Like many of my absolute favorite films I’ve probably only seen this a handful of times — I don’t know whether that’s my brain trying to subconsciously prevent myself from diluting their emotional impact, or if I simply didn’t have the time/access to revisit things repeatedly. I own the Miramax DVD set of Three Colors, and the newer Criterion 4K as well (though I did think long and hard about the Curzon edition as well). Funny to come back to this and now realize what an icon Jean-Louis Trintignant was. I guess my younger self could only register Irène Jacob.
I noticed what Kieslowśki and Sobociński were doing with the camera a lot more this time around — they play with faces in reflection, and there’s a lovely scene where The Judge changes a lightbulb and Valentine’s face is in the dark only to be lit up in a flash of overwhelming light — before the lampshade lowers to frame her in a warm glow.
And the ending! I had genuinely forgotten it. Fitting, given Kieslowśki’s love of interconnected stories.