|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
|
Product Description
Amazon.ca
Filled with reflective surfaces and vivid colors, The Double Life of Véronique marks one of Krzysztof Kieslowski's most haunting films. Just as the director divided his time between his adopted France and his native Poland, the story involves two unrelated women who look exactly alike (both played by Red's Irène Jacob, who won the best actress award at Cannes).
The Polish Weronika, a classical singer with a heart condition, collapses during a performance, after which Kieslowski turns his gaze to the French Véronique, a music teacher who shares the same ailment (much like Kieslowski, who died after cardiac surgery in 1996). Véronique's life follows a similar track, while her affection for Alexandre (Philippe Volter), a puppeteer, suggests the working relationship between the actress and the filmmaker. It's Alexandre, after all, who draws Véronique's attention to the existence of her double (through a photograph she took on a trip to Krakow). In that sense, Kieslowski plays with art as much as identity. Instead of explaining the connection between the characters, he lets the mystery serve as its own reward.
In her commentary, Annette Insdorf (Double Lives, Second Chances: The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski) outlines the reasons she finds the film so metaphysically rich, from the insights into Kieslowski's background to Sawomir Idziak's inventive cinematography. Other extras include interviews with Jacob, Idziak, and composer Zbigniew Preisner; a featurette; a profile of the director; the alternate ending (which feels extraneous); three shorts (the best is 1980's "Railway Station," in which Kieslowski presents a throng of commuters from the perspective of a security camera operator); and an additional short ("The Musicians") about a band of factory workers by his instructor Kazimierz Karabasz. Kieslowski admired this heartfelt portrait for the way it expressed "the human need to create." --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and Haunting,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Criterion Collection: Double Life of Veronique [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
The Double Life of Veronique (1991)Drama, Fantasy, Music, 98 minutes, French and Polish Language Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski Starring Irene Jacob and Philippe Volter The Double Life of Veronique sparks all kinds of thoughts, makes me cry, and leaves me feeling like I entered another world. The film is probably the most beautiful I have ever seen. The color palette is rich and places an emphasis on reds, greens and yellows. There are many instances of images viewed through things which distort reality: a clear plastic ball, mirrors, windows, reflections in glass and also a magnifying glass. Music is a huge part of the experience, whether it's happening in the story or part of the soundtrack. The first 30 minutes of the story concerns Weronika. She is Polish and a gifted singer. Weronika is so in tune with life that it's painful. When she sings, there is pure joy visible on her face. She ignores outside distractions such as pouring rain because she's so caught up in the moment. She makes love the same way. ***Spoiler Alert*** Unfortunately, Weronika has a heart problem and drops dead while performing at a recital. The film switches locations and we find ourselves in France with Veronique. She appears identical to Weronika and both women are played by Irene Jacob. Veronique seems to sense Weronika's death, although she can't pinpoint why she is feeling a sense of loss. This is a film about connections and feelings. Are we alone in the world or are there people somewhere just like us? Do we share any kind of connection? Is any of this controlled by some higher power, or are events simply random? The "coincidences" in this film are too frequent for everything to be random, aren't they? Room 287, a plastic ball, a ring, a shoestring, loving fathers and absent mothers, and probably a few things that I completely missed. Kieslowski doesn't tell us what any of this means. We don't know whether the two women are related or twins separated at birth. It doesn't really matter why any of this happens. The film is intended to make us think and feel, and it succeeds very well. I often wonder whether Jean-Pierre Jeunet was thinking of Veronique when he created Amelie. Although one is completely serious and one is a comedy, both contain elaborate scenes in which one character encourages another to seek them out. France features in both films and the color palette's are similar. I can't make a sweeping recommendation. This is the kind of film for people who like to contemplate the meaning of life and their own existence. The narrative meanders along and there are no clear answers or startling resolutions to the story. It just is.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unforgettable,
By
This review is from: Double Life of Veronique (VHS Tape)
Some movies inexplicably stick to your mind and make you return to them over and over again. Just like "Unbearable lightness of being" this movie posses that quality. Nothing much happens in it. But little that does touches you in a very personal and emotional way. Beautiful, quiet masterpiece of a brilliant director. Definate must see for anyone who likes European cinema.Red, White and Blue are also wonderful movies by the same director.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice, but Over-rated,
By
This review is from: The Double Life of Veronique (Criterion Collection) (DVD)
There are several things that previous reviewers here have written that are on target as far as the "artsy" nature of the film the nature of the interaction between director and actress, the actress herself, and so on. I can't add anything to that. What I can say is that it was this type of commentary that induced us to purchase and watch the film and, while it was interesting, at the end I felt that the alleged messages of the film could have been conveyed more effectively and efficiently and I could have spent my time better reading a book.My husband is a Polish scientist and we live in France, so we have a certain perspective that embraces both worlds. He wanted to watch this one out of a sense of national solidarity, but his solidarity began to crack about 20 minutes into the film. Like me, he could think of many other things he would rather be doing than watching a Polish director "make love" vicariously to a French actress with a camera. In short, if you like arty movies that focus on a single character with amorphous plot and dialog designed to produce a sensation of mild confusion, go for it; you won't be disappointed.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Country > France > Drama
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Genre > Drama
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Original Language > French
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Original Language > Italian
- Movies & TV > Drama > Love & Romance > Romance
- Movies & TV > En français > Drame > Drames psychologiques
- Movies & TV > En français > Drame > Drames romantiques
- Movies & TV > En français > Enfants, Jeunesse et Famille
- Movies & TV > Music Video & Concerts
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
