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Bits and bobs about my life in my lovely home, Thatchwick Cottage, Pretoria, South Africa.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Monday, 15 December: The colour blue

What better way to celebrate the melancholy nuances of the colour blue than watching once again that most poignant movie, The Colour Blue (first released in 1993). In my view Bleu (starring a sensitive Juliette Binoche as Julie) is about the process of grief and recovery. It is also about the need to forgive, even the dead, if you are to move on with your life after a tragedy.
In a nutshell, Julie survives a car crash only to emerge from a coma to find both her husband, an acclaimed composer, and her child, dead. In the aftermath of the tragedy she has to deal with the uncovering of secrets: her husband's unfaithfulness and her role in composing the marvellous music published under his name.
I shall never forget the scene in which a grief stricken Julie ransacks a medicine cabinet in the hospital, frantically empties the contents of bottles of pills into her cupped palm, before gobbling them up and then spitting them out. As Julie completes each stage in her grieving, Kieslowski shows her diving into the blue waters of the local swimming pool and swimming its length to clamber out dripping and cleansed at the other end, only to face the process once again.

The other movies in the triology are equally excellent pieces of film-making: The Col0ur White and The Colour Red.

And Blue Monday is the brainchild of Smilin' Sally and I find it an effective kickstart to a blogging week. Thanks, Sal!

8 comments:

SmilingSally said...

What an informative Blue post! Happy Blue Monday!

You did not permalink, and people may have troubles finding the post after today. See rule #3.

Envoy-ette said...

Wow-now I must find and rent the movie! Happy Blue Monday!

Grandma Faith said...

Thanks for telling us about this movie.

CC said...

Happy Blue Monday and have a lovely week.

Tess Kincaid said...

I ADORE Juliette Binoche, but have not seen this one. It's going on my Netflix list immediately. Thanks, Eleanor!!

Anonymous said...

I'm sad to say I have never seen the movie. It sounds as if it would be a good one to see. Happy Blue Monday a little late.

Unknown said...

your movie reviews are eye openers to me in that they are from a different time period to my usuals and therefore i really appreciate them.

i will make my way to gaslight video when i am back home...

Ms.Daisy said...

I think I may have seen this movie as the plot seems familiar to me. Good post and movie review!
...and finally, I have finished the eccentric book meme that you gave me awhile back! Thanks, it was fun!

~Jean