The first film in Kieślowski’s “Colors Trilogy” centers around a French woman Julie (Juliette Binoche in her defining role), who has lost her husband and son in a car accident. Shattered and numb, Julie quietly rages in post-traumatic stress via total seclusion, cutting herself off from anyone from her past—anyone with ties to her real life, and the sorrow that now lies within. Secrets, and emotional bonds, and music itself will continue to haunt Julie—new life or not—and will force her to come to terms with her own sorrow, and others who carry it too. The film’s score, “composed” by a fictional character in the story, is one that will be remembered years after the film has been viewed.
—Persona Loy