It seems like every couple years I re-watch Krzisztof Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy, and never get tired of it. In fact, like with all classic films, I keep peeling back new levels with every viewing. With that in mind, I watched his 1994 White last night. I don't think I give that film enough credit, and instead unfairly consider it the weak sister of the Three Colours films. On the one hand, well, it is weaker than Blue and Red. On the other hand, Blue and Red and truly great films, so you could be the cinematic wingman of that crew and still be a very good film in your own right. I think many people consider it a Julie Delpy film (and she is very good in it as Dominique), although she doesn't carry the main weight of the film the way that Juliette Binoche does in Blue or Irene Jacob does in Red. Zbigniew Zamachowski plays her husband, Karol Karol, who tries to rebuild his life (and get revenge, sort of) after she kicks him out for being unable to consummate their marriage. Since it's the white part of the French flag you'd expect it to deal with equality - or in this inequality - and it does, both the economic inequality between Western and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin wall, but also the emotional inequality in their relationship. I don't think it delves the depths of the bracketing films of the trilogy, especially Blue, but it's really not meant to. Janusz Gajos is very good as Karol's friend Mikolaj. It's interesting to see all the folks who populated Kieslowski's brilliant Decalogue and who pop up in this film. For example, Juliette Binoche walks into the wrong courtroom, and in this film we see what's actually going on in the trial. Highly recommended.
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