Three Colours: Red

The final and most haunting of Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski's (Oscar-nominated) "Three Colors" Trilogy. "Red" completed a trilogy which paid homage to France and also sent a gift of philosophy and originality to the world cinema. It is once again modern-day France and a beautiful young model (the illuminating Irene Jacob) accidentally runs over a dog in her car. She discovers the dog belongs to an old retired court judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant). Trintignant is an elderly man who is a natural cynic and proves that the world is not what it seems by spying on all those around him in the neighborhood (even going so far as tapping into others' phone conversations). Jacob and Trintignant then go on an emotional journey together to learn that we are all connected in this topsy-turvy world. Thus the film ends up representing the French flag's red which shows the nation's fraternity. In the end the series is wrapped up with the strangest of twists that admittedly feels a little a forced. All three films in the trilogy are neatly tied together and that is really the only problem I had with this otherwise fine motion picture. Kieslowski and long-time co-writer Krzysztof Piesecwicz (Best Original Screenplay Oscar nominees in 1994) put a yellow ribbon on a strong professional partnership that always toed the line of greatness and went over the top here. When the "Three Colors" Trilogy was completed, Kieslowski (who had dominated the French and Polish cinema for nearly 25 years) vowed that he would never work again in movies. Sadly that would become a reality as the famed director would die in 1996, still in his mid-50s. Krzysztof Kieslowski's works are highly deep and very philosophical in all major respects. His trilogy was a fitting conclusion to a wonderful career and "Red" is a crowning achievement to one the finest film-makers who ever lived. 4.5 out of 5 stars.