Review of The Double Life of Véronique (1991) by Ryan M — 26 Aug 2009

A frustrating, vague yet hypnotic story revolving around two identical looking women: Veronique lives in France, Weronika lives in Poland. Yet somehow the two are connected, we first follow Weronika, and once her story is complete, our attention is switched to Veronique. Both of them can sing, both of them share similar characteristics, and it appears that one can somehow influence the decision of the other.

If this was an American film, they would explain everything at the end, ruining the experience, and leaving a plethora of plotholes. But Krzysztof Kieslowski doesn't tell us why these two are connected, how these two are connected, or how everything fits together. Why doesn't he tell us? Because he can't explain it, the same way that I can't explain that feeling that I'm not alone in this world, that is what the film is about: That feeling, that sensation that there is someone out there who can feel what you feel. If you try to do what I did the first time I watched it: Attempt to rationalise and explain every piece of the puzzle, you will only end up frustrated, because the pieces don't fit together so perfectly, life doesn't always tie everything up into a neat little bow. Instead, sit back, and let the luminous performance of Irene Jacob (Who won best actress at Cannes), captivate you, along with the haunting score by Kieslowski regular Zbigniew Preisner. Not only that, the cinematography uses a lot of red and greens (I used to think there was some sort of deep philosophical statement behind the colour scheme, but Kieslowski used the two colours because all of the buildings were in a boring grey colour and he needed to liven the place up). The film was made after the epic Dekalog series (10 part series loosely based on the 10 commandments, which Stanley Kubrick labelled the only masterpiece he had seen in his lifetime) and before the Three Colours Trilogy (Irene Jacob would be the star in the final part of the Trilogy). Krzysztof Kieslowski's film is hard to explain in literal terms, it's all in the feeling.