Three Colours: Red

Three Colours: Red
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1994
Founder	Krzysztof Kieślowski (director, producer, co-creator)
Headquarters	France / Switzerland / Poland
Products	Romantic psychological drama and mystery art film
Parent	mk2 Productions SA, France 3 Cinéma, CAB Productions SA, TOR Production, Canal+, Télévision Suisse Romande

Three Colours: Red (, ) is a 1994 romantic psychological drama and mystery art film co-created, produced, and directed by the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. Serving as the concluding chapter of the Three Colours trilogy, it delves into the French Revolutionary principles of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. Following Blue and White, Red centers on fraternity, portraying characters whose lives intertwine through unforeseen connections.

Kieślowski declared this film as his final project before retirement; he died less than two years afterward. Red garnered widespread critical praise and received three Academy Awards nominations, including Best Director for Kieślowski. Although submitted by Switzerland for Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards, it was disqualified due to not being predominantly Swiss-produced. Nonetheless, it is frequently regarded as the trilogy’s strongest entry and Kieślowski’s masterpiece—recognized as one of the finest French-language films and among cinema’s greatest achievements.

The production involved mk2 Productions SA, France 3 Cinéma, CAB Productions SA, TOR Production, Canal+, and Télévision Suisse Romande, with distribution managed by mk2 Diffusion (France) and Rialto Film (Switzerland). The film achieved a worldwide gross of roughly $4 million.

Plot

Valentine Dussaut, a University of Geneva student who also works as a part-time model, stays in touch with her possessive boyfriend Michel, who lives in England. While participating in a chewing gum commercial shoot, the photographer instructs her to express sadness against a red background.

One evening, Auguste Bruner, Valentine’s neighbor and law student, drops his books—one opened to a section of the Criminal Code. That same night, Valentine accidentally strikes Rita, a pregnant Malinois dog. She locates Rita’s owner, Joseph Kern, a retired judge who shows little concern. Valentine takes Rita to the veterinarian and decides to keep her. She declines the photographer’s romantic advances and later receives anonymous funds covering Rita’s medical bills.

The following day, Rita guides Valentine back to Joseph’s residence. He confirms having sent the money and tells her to keep the dog. Inside Joseph’s home, Valentine discovers him secretly listening to a neighbor’s telephone conversation. She urges him to respect privacy; he challenges her to confront the neighbor but she refrains after noticing the neighbor’s daughter is eavesdropping.

Joseph insists their actions will not alter lives and reminds Valentine about her brother’s revelation that he is not her father’s biological son. Joseph plays a recorded phone call between Auguste and his girlfriend Karin. From Joseph’s window, they observe another neighbor whom Joseph suspects is involved in heroin dealing, which disturbs Valentine. Joseph correctly deduces that Valentine’s brother struggles with heroin addiction; she feels sympathy for Joseph and departs.

That night, Joseph admits in letters sent to neighbors and police that he has been spying on phone calls, prompting a class-action lawsuit. Auguste passes his judge exam, crediting his success to the dropped textbook. His inaugural case involves Joseph’s trial. At court, Joseph notices Karin accompanied by another man. Later, he tells Valentine he surrendered himself intentionally to see if she would come back. Valentine plans a trip to England to visit Michel; Joseph suggests traveling by ferry and shares a case where he mistakenly acquitted a sailor. When questioned about his romantic life, Joseph deflects and recounts a dream where Valentine appeared happy.

Unable to contact Karin by phone, Auguste finds her with another man and expresses frustration by abandoning his dog tied to a lamppost. Joseph calls Karin’s weather service regarding forecasts for the English Channel; she predicts clear skies before soon sailing on her new boyfriend’s yacht.

Before departing for England, Valentine invites Joseph to attend her fashion show. Afterwards, he reveals his vision of Valentine at age 50 with an unknown man and recounts losing the woman he loved in an accident after following her across the English Channel. His final case involved his ex-girlfriend’s lover. They arrange to meet in three weeks when he will give Valentine one of Rita’s puppies.

