The Double Life of Véronique (1991)

Two parallel stories about two identical women; one living in Poland, the other in France. They don't know each other, but their lives are nevertheless profoundly connected.

Director:

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz

Stars:

Irène Jacob, Wladyslaw Kowalski, Halina Gryglaszewska

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 11 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Irène Jacob	...	Weronika / Véronique
Halina Gryglaszewska	...	La Tante
Kalina Jedrusik	...	La femme barjolée
Aleksander Bardini	...	Le chef d'orchestre
Wladyslaw Kowalski	...	Le père de Weronika
Jerzy Gudejko	...	Antek
Janusz Sterninski	...	L'avocat (as Jan Sterninski)
Philippe Volter	...	Alexandre Fabbri
Sandrine Dumas	...	Catherine
Louis Ducreux	...	Le professeur
Claude Duneton	...	Le père de Véronique
Lorraine Evanoff	...	Claude
Guillaume de Tonquédec	...	Serge (as Guillaume de Tonquedec)
Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus	...	Jean-Pierre
Alain Frérot	...	Le facteur

Storyline

Veronique is a beautiful young French woman who aspires to be a renowned singer; Weronika lives in Poland, has a similar career goal and looks identical to Veronique, though the two are not related. They are unaware of each other's existence, yet they each sense a spectral companion.

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Plot Keywords:

doppelganger | female protagonist | music teacher | opera singer | polish woman | 

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Taglines:

Each of us is matched somewhere in the world, by our exact double - someone who shares our thoughts and dreams.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Music | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for scenes of sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #359.

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Goofs

Slightly after the fortieth minute of the film, Véronique walks in an alley bordered by trees. Some crew members are partly visible behind the trees.

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Quotes

Weronika: Is that me?
Alexandre Fabbri: Of course it's you.
Weronika: Why two?
Alexandre Fabbri: Because during performances I handle them a lot. They damage easily.

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Alternate Versions

The American version features a different ending: in the original, Véronique drives to the house where her father is still living and pauses outside to touch a tree. He realizes that she's outside and raises his head from the bench where he's working. The American version features one minute of additional footage showing the father stepping outside the house, calling his daughter, and Véronique running into his arms. Kieslowski shot the additional sequences after the film's premiere at the New York Film Festival in 1991 at the insistence of Harvey Weinstein, who at the time was president of the film's US distributor, Miramax films.

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Connections

Referenced in Secret défense (1998)

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Soundtracks

Verso il cielo
Music by Zbigniew Preisner
Text from Dante Alighieri (as Dante)
Performed by Wielka Orkiestra Polskiego Radia Katowice (as Le Grand Orchestre de la Radio et Télévision Polonaise de Katowice), Chór Filharmonii Slaskiej (as Choeurs Philharmonique de Silésie), Elzbieta Towarnicka (soprano) and Jacek Ostaszewski (flute)
Conducted by Antoni Wit

User Reviews

Beautiful haunting storytelling

I still listen to the haunting music that weaves it's way through this film and it never fails to move me. The whole film is almost like a modern day ghost story, following its own logic through the simplest but most effective storytelling techniques, beautifully crafted by a master director. Irene Jacob has never been better than here, and I would recommend it highly.

Details

Country:

France Poland Norway

Language:

French Polish Italian

Release Date:

22 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Double Life of Véronique

Filming Locations:

Lycée Amédée Gasquet - Rue Jean-Baptiste Torrilhon, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,572, 24 November 1991

Gross USA:

$1,999,955

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,175,939

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sidéral Productions, Canal+, Zespol Filmowy "Tor"

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1