The subject of this film is obvious from the very beginning. It’s about mourning and loss. It's a very emotionally-charged film that shocks you in the sense that you know you may have to deal with what the main character, Julie, is dealing with the entire film- the loss of a loved one. I have never personally lost anyone in my family or any close friends so I don't understand exactly how it would feel if it were to ever happen. However, after watching this brilliant film helped me better understand what it may feel like largely due to the convincing performance of Juliette Binoche. Throughout the film I felt like I understood everything that Juliette was going through, even though I have never gone through such situations myself. I see a lot of pain and agony, which is what I would expect me to feel if I were in her shoes. Binoche’s performance was so real and convincing that it wasn’t hard to muster up feelings of sorrow for her character.
The camera followed Julie around throughout the duration of the film so I felt like I really got to understand her character. There are several scenes of solitude which I think are accurate and true to the storyline and character. For instance, we don’t need to see Julie crying in her bed in the morning, laying around depressed and slacking around. Instead, we can tell that she is emotionally upset just by her reaction to certain things. To be specific, when Julie was in her deceased daughter’s room she was looking at the blue crystals. It was obvious to me that the blue crystal object belonged to her daughter. Julie felt agony and mourning just from the sight of an object that reminded her of her loss. The camera captures this beautifully with an intense close-up.
One of the elements of the film that helps distinguish Three Colors: Blue from other films is the cinematography. During the beginning of the film there is a shot that is of a tire riding along a road. This scene was shot from the bottom of the car and right away I knew this wasn't going to be your typical film. It didn't seem like a very common shot to me and therefore it intrigued me enough to pay my undivided attention to the entire film's storyline. There was an abundant use of dim lighting. I think this is probably used to help signify Julie's depression and agony over the loss of close loved ones as we usually see her in dark settings throughout the film.
Another interesting thing I found in the cinematography of Three Colors: Blue was the close-ups of the main character, Julie. When I see the close-ups of Julie in most, if not all, of the scenes in the film it is obvious that she is enduring a weight of pain and agony on her shoulders that she is having difficulty dealing with. It’s clear that she is upset and hasn’t “gotten over” the death of her loved ones.
While the cinematography was superb, I have to say that my favorite aspect of this film was the use of sound. The music was used flawlessly at the end of every scene- it was very dramatic and I loved the sound of the haunting string orchestra. In particular, I thought the last five minutes or so of the music was I found the sound aspect of the film incredibly intriguing because it seems like the use of sound isn’t as prominent in your average American film. This is just another one of the many elements of Three Colors: Blue that helps separate it from other films.
Overall, I think this film is truly a masterpiece. Every aspect of the film is top-notch. The cinematography, music, characters, storyline, and the subject all combined seamlessly to create a thought-provoking film about the serious issue of mourning and loss. Three Colors: Blue left me wondering about how Julie could start over and move on or if a happy exist is even humanly possible after such a tragic event and loss.
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