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Tres Coleurs: Bleu

© Jennifer A. Wickes

Tres Coleurs: Bleu
by Jennifer A. Wickes
copyright 2004

Julie, played by Juliette Binoche, is a young woman who suddenly must come to term with the loss of her husband and daughter. The entire family was in a car accident, where only Julie survives. What we see is how Julie withdraws from life completely, and begins a new life alone, without adding the complication of human relationships.

Blue is the first color in the French flag, which symbolizes liberty. This is the underlying theme of this movie, which is directed excellently by Krzysztof Kieslowski. We see Julie liberate herself by beginning a new life, yet appears to isolate herself from others in the same motion. Juliette Binoche portrays Julie wonderfully as we begin to feel her loss as our own grief.

Julie has everything in her house removed, and she has her attorney arrange to take care of her gardener, housekeeper and her mother from the bank account she shared with her husband. She also destroys the composition he was creating for the unification of Europe just before his death. She leaves her life with nothing but the clothes on her back and a hanging decoration of gorgeous blue beads that catch the sun with wonderful reflection of light.

As Julie tries to shut out the past, she has moments, where music in her head, shatters her new illusion of peace. The music is powerful, and we are later privy to hear, that Julie may have actually written her husband's music. This may explain, as a composer, why she cannot escape her past, as her unfinished piece keeps coming back in her mind to haunt her present.

As she is reluctantly drawn back into her life, she learns her husband had a secret relationship. Instead of mourning that her relationship was not what she thought it to be, she makes a gallant gesture towards his mistress. She is also compelled to finish the unfinished symphony that had been resonating in her head for months.

The ending of this movie is ironic, as Julie begins to re-embrace life and lose some of her freedom, she becomes less isolated and may actually gain a new form of liberty in the company of others.

As you have heard before, most good books are poorly interpreted into cinema, yet this movie could never be interpreted into a book. The colors, music, silence and pure emotion could not be expressed better than in this film.