What I'm Watching
Three Colors: Blue
With all the free time on my hands, I finally got around to ordering the HDMI cable I needed to set up the Apple TV I bought back in January. I was sort of fine with what my smart TV already had on offer, but a cinephile had told me it was the best way to get my hands on the widest array of films. He was right! Can’t believe it took me so long to set up this treasure trove.
On the recommendation of a friend, last night I started the Three Colors trilogy from Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski. I hardly have the chops to play film critic, but I will say that in a time like this, where it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the weight of our troubles, this film was an oddly uplifting display of resilience and adaptation. Roger Ebert called it an anti-tragedy. That’s not to say that it’s cheery, by any stretch, but there was something soothing about watching this young wife & mother, who’d just lost her family in a car crash, clear the slate and do what she needed to to exist in a completely altered life. Her troubles aren’t gone completely, but there’s a calm sort of stoicism, patience, and a refocusing on others that really touched me. There’s also a theme of “doing nothing” that is currently quite relatable. As a cherry on top, she befriends her neighbor, a sweet little escort, by refusing to sign the petition going around to have her ousted from the building.
It’s a special film, and even now I’m welling up a bit, thinking about particular moments. So to avoid spoilers I’ll wrap this up, but if you need a cool, quiet night, and an anti-tragic lens to view the world through, I recommend it.
