Three Colours: Red
Movie, 1994, Named by the director, Set in Third in the trilogy
Three Colours: Red is #20 of 48 in release order and #21 of 48 in chronological order in the Spiritual Trilogies.
The story
Part-time model Valentine unexpectedly befriends a retired judge after she runs over his dog. At first, the grumpy man shows no concern about the dog, and Valentine decides to keep it. But the two form a bond when she returns to his house and catches him listening to his neighbors’ phone calls.
Three Colours: Red recap
Valentine, a student and model in Geneva, runs over a pregnant dog named Rita and takes it to its owner, Joseph Kern, a retired judge who does not seem to care. She has the dog treated and keeps it, and Kern sends money to cover the vet. When Rita runs back to his house, Valentine finds he spends his days listening in on his neighbours' phone calls. She is disgusted, but they keep talking, and he begins to change; he reports himself to the police and his neighbours sue him. Living near Valentine, unseen by her, is Auguste, a young law student whose life closely mirrors Kern's youth: he passes his exams, then catches his girlfriend Karin with another man. Kern tells Valentine about the woman he loved who betrayed him and later died, and she invites him to her fashion show before she leaves for England by ferry. Red, standing for fraternity, ends Kieślowski's Three Colours Trilogy.
Three Colours: Red ending explained
The ferry sinks and seven people survive, among them the leads of all three films. Valentine sails for England, with Auguste on the same boat. A storm sinks the ferry. Watching the news, Kern sees the survivors: Julie and Olivier from Blue, Karol and Dominique from White, a barman, and Auguste and Valentine, pictured side by side. A freeze frame of Valentine matches the large advertising photo of her seen earlier in Geneva.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Three Colours: Red
Three Colours: Red is streaming on TCM and HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home.
Ratings
IMDb 8.0/10, Rotten Tomatoes 100%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Three Colours: White, before The Rock.
- Chronological order: after Three Colours: White, before Days of Being Wild.
Cast
- Irène Jacob as Valentine
- Jean-Louis Trintignant as The Judge
- Frédérique Feder as Karin
- Jean-Pierre Lorit as Auguste
- Samuel Le Bihan as Photographer
- Marion Stalens as Veterinarian
- Teco Celio as Bartender
- Bernard Escalon as Record Dealer
- Jean Schlegel as Neighbor
- Elżbieta Jasińska as Woman
- Paul Vermeulen as Karin's Friend
- Jean-Marie Daunas as Theater Keeper
Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski.