Disc Details
Special Features:	All Three Original French language track English Subtitles Dolby Digital Surround Widescreen (1.85:1) enhanced for 16X9 Televisions Audio commentary with Annette Insdorf Krzysztof Kieslowski’s cinema lesson Marin Karmitz interview with selected scenes commentary Lead actress selected scenes commentary Kieslowski filmography Sneak Peeks Blue Reflections on Bleu A discussion of Kieslowski’s early years A conversation with Juliette Binoche on Kieslowski Jacques Witta interview with selected scenes commentary Kieslowski student film: Concert of Wishes White A look at Blanc A discussion on Kieslowski’s later years A discussion on working with Kieslowski A conversation with Julie Delpy on Kieslowski Behind the scenes of White with Krzysztof Kieslowski Kieslowski student films: Trolley, The Face, The Office Red Insights into Trois Couleurs: Rouge A conversation with Irene Jacob on Kieslowski Behind the scenes of Red with Krzysztof Keislowski Jacques Witta interview with selected scenes commentary Red at Cannes 1994
Video Format:	Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) [SS-DL]
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles:	English
Captions:	No
Casing:	1-Disc Keep Case

Krzysztof Kieslowski came from the same generation of Polish filmmakers that gave us Roman Polanski and Agnieszka Holland, and it is obvious upon the initial viewing of any of his films that his name deserves to be uttered along with theirs. What becomes obvious upon subsequent viewings of his work is that his name should perhaps come before the names of his colleagues. Whereas Polanski’s films often sacrifice personal subject matter to cinematic flourishes (with the exception of The Pianist) and Holland’s work is often too personal and precious with a certain amount of cinematic deficit, Kieslowski’s films were both personal and cinematically proficient. Not only did he refuse to sacrifice any small part of the artistic totality of his films, but he understood that true art came from the perfect blending of elements. He understood that the language of the cinema was a perfect tool for the expression of the personal. Nowhere is this grasp of the power of cinema more evident than in his final three films.

Blue is the story of Julie de Courcy (Juliette Binoche) who, along with her husband and young daughter, is involved in a devastating car crash. The crash takes the lives of her two aforementioned family members, and leaves her alone in the world. The plot that unfolds seems, on the surface, to be concerned with the question as to whether or not Julie or her husband (a composer) was the actual composer of a symphony meant to commemorate the unification of Europe, but we soon find out that there is far more real mystery under the surface. Kieslowski's real concern was not the plot, but rather the possibility that liberty (as symbolized on the French flag by the color blue) is not such a desirable quality on a personal level. It is true, Kieslowski tells us, that liberty on a societal level is something to be desired, but what does one do with this liberty when it is in one's hands? What good are personal observations of mundane, everyday occurrences, when one has nobody else with whom to share those observations? Julie is alone, and no amount of freedom (or liberty) can soothe her emptiness.

White is a funnier, and oddly darker film than Blue, in which Kieslowski studies the question of equality (white on the French flag=equality). It is the story of a Polish hairdresser named Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), whose French wife (Julie Delpy) divorces him due to his inability to consummate their marriage. The plot, which is more straightforward than that of Blue, should not be given away. It is sufficient to let you know that Kieslowski seems to be telling us that not all men are created equal, particularly in the eyes of women.

Red, the final installment in the trilogy, deals with the concept of brotherhood (You guessed it, the French flag again. See a pattern?). Valentine (Irene Jacob) accidentally hits a dog with her car on her way home. She takes the dog to its owner, an old judge, and the two of them strike up a friendship. Their conversations are intercut with scenes from the life of a young man on his way to becoming a judge. Once again, the rest of the plot is too important to spoil.

A final note: Although these films were made to stand on their own, they are best viewed one after the other. The subtle differences in style, as evinced by Kieslowski's decision to use three separate cinematographers, are more fully experienced when one treats this as one long movie rather than three short movies.

Picture Quality: 10/10
Absolutely perfect picture quality (and anamorphic widescreen) preserves the importance of Kieslowki's visual language. Images are crystal clear and beautiful.

Sound Quality: 10/10
One need only watch Blue, and listen to how wonderful the music is in order to understand my reasoning behind this score.

Easter Eggs:
None were found. There is so much stuff on these discs that I doubt there would be any need to hide anything more.

Extra Features: 10/10
More in-depth analysis than any one person can handle. One is particularly struck by the section of each of the three DVDs titled, "Krzysztof Kieslowski's Cinema Lesson." In each, Kieslowski himself analyzes one scene from the film from the standpoint of what he wished to acheive with the scene, and how he acheived it. The "lesson" on Blue is the most interesting. I will never look at sugarcubes in the same way again.

Another interesting extra is the inclusion of some of Kieslowski's student films. Concert of Wishes, and Trolley are the best, but all of them deserve a look.

The Final Word:
Great films. Great DVDs. These are musts for any serious film-lover's collection.

Michael Dziura