If Blue is Warm Than What is Red?

I absolutely love foreign films. My first taste of foreign films was in my high school Italian class; we watched Bicycle Thieves, aka: Ladri di Biciclette. It is a film about a man surviving the economic harshness of post WWII. He goes searching for his stolen bicycle, an item with which he will lose his job without. His desperation only increases throughout the movie when his family slips closer to homelessness due to his inability to earn a living wage. The film is like stepping into a time machine, telling a story as old as time in a uniquely heartbreaking way. SPOILER ALERT: there is no happy ending. He does not get his job back. His fate comes full circle when he attempts to steal another man's bike and is arrested on the spot.

Since that movie, I have seen films about family dynamic, young love, the evils of fame, etc. Unfortunately these films, although memorable, are nameless faces to me now; I am not so good with titles. What attracts me to them in the first place is not only their unique production style, but their message. Most foreign films I've seen capture the raw truth of the human experience while we, as audience members, can indirectly experience that truth. In the U.S., our commercial cinema is so focused on running away from reality and idealizes the "American Dream". For me, I resonate more with a film that is impactful; a film with which I can step out of my subjective perspective of life and be open minded to characters I would otherwise never sympathize with. We can, as a western society, be too focused on romanticizing the truth because it is a better truth. Although they are entertaining box-office success year after year (I mean, come on! My favorite film is She's the Man), I prefer a movie that challenges me.

That being said, today I wanted to talk about Blue is the Warmest Color (aka: La Vie d'Adèle). Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and Golden Globe Nominated for Best Foreign Film, Blue is the Warmest Color speaks to the idea of love. Most people view it as a testimony to sexuality; I see it as a statement of the basic human need for love. Adèle is a high school level student with an interest in becoming a teacher. After failed attempts at relationships both romantic and platonic, she finds comfort in the presence of Emma, a University student and studio artist. The movie narrates their lives together spanning a course of about 5 years (I assume), through which they experience jealousy, conflict of interest, as well as the pressures of being a lesbian couple and the social injustices that go with it (breath). SPOILER ALERT: In the end, their relationship comes to a close when Adèle feels neglected by Emma, forcing her into the arms of a male co-worker. Although they re-unite years later, Emma cannot bring herself to ruin the life she's built for herself to be back with Adèle. Roll credits.

Blue is the Warmest Color was difficult to watch. Even more so, it's a little difficult to write about. I could speak about the LBGT agenda or the harsh and lonely journey of adolescence. What I would like to say about this movie was that I believed Adèle's relationship with Emma was the perfect example of a beautiful lie. Adèle is in a period of life where she is discovering more about who she is, what she wants to do, and pigeonholed by the pressures of her peers and parents - a journey I am all to familiar with. Being in a relationship with Emma was more of a testament to her need to be loved/rescued than it was her ability to give love. Her relationship with Emma is so one-sided that she neglects to tell her friends, lies to her parents, and eventually abandons everything about her previous life. I believe Adèle finally realizes her inability to be comfortable about who she is in two parts of the movie. The first towards the end when she sleeps with her co-worker on a regular bases and is caught by Emma - who then in turn throws her out of the apartment. Once again at the end of the movie when Emma denies her advances and opts for a relationship that is more stable. In the end, Adèle is forced by fate to deal with being alone. In a poetic way, she accepts that she is just as naive and lost as she was when she was a hopeless teenager, despite her years with Emma and her personal "growth". It was like the movie reverted back to the beginning.

This movie was a thought provoking, age-old tale told through the eyes of two lesbian lovers. I loved the production quality, commitment, themes, and the challenge. I will probably discover more about what impacted me when I watch the movie again. If you have seen the movie already, feel free to tell me what you thought of it. If you are interested in watching the movie, it is viewable now on Netflix.

Go watch.
Go love.
Dare to be challenged.

Cheers,
Kay