Author Topic: Krzysztof Kieslowski  (Read 6071 times)

Jake

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« on: April 11, 2005, 03:28:29 PM »
Has anyone watched any of his movies? They are freagin really well made - a la Felinni and Kurosawa. I recently saw the "Color Trilogy" - really powerfull stuff. The "Decalogue" is great as well - it is a series of ten short films the follow the ten commandments. If anyone here is into artsy-fartsy movies, or simply enjoys a "deep" film, pick something from this guy up. More detailed reviews of the films will soon be available on my site :p

three colors

amazon review
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Even though one can view each segment of Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy on its own, it seems absurd to do so; why buy the slacks instead of the entire suit? Created by Kieslowski and his writing partner Krzysztof Piesiewicz for France's bicentennial, the titles--and the themes of the films--come from the three colors of the French flag representing liberty, equality, and fraternity. Blue examines liberation through the eyes of a woman (Juliette Binoche) who loses her husband and daughter in an auto accident, and solemnly starts anew. White is an ironic comedy about a befuddled Polish husband (Zbigniew Zamachowski) who takes an odd path of revenge against his ex-wife (Julie Delpy). A Swiss model (Irčne Jacob) strikes up a friendship with a retired judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who eavesdrops on his neighbors in Red. The trilogy is a snapshot of European life at a time of reconstruction after the Cold War, reflected through Kieslowski's moralist view of human nature and illumined by each title's palate color.
The DVD set has numerous extras spread throughout the three discs; the end result is a superior collection. Each disc has a short retrospective, culled together from new interviews with Kieslowski's crew, plus film critic Geoff Andrew, biographer Annette Insdorf (who also does the commentaries), and fellow Polish director Ageniska Holland. Producer Marin Karmitz also reminisces about the experience. There's an exceptional effort to show the magic of Kieslowski (who died two years after the trilogy) through a discussion of his various career phases, interviews with the three lead actresses, four student films, and archival materials including simple--and wonderful--glimpses of the director at work. Excellent insight is also provided by Dominique Rabourdin's filmed "cinema lessons" with Kieslowski. Without viewing any of his other films, this set illustrates the uniqueness of Kieslowski. --Doug Thomas


The Decalogue

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Superlatives abound when describing Krzysztof Kieslowski's The Decalogue, a series of 10 one-hour dramas originally made for Polish TV between 1988 and 1989 and seen throughout the world in film festivals and cinematheque and museum programs. Though each episode is inspired by one of the Ten Commandments of the Bible, these are not Sunday school fables illustrating some simplistic moral lesson--the connections to the individual commandments are not always obvious and are often downright curious--but powerful, profound stories of love and loss, faith and fear. Kieslowski explores ordinary people flailing through inner torments, hard decisions, and shattering revelations, grounding his stories in the faces of their deeply human characters.
Each episode is self-contained, from "Decalogue I" ("I Am the Lord Thy God"), the touching story of a boy who starts asking the hard questions of life from his rationalist father and religious aunt, to "Decalogue X" ("Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Goods"), a comic tale of estranged brothers who bond through a winding ordeal involving their father's priceless stamp collection. There are stories of tragedy and triumph, both expansive and intimate, some profoundly moving and others delicately shaded--but all are warmed by Kieslowski's sympathetic direction and his eye for resonant, fragile imagery. Initially drawn together by location--the series is set in a dreary Warsaw apartment complex--a web of associations forms as characters pass through other stories, sometimes only briefly, and themes reverberate through the series. The Decalogue is ultimately a personal spiritual investigation into the soul of man, a work of quiet attention and deep emotion marked by astounding images and vivid characters. Each volume is also available individually on VHS. --Sean Axmaker
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Sang-drax

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2005, 03:34:16 PM »
I've never gotten around to see any of his movies. Which one do you recommend to start with?

Jake

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2005, 03:39:42 PM »
actually, any of these would be good. "The Decalogue" is in Polish with subtitles, and "The Color Trilogy" is in French with subtitles - if that makes a difference

But I suppose, a good introductory movie into Kieslowski would be either A Short Film about Killing or A Short Film about Love
« Last Edit: April 11, 2005, 03:49:13 PM by axon »
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drakkenkorin

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2005, 03:45:57 PM »
never even heard of this person
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Jake

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2005, 03:50:09 PM »
Quote from: drakkenkorin
never even heard of this person


not many people in the States have :( that's too bad that great cinema is pretty much dead.
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drakkenkorin

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2005, 06:10:44 PM »
well you know the american market - it has to have blood, explosions and some nudity in order to make bank.
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[stealth]

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2005, 08:24:36 AM »
Think I've see "Trois couleurs: Bleu" years ago.  Juliette Binoche is hot as hell, fantastic body :).  May have to check it out and some more Kieslowski films for that matter.
...

Govtcheez

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2005, 08:30:00 AM »
Quote from: axon
that's too bad that great cinema is pretty much dead.
So stop buying tickets to movies like National Treasure.

Jake

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Krzysztof Kieslowski
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2005, 10:18:36 AM »
Quote from: '[stealthy
']Think I've see "Trois couleurs: Bleu" years ago.  Juliette Binoche is hot as hell, fantastic body :).  May have to check it out and some more Kieslowski films for that matter.


she reminds me of a Julia Roberts from "Pretty Woman"
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