Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 12:30 PM PDT by Tom Landy
All three films in Krzysztof Kieślowski's acclaimed trilogy are coming to Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection in November!
In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection is preparing the 'Three Colors Trilogy' for Blu-ray on November 15.
This boldly cinematic trio of stories about love and loss from Krzysztof Kieślowski was a defining event of the art-house boom of the 1990s.
'Blue' - In the devastating first film of the 'Three Colors' trilogy, Juliette Binoche gives a tour de force performance as Julie, a woman reeling from the tragic deaths of her husband and young daughter. But 'Blue' is more than just a blistering study of grief; it’s also a tale of liberation, as Julie learns truths about her late composer husband’s life and attempts to free herself of the past. Shot in icily gorgeous tones by Sławomir Idziak ('The Double Life of Véronique') and set to an extraordinary operatic score by Zbigniew Preisner ('The Secret Garden'), 'Blue' is an overwhelming sensory experience.
'White' - The most playful but also the grittiest of Kieślowski’s 'Three Colors' films follows the adventures of Karol Karol ('The Pianist’s Zbigniew Zamachowski), a Polish immigrant living in France. The hapless hairdresser opts to leave Paris for his native Warsaw after his wife (Julie Delpy) sues him for divorce (her reason: he was never able to perform in bed) and then frames him for arson after setting her own salon ablaze. 'White,' which goes on to chronicle Karol Karol’s elaborate revenge plot, manages to be both a ticklish dark comedy about the economic inequalities of Eastern and Western Europe and a sublime reverie about twisted love.
'Red' - Krzysztof Kieślowski closes his 'Three Colors' trilogy in grand fashion with an incandescent meditation on fate and chance, starring Irène Jacob as a sweet-souled yet somber runway model in Geneva whose life intersects with that of a bitter retired judge, played by Jean‑Louis Trintignant. Their blossoming friendship forces each to open up in surprising emotional ways. Meanwhile, just down the street, a seemingly unrelated story of jealousy and betrayal unfolds. 'Red' is an intimate look at forged connections and a splendid final statement from a remarkable filmmaker at the height of his powers.
The 3-disc Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtracks, and supplements include: Three cinema lessons with director Krzysztof Kieślowski; New interviews with composer Zbigniew Preisner; writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz; and actors Julie Delpy, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Irène Jacob; Selected-scene commentary for Blue with actress Juliette Binoche; Three new video essays, by film writers Annette Insdorf, Tony Rayns, and Dennis Lim; Kieślowski’s student short The Tram (1966) and his fellow student’s short from the same year The Face, which features Kieślowski in a solo performance; Two short documentaries by Kieślowski: Seven Women of Different Ages (1978) and Talking Heads (1980); Krzysztof Kieślowski: I’m So-So . . . (1995), a feature-length documentary in which the filmmaker discusses his life and work; Two multi-interview programs, Reflections on “Blue” and Kieślowski: The Early Years, with film critic Geoff Andrew, Binoche, filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, cinematographer Sławomir Idziak, Insdorf, Jacob, and editor Jacques Witta; Interviews with producer Marin Karmitz and Witta; Behind-the-scenes programs for White and Red, and Kieślowski Cannes 1994, a short documentary on Red’s world premiere; Original theatrical trailers; and a booklet featuring essays by critics Colin MacCabe, Nick James, Stuart Klawans, and Georgina Evans, an excerpt from Kieślowski on Kieślowski, and reprinted interviews with cinematographers Sławomir Idziak, Edward Klosinski, and Piotr Sobocinski.
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray box set is $79.95.
You can find the latest specs for 'Three Colors Trilogy' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 15.
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