ComedyDramaMystery

Three Colors: White

Polish immigrant Karol Karol finds himself out of a marriage, a job and a country when his French wife, Dominique, divorces him after six months due to his impotence. Forced to leave France after losing the business they jointly owned, Karol enlists fellow Polish expatriate Mikołaj to smuggle him back to their homeland.

Release Date : 1994-01-26

Language :FrenchHungarianPolish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : France 3 CinémaMK2 FilmsCAB ProductionsStudio Filmowe Tor

Production Country : FrancePolandSwitzerland

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Karol Karol

Original Name : Zbigniew Zamachowski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dominique

Original Name : Julie Delpy

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mikołaj

Original Name : Janusz Gajos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jurek

Original Name : Jerzy Stuhr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elegant

Original Name : Grzegorz Warchoł

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Peasant

Original Name : Jerzy Nowak

Gender : Male

Character Name : Notary

Original Name : Aleksander Bardini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspector

Original Name : Cezary Harasimowicz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Monsieur Bronek

Original Name : Jerzy Trela

Gender : Male

Character Name : Exchange Office Owner

Original Name : Cezary Pazura

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interpreter

Original Name : Michel Lisowski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man under the Exchange Office

Original Name : Piotr Machalica

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Ewa

Original Name : Barbara Dziekan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mariott Employee

Original Name : Marzena Trybała

Gender : Female

Character Name : Judge

Original Name : Philippe Morier-Genoud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Clerk

Original Name : Francis Coffinet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Metro Clerk

Original Name : Yannick Evely

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dominique's Lawyer

Original Name : Jacques Disses

Gender : Male

Character Name : Madame Jadwiga

Original Name : Teresa Budzisz-Krzyżanowska

Gender : Female

Character Name :

Original Name : Krystyna Bigelmajer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Airport Employee

Original Name : Jerzy Dominik

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man at Funeral

Original Name : Jakub Grzegorek

Gender : Male

Character Name : Airport Employee

Original Name : Małgorzata Kaczmarska

Gender : Female

Character Name :

Original Name : Aleksander Kalinowski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Consulate Representative

Original Name : Stan Latek

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Joanna Ładyńska

Gender : Male

Character Name : Registry Office Clerk

Original Name : Marianna Grodzka-Marziano

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Jan Mayzel

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : J. Modet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Karol's Employee

Original Name : Liliana Okowity-Brosset

Gender : Female

Character Name :

Original Name : Adam Papliński

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman in a Hotel Room

Original Name : Wojciech Paszkowski

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Małgorzata Prażmowska

Gender : Female

Character Name : Woman at Funeral

Original Name : Maria Robaszkiewicz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baggage Thief

Original Name : Zdzisław Rychter

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Bozena Szymanska

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jacek

Original Name : Bartłomiej Topa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Store Employee

Original Name : Wanda Wróblewska

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : M. Verner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Employee of Karol's Company

Original Name : Piotr Zelt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Julie

Original Name : Juliette Binoche

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sandrine

Original Name : Florence Pernel

Gender : Female

Character Name : Building Engineer (uncredited)

Original Name : Andrzej Precigs

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman at the Funeral (uncredited)

Original Name : Grażyna Szapołowska

Gender : Female

Reviews

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

2023-02-10

**I liked it, but the script seems a little too far-fetched.** Of the three films in Krzysztof Kieslowski's “color trilogy”, this is perhaps the closest to comedy. The plot begins with a couple's divorce: he is Polish and went to France because of her, who is French. Both got married, set up a common life, but the truth is that the couple's sex life is nil, he is not capable of consummating the act. He's not impotent, he's not homosexual, he just seems intimidated by the moment. Not satisfied with that, she keeps the goods, takes everything from her misfortunate ex-husband and threatens him. Living on the street, with no money and no life prospects, he decides to return to Warsaw in his own suitcase. After a while, he is a rich man. He's not an honest man, he didn't make his money in the most innocent way, but the movie ignores the morality around that. It's time to make the little Frenchy pay for what she did to him, and pay dearly. Let's go first to the points that I liked the most about this film: on a technical level, it's an impeccable work of art. The director is meticulous, he thinks of the smallest details and wants everything the way he envisioned it. The color white is omnipresent throughout the film, as it was in “Blue”. The cinematography is remarkable, and the construction of the sets and costumes is quite good. Despite being elegant, the music really accentuates the dark comic vein of the film, which works very well. The work of the two main actors, Zbigniew Zamachowski and Julie Delpy, is also very good. He, however, gains more visibility not only for being the protagonist, but for the very ironic and pleasantly funny way in which the character was developed. Delpy's role is not as rich, nor as interesting, but the actress manages herself well. The biggest problem I had with this film is the near-absolute unlikelihood of the script. In addition to the protagonist making money very easily without apparently any problems or harmful consequences, he is very much torn between love and revenge. On the one hand, it's obvious that he's never forgotten his ex-wife, that he loves her, despite all the bad things she's done and all the difficult situations he's been through to him because of her actions. He just doesn't seem to be able to hate her. On the other hand, he hates her enough to make her pay for everything, and in a very original way. What are we left with? Revenge without hate?

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-05-15

This is my favourite of the Kieslowski trilogy - even if it might make you wonder about the efficiency of airport security in future! It all centres around "Karol Karol" (Zbigniew Zamachowski) who is facing divorce from his glamorous wife (Julie Delpy) - on the grounds of non-consummation - and that is going to reduce him to poverty. Luckily, on the Metro platform, he encounters "Mikolaj" (Janusz Gajos) and the two concoct a plan to smuggle him back to his native Poland where he can make his fortune (maybe) and get some revenge on his wife. His journey doesn't quite go to plan, but he eventually manages to get a job working security and when he overhears the plans of his bosses to buy up some land, he jumps the gun and is soon on the road to riches.... It's funny, this film. Not in a ha-ha sort of fashion, but the writing and the characterisations create an enjoyable series of scenarios - some, admittedly, less plausible than others - as the adaptable and quick-thinking "Karol" carefully plots his vengeance. The supporting cast deliver well - his hairdressing cousin "Jurek" frequently stealing his scenes but not in a way we might expect. Short and sweet and well worth a watch.