Three Colors: White

Everything is possible (Mikolaj in "White")

"Three Colors: White" represents equality, but as per usual in Kieslowski's universe, there is a sense of irony to it. The film isn't about equality so much as it is about revenge. Kieslowski uses a comedic story about revenge in order for the main character to achieve equality.

"White" is the story of Karol Karol (In English this name is translated as Charlie Charlie, Annette Insdorff suggests it may be a reference to Charlie Chaplin)played by Zbigniew Zamachowski. Karol is a Polish hairdresser living in Paris, who is getting divorced by his french wife Dominique (Julie Delpy). Dominique is arguing that their marriage was never consummated because since they were wed, Karol has proven to be impotent.

After the trial, Karol suffers more humiliation as his bank account is frozen and is left out on the street. He seeks shelter in Dominique's hair salon, but she finds him the next morning. After a brief sexual attempt by Karol in the salon where again he fails her, Dominique sets the salon on fire and calls the police accusing him of breaking and entering and vandalism.

Karol retreats to the subway a broken man, but by chance he runs into a fellow countryman Mikolaj (Janusz Gajos), who agrees to smuggle Karol out of the country back to Poland in return for an unusual favour.

After cleverly hiding out in a piece of luggage, Karol arrives in Poland, however not until the suitcase he is hiding in is stolen by some thieves who find him inside and beat him to a pulp, but soon after, Karol starts to plot his own revenge.

Of the films by Kieslowski I have seen, "White" is definitely his most playful and humorous. I myself consider it to be a light comedy, but there are aspects of darkness in it. Karol goes through a series of unpleasant events perhaps more than most characters do in a comedy. There are also dark moments including the suicide attempt of one character and the theft of a dead body to fake another character's death. Despite all this, "White" deceptively remains a love story.

"White" can also be thought of as a modern look at Poland after it turned from communism to capitalism. Karol's plot could not have worked under a communist country, as he is seen climbing is way up, stealing and borrowing money, buying land, and becoming what resembles a modern capitalist.

I think what makes "White" unique is its very particular sense of humour, it's very dry and minimal, it gets by with observation and wit, something that I found refreshing when first seeing it. For its star, Kieslowski uses Zamachowski, the same actor who starred in "Decalogue 10", which was also the lone comedy in that series as well, he has a very distinct face, it's very droll but expressive when it needs to be. His performance carries the film it's full of cunning and sincerity.

"White" is probably the most underrated of the three colors trilogy which, but like all of the three films, it's joyful, mysterious, and perceptive. One of my favorite moments in all of movies happens in "White" when Karol and Mikolaj are sliding down an icy river, and Mikolaj shouts out with joy. That moment for me is so real and touching especially after we have found out a little bit more about his character, it's moments like that I suspect Kieslowski couldn't be all cynical as he is sometimes perceived to be.