Senses of Cinema

Theres an appreciation for bleakness inside me. An affection for the cynical which draws me to auteurs such as Woody Allen, Ingmar Bergman, Passolini, etc etc... But theres a hopefullness in the works of Krzysztof Kieslowski that has the ability to strip me of my armor and leave my jaw on the floor everytime. He's done it to me before in The Dekalog: Episode 1, hosting a closing 5 minutes that absolutely makes cartoons out of false drama found in hollywood plastics like Hagis' 'Crash' and Eastwoods 'Million Dollar Baby'. His work inspires me to create, to be connected, and to love. I have found these emotions once again in the latest film of his that I have viewed, The Double Life of Veronique.

Wikipedia claims that when Quentin Tarantino first saw Double Life at Cannes that he immediately became enamoured with the films star, Irene Jacob. Me too, Q, me too. How could you not! It continues to claim that he wrote the part of Bruce Willis' wife for Irene but she was shooting Red at the time. GOOD CHOICE IRENE. Sure, Pulp Fiction went on to win the Palm D'Or, but Red cemented Kieslowski's reputation as one of cinema's most important figures of all time.

Anyone can research the story line behind Double Life. Jacob plays two characters, Weronika in Poland and Veronique in France, and Kieslowski plays on the intresnic connection that these two characters feel for each other, though they have never met. Weronika makes statements to her father, "I feel like Im not alone...". Her father smiles, but she knows he cant possibly understand the complete labyrinth of emotions connected to that feeling. Veronique gets similar feelings as her life of intrigue unfolds. There is so much to be thankful for in this film that to say the plot is about two people becomes irrelevant. The real plot is about connectivity.

The movie is a gem, especially to Kieslowski fans, which we all are, even if you havent seen any of his films. We all want to feel like we're not alone. We all want love. Connection. Emotion. Truth. Our cynicism escapes when we foolishly begin to feel like these things dont exist, or are too temporary to hold on to. Kieslowski knows that they do exist, and that when there are so many things that seperate us, we have no choice but to rely on the few key elements that connect us.