Trois couleurs: Blanc (1994)

Thankfully straying away from the grimness of "Bleu", Krzysztov Kieslowski's second part of his "Three Colors" trilogy turns from grief to revenge, in this amusing dark comedy.

Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski) is a little Polish hairstylist living in Paris. The film opens on him entering a court room where he is humiliated by his wife during their divorce proceedings. Left literally penniless, with a suitcase on the street, Karol decides he must get back to his homeland and start anew. Without funds, however, he takes to playing music with a comb and tissue paper, only to attract the attention of one of his fellow countrymen. His immediate friend, Mikolaj (Janusz Gajos) agrees to transport him back to Poland and help him get reestablished.

What follows is a deliciously executed plan of revenge, as this sniveling man uses all of his cunning to raise himself from the dirt in order to see his ex-wife one last time. As we watch his plans unfold--sometimes a bit confusing and unbelievable, but never less than entertaining--the audience is left with the predicament of wanting him to give his wife, Dominique (Julie Delpy), her comeuppance, while at the same time hating him in all of his unlikable ruthlessness.

Zamachowski and Gajos give fine performances as partners in crime (in the very literal sense). Gajos in particular delivers his lines with a coolness and a mystery that is immediately endearing. We learn little about him or his life, and his actions in the film do nothing but peak our interest without sating it.

I am very glad that this film was a comedy, after the major bummer that part one of the series was. None of the characters themselves are particularly humorous  and there are plentiful moments of poignancy, but there are little moments here and there that remind us that Kieslowski isn't taking this piece too seriously, and through it all we must remember to breathe; he knows full well that some of this makes no sense.

As I did with "Blue", I shall try to define what white means for "White". In the French flag the color white is meant to represent equality. I argued before that I did not understand the importance of liberty in the first film, and I am not too sure I know the importance of equality here either. I suppose that we demand fairness in the courts: justice. Perhaps the final execution of his plot was meant to be read as a balancing of the scales, an equalizing process. However, that nagging little voice in the back of my head continues to yell "It's just a marketing ploy--get passed it!" Okay, little nagging voice.

A final thought: This is meant to be a trilogy about Parisian society, but nearly all of the action takes place in Poland. I can think of several arguments as to why this would be the case, but none of them sound especially plausible, given the concept. I really don't know if I'm up to the challenge of watching the final third. But I suppose I'm pot-committed now. Let us open our arms to brotherhood!

3/4