Description
This boldly cinematic trio of stories about love and loss, from Krzysztof Kieślowski, was a defining event of the art-house boom of the 1990s. The films are named for the colors of the French flag and stand for the tenets of the French Revolution—liberty, equality, and fraternity—but that hardly begins to explain their enigmatic beauty and rich humanity. Set in Paris, Warsaw, and Geneva, and ranging from tragedy to comedy, Blue, White, and Red (Kieślowski’s final film) examine with artistic clarity a group of ambiguously interconnected people experiencing profound personal disruptions. Marked by intoxicating cinematography and stirring performances by Juliette Binoche, Julie Delpy, Irène Jacob, and Jean-Louis Trintignant, Kieślowski’s Three Colors is a benchmark of contemporary cinema.
In “Blue” (1993), the initial entry of the “Three Colors Trilogy” by Krzysztof Kieslowski, Juliette Binoche portrays a woman who loses her husband and daughter in a car accident and severs all ties to her past. With her new, anonymous persona, she investigates her husband’s secret life. Next, a Polish hairdresser’s life crumbles when his French wife divorces him because he can’t satisfy her sexually, in “White” (1993), the second film in Kieslowski’s series. Julie Delpy, Zbigniew Zamachowski star. The final “Three Colors” film, “Red” (1994), focuses on an elderly judge who becomes romantically involved with a beautiful model he’s been eavesdropping on over the phone. Irene Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Frédérique Feder star. 4 3/4 hrs. Total on three 4K UHD discs and 3 Blu-ray discs. Widescreen; Soundtrack: French and Polish DTS HD stereo Surround Master Audio; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; documentaries; featurettes; interviews; theatrical trailers; bonus shorts “The Tram” (1966), “The Face” (1966), “Seven Women of Different Ages” (1978), “Talking Heads” (1980); booklet; more. In French and Polish with English subtitles.
Special Features
- 4K UHD and Blu-ray: New 4K digital restorations, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks; Blu-ray-only edition: High-definition digital restorations, with 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks; DVD: High-definition digital restorations
- In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of each film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray of each film with special features
- Three cinema lessons with director Krzysztof Kieślowski
- Interviews with cowriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, composer Zbigniew Preisner, and actors Julie Delpy, Irène Jacob, and Zbigniew Zamachowski
- Selected-scene commentary featuring actor Juliette Binoche
- Video essays by film critics Annette Insdorf, Tony Rayns, and Dennis Lim
- Documentary from 1995 featuring Kieślowski
- Three short films by Kieślowski—The Tram (1966), Seven Women of Different Ages (1978), and Talking Heads (1980)—plus the short film The Face (1966), starring Kieślowski
- Interview programs on Kieślowski’s life and work, featuring Binoche, Insdorf, Jacob, film critic Geoff Andrew, filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, cinematographer Sławomir Idziak, producer Marin Karmitz, and editor Jacques Witta
- Behind-the-scenes programs for White and Red, and a short documentary on Red’s world premiere
- Trailers
- PLUS: Essays by film critics Colin MacCabe, Nick James, Stuart Klawans, and Georgina Evans; an excerpt from Kieślowski on Kieślowski; and reprinted interviews with cinematographers Idziak, Edward Kłosiński, and Piotr Sobociński
Covers by Sarah Habibi
Criterion Collection:
Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. No matter the medium—from laserdisc to DVD and Blu-ray to streaming—Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film.
4K Blu-ray: Region free
2K Blu-ray: Region A (locked)
- UPC: 715515281515
ESTIMATE DISPATCH 7 to 18 BUSINESS DAYS. (subject to availability).