Valentine boards the ferry bound for England; Auguste also boards with his dog. The next morning, a storm strikes the English Channel, sinking both the ferry and Karin’s yacht. News reports seven survivors: a barman; Julie and Olivier (from Blue); Karol and Dominique (from White); Auguste (without his dog); and Valentine. Joseph watches on with relief.

Production

Kieslowski identified Red as the most demanding of the trilogy to script, striving to communicate a nuanced message through film. The primary musical piece, "Bolero," was composed before shooting commenced, intended to represent recurring patterns in life. Filming was conducted from 1 March until 29 April 1993.

Analysis

The color red is a dominant visual element throughout the movie, exemplified by items such as a prominent advertising banner featuring Valentine's profile. The film employs visual symbolism with characters placed on varying physical planes, highlighting their interpersonal relationships—Valentine frequently appears either above or below Joseph. Recurring motifs like telephone conversations and shattered glass underscore themes of connection and fragmentation.

Biblical allusions, especially from the Gospel of Matthew, portray Judge Kern as a God-like entity, engaging with ideas of authority and destiny. The narrative delves into the interplay between law, morality, and societal conduct through Judge Kern's introspections and symbols linked to Auguste.

From a critical standpoint, Roger Ebert interpreted Red as an anti-romance piece, complementing Blue as an anti-tragedy and White as an anti-comedy within the trilogy.

Critical response

Upon release, Geoff Andrew of Time Out London lauded Red as "exquisitely beautiful, powerfully scored, and flawlessly acted," describing it as "nearly perfect" and a "masterwork." James Berardinelli from Reelviews awarded it four stars out of four, praising its "thoughtful examination" of intricate themes such as fate and non-romantic love, placing it among his top 20 favorites. Variety highlighted the strength of the lead actors' performances, while Empire regarded it as an "excellent example of French arthouse cinema" that remains approachable.

In 1997, the film was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle's list of "Hot 100 Films from the Past." It boasts a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 63 critiques, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The site's consensus describes it as "a layered, emotionally compelling, and beautifully crafted depiction of intertwined lives," serving as a captivating finale to the trilogy. On Metacritic, it achieved a flawless score of 100 from 11 reviewers, signifying universal praise.

Year-end lists

1st – Desson Howe, The Washington Post
1st – Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
2nd – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (also referred to Red as "the standout film among equals" in the trilogy)
2nd – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
4th – James Berardinelli, ReelViews
8th – Janet Maslin, The New York Times
8th – Robert Denerstein, Rocky Mountain News
9th – Scott Schuldt, The Oklahoman
Top 10 (alphabetical) – Matt Zoller Seitz, Dallas Observer
Top 10 (unranked) – Howie Movshovitz, The Denver Post

Awards and recognition

Academy Award nominations:
- Best Director – Krzysztof Kieślowski
- Best Original Screenplay – Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz
- Best Cinematography – Piotr Sobociński
BAFTA nominations in 1996:
- Best Director – Kieślowski
- Best Original Screenplay – Kieślowski and Piesiewicz
- Best Film Not in English Language
Palme d'Or contender at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival
National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Bodil Award for Best European Film
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Film
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Award for Best French Film
César Award for Best Music awarded to Zbigniew Preisner; additional César nominations included Best Film, Actor (Jean-Louis Trintignant), Actress (Irène Jacob), Director (Kieślowski), and Original Screenplay

Red was chosen by The New York Times as one of "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made." In a 2007 readers’ poll by The Guardian, it ranked No. 33 among the "40 greatest foreign films ever."

External links

Three Colors: A Tribute to European Cinema – analysis by Colin MacCabe at The Criterion Collection
Red: A Brotherhood of Strangers – critique by Georgina Evans at The Criterion Collection
Online Exhibition: On Location - Revisiting Trois Couleurs: Rouge hosted by Roman's Lab