Cichocka	....	makeup artist
Jolanta Pruszynska	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ryszard Chutkowski	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Teresa Violetta Buhl	....	assistant director
Emmanuel Finkiel	....	assistant director
Peter Thurrell	....	assistant director
Aleksandrs Petukhovs	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Lionel Acat	....	props
Christian Aubenque	....	props
Michel Charvaz	....	props
Jean-Pierre Delettre	....	props
Magdalena Dipont	....	set designer
Julien Poitou-Weber	....	props

Sound Department
Marc-Antoine Beldent	....	foley artist
Marc-Antoine Beldent	....	post synchronization
Pascal Colomb	....	sound recordist
Eric Ferret	....	foley artist
Eric Ferret	....	post synchronization
William Flageollet	....	sound mixer
Leszek Kaminski	....	assistant sound engineer
Jean-Claude Laureux	....	sound editor
Jean-Claude Laureux	....	sound
Francine Lemaitre	....	sound editor
Jérôme Lévy	....	foley artist (as Jerome Levy)
Jérôme Lévy	....	post synchronization (as Jerome Levy)
Pascal Mazière	....	foley artist
Pascal Mazière	....	post synchronization
Rafal Paczkowski	....	sound engineer
Brigitte Taillandier	....	sound recordist
Piotr Zawadzki	....	sound editor

Stunts
Robert Brzezinski	....	stunts
Janusz Chlebowski	....	stunts
Ryszard Janikowski	....	stunts
Zbigniew Modej	....	stunts
Józef Stefanski	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Sergiusz Bogucki	....	lighting technician
Ernst Brunner	....	lighting technician
Muriel Coulin	....	assistant camera
Alain Dondin	....	lighting technician
Alain Dreze	....	grip
Alain Dubouloz	....	lighting technician
Slawomir Grinka	....	lighting technician
Piotr Jaxa	....	still photographer
Henryk Jedynak	....	assistant camera
Stanislaw Kolenda	....	grip
Zbigniew Koniuszy	....	grip
Hans Meier	....	lighting technician
Piotr Obloza	....	gaffer
Marek Socha	....	lighting technician
Albert Vasseur	....	grip
Piotr Jaxa	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Animation Department
Laco Adamik	....	computer animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jolanta Luczak	....	wardrobe
Elzbieta Radke	....	wardrobe
Virginie Viard	....	wardrobe
Teresa Wardzala	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Ewa Lenkiewicz	....	assistant editor
Christian Phan-Trong-Tuan	....	assistant editor (as Christian Phan-Trong Tuan)
Alicja Torbus-Wosinska	....	assistant editor
Rob Sciarratta	....	video color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Jan Cielecki	....	musician: clarinet
Halina Laciak	....	executive music producer
Zbigniew Paleta	....	musical director
Zbigniew Paleta	....	musician: violin
Mariusz Pedzialek	....	musician: oboe
Jerzy Petersburski	....	composer: song "Ta ostatnia niedziela"

Other crew
François Azria	....	assistant to director
Julie Bertucelli	....	assistant to director
Andrzej Buhl	....	administrator
Olivier Bulteau	....	administrator
Aline Corneille	....	administrator
Maria Czartoryska	....	assistant to director
Geneviève Dufour	....	script supervisor (as Genevieve Dufour)
Wlodzimierz Dziatkiewicz	....	administrator
Roman Gren	....	acting coach
Anne Guillemard	....	administrator
Katarzyna Janus	....	administrator
Joanna Kadubiec	....	administrator
Caroline Lassa	....	administrator
Stan Latek	....	assistant to director
Dominique Lefevre	....	administrator
Stéphane Libiot	....	assistant to director
Pawel Lozinski	....	assistant to director
Adam Paplinski	....	assistant to director
Joanna Pindelska	....	administrator
Malgorzata Powalka	....	administrator
Eva Simonet	....	press attache
Krzysztof Staszewski	....	administrator
Irena Stralkowska	....	studio director: TOR, Warsaw
Ryszard Straszewski	....	studio director: TOR, Warsaw
Jean Talvat	....	administrator
Nicolas Tempier	....	administrator
Peter Thurrell	....	assistant to director
Gisèle Vuillaume	....	administrator (as Gisele Vuillaume)
Malgorzata Witkowska	....	administrator
Krzysztof Zanussi	....	studio director: TOR, Warsaw

Production Companies

• MK2 Productions
• France 3 Cinéma (Paris)
• CAB Productions
• Zespol Filmowy "Tor" (as "TOR" Production - Varsovie)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Eurimages (as Fonds EURIMAGES) (support)
• Conseil de l'Europe (support)

Distributors

• MK2 Productions (1994) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• MKL Distribution (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• Look Filmes (1994) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye
• Film Arte (Argentina)
• JMM Invest (Spain)
• Miramax Films (USA) (subtitled)
• Noble Entertainment (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Spectra Nova (2008) (Brazil) (DVD) (reissue)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• Versátil (1999) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Ercidan

Other Companies

• Action Light  electrical equipment
• American Express  thanks
• Aéroports de Paris  thanks
• Le Petit Orchestre de Zbigniew Preisner  orchestra
• Locaflash  electrical material
• Preisner Production  music publisher
• RATP "Roue Libre"  thanks (as R.A.T.P.)
• Samuelson Alga Cinéma  camera equipment provided by
• Tri-Track Sync  re-recording facilities
• Virgin France  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Three Colours: White (Canada: English title) (UK)
Three Colors: White (USA)
Trois couleurs: Blanc (France)
Trzy kolory: Biały (Poland)
White

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

France | Poland | Switzerland

Language:

Polish | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:14 (New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island) (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

MK2 Productions

Trivia:

Juliette Binoche and Florence Pernel, stars of Kieslowski's Trois couleurs: Bleu (1993), make cameo appearances in this film.

Quotes:

Karol Karol: [to the man who wanted help committing suicide] That was a blank. The next one's real. Are you sure?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wielkie rzeczy: Gra (2000) (TV)

The Trilogy Continues With Another Stunning Chapter.

Krzysztof Kieslowski's second installment in his "Three Colors" trilogy does not quite reach the greatness of his earlier or latter work, but is still a strangely interesting viewing experience that ends up being a dominant success by its final act in spite of some shortcomings. "White" (representing equality to the French) plays more light-hearted than "Blue" or "Red". It is modern-day France and a Polish hairdresser (Zbigniew Zamachowski) and his amazingly beautiful French wife (Julie Delpy) are going through a messy divorce due to Zamachowski's inability to perform sexually. The divorce crushes Zamachowski emotionally and financially. He is forced to leave France and go back to Poland, becoming a Metro beggar that has basically lost everything. However, with a little help, Zamachowski will get back up and vow revenge on the woman that ruined his life and took his self-dignity. Sometimes revenge can be sweet, but what happens when it does not necessarily accomplish what you had hoped? "White" is a little strange to the series. Its dark humor makes it stand out in an already unique set of films. The film is not near as emotional as "Blue" or near as rough as "Red". Instead it uses heart rather than thought at times to get its story across. This is not a bad thing, but it is just an odd chapter for Kieslowski. My least favorite of the trilogy (not saying I don't still like the movie very much), "White" still creates a tone that makes it a cinematic winner. Watch for Juliette Binoche (the greatest performer of the series) in what ends up being a cameo role. 4 stars out of 5.