Three Colors: White (1994)

After his wife divorces him, a Polish immigrant plots to get even with her.

Director:

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski (scenario), Krzysztof Piesiewicz (scenario)

Stars:

Zbigniew Zamachowski, Julie Delpy, Janusz Gajos

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

Karol (Polish) marries Dominique (French) and moves to Paris. The marriage breaks down and Dominique divorces Karol, forcing him into the life of a metro beggar and eventually back to Poland. However, he never forgets Dominique and while building a new life for himself in Warsaw he begins to plot.

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | obsession | divorce | wealth | humiliation | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality and language

Details

Country:

Switzerland France Poland

Language:

Polish French English

Release Date:

10 June 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Three Colors: White

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,284, 12 June 1994

Gross USA:

$1,237,219

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,237,219

Company Credits

Production Co:

MK2 Productions, France 3 Cinéma, CAB Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Almost every shot in the movie contains at least one white object.

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Goofs

When our couple manage to make love, Dominique's moanings are not simultaneous with her lips.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Followed by Three Colors: Red (1994)

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Soundtracks

To ostatnia niedziela
(This Last Sunday) (uncredited)
Music by Jerzy Petersburski and words by Zenon Frejdwald
Played on the comb by Karol in the subway

User Reviews

Kieslowski a masterful painter in Blue, White and Red: see all three!

It is not only difficult to comment separately on the three parts of Kieslowski's trilogy, it seems obvious that the filmmaker wants us to do just the opposite: view them in order, Blue, White, and Red, and consider them together as one complete work. It is true they are distinct stories with distinct themes: liberty, equality, fraternity, and each them is developed with unique applications of intrigue and artistry. They are each well worth seeing independently, but I believe they are best seen as one work. Collectively, I would rate the trilogy as a 9; separately, I place each in my top ten for the years 1993 and 1994.

White is the fabric of a bride, chaste and pure at the outset of her marriage; later it is the flash of an orgasm in the dark; and then .... But any more said of the instances of white in this film might spoil it for the first-time viewer. Unlike Three Colors: Blue, White is a more plot-oriented movie, with two main characters to Blue's one. And this is as it should be. Blue's theme of Liberty, the first word of France's motto, is an individual's principle, while White's theme of Equality, the French motto's second word, requires at least two people. The central quest for liberty is personal; the struggle for equality is fundamentally social. White is the most conventional of the three Color films, and while it is still one of my ten top films of 1994, I rate it an 8, slightly less than the highly visual Blue and the mind-bending Red.