#Three Colours: Red

[metamorphesque]

Irène Jacob in "Three Colors: Red" (1994)

[laginestra98]

The metaphisical Love of Sauron's and Galadriel's hands

"They part the theater with a semitouch, their hands abstractly close-up, separated only by the glass of the car window. This marvelous cinematic gesture communicates so much more than simple character and plot resolution. The abstract nature of the shot amplifies the significance of it, suggesting love of the highest, metaphysical order." The Films of Krzysztof Kieślowski: The Liminal Image, Joseph G. Kickasola, pp. 317-318

I was reading this book for my thesis when i came about this lines and something in my head clicked at "suggesting love of the highest, metaphisical order". And in that moment I thought about Galadriel and Sauron (indeed, why doing your work when you can think of them, right?). This kind of love, which is metaphysical and it's shown through a simple gesture such as an almost-tuch. Just to give you some context, the text refers to Three colours: Red, which is the last film of the "Three Colours tryology" and of Krystof Kieslowski's career. It's about a young woman who casually meets an old retired judge and, slowly, they create some kind of connection (this is a very summarized plot, but there's more to it than this). Anyway, the frame the text refers to is this one:

This is the last time Valentine, the young woman, and the judge see each other. Kieslowksi is a real master of visual storytelling, and this is a blatant exemple. This short frame converge, as the text tells us, a ralethionship which was meant to be, but never was. In a previous scene the judge says to Valentine: "maybe, I never met the woman... maybe, you're the woman I never met". This non-meeting hangs there between them, between their hands, separeted by a glass, suspended in a timeless and spaceless moment. In this void their story exists, not in the real world, but in an alternate, separeted one. Sadly, is a world of imagination, so there isn't a possibility for a concrete connection, at least in the present. Now, there's more to say about Red, but I'll stop there because I don't think you're interested in it (but if you like cosmic connection and complicated carachters, you're welcome to watch this masterpice). What I want to address here are the words of Kickasola: "the abstract nature of the shot amplifies the significance of it, suggesting love of the highest, metaphysical order", then he adds: "at the same time, the glass symbolizes a barrier: a romantic connection reached for, but impossible". I think this words are easily applied to Sauron's and Galadriel's relathionship. So, let's analyzed how their hands are shot.

In this frames their hands don't touch, but they enlace each other's arms as a sign of trust. This is the first form of connection they share, still, they keep their distance: neither of them dares to touch the other's hand, neither for a shake. So, they create a barrier.

Here, their hands touch, but there's always an object between them. Every one of this objects rapresent an idea or a desire which are important to them: hope (the simbol of the Southlands king), promises (Finrod's dagger) and power (the nine rings).

In these their hands are near, but never touch. The illusion is shattered, the promise is lost and, even if Sauron tries, he's not able to reach for Galadriel's hand.

I think is interesting that they never hold each other's hand, nor voluntary, nor involontary, nor for necessity. All their approaches are shaped first by formalities, then by ideals, finally by betrayals. Their connection happens in this space, better, in this non-space where they can hide what they feel, but will never say. Love is relegated in a place beyond phisical reach, hung in the metaphisical domain: is in the space between their arms, in the hold of Finrod's dagger, in the distance that separates their hands when Sauron try to catch her from falling. I think the last frame, more than the others, explain this. Like the one in Red, the nature of the shot is abstract, suspended in the air. The background is out of focus, their hands clearly visible. But, unlike in Kieślowski's movie, the distance here is accentuated not only by the fact that Sauron doesn't reach Galadriel, but also by how their hands are shot: they never overlap, so they can't touch neither in the metaphisical space. So is Love over, even in the abstract dimension? No, it persists, willingly or unwillingly, in the outer world, that may become visible (but still not phisical) if the theory about the bond made by Morgoth's crown is correct. This is shown by Galadriel's hand reaching for the wound = for the invisible connection:

Interestingly enough, the phisical manifestation of said love (the phisical touch) happens in an outer space, separeted from reality: in Red, it happens in a theater, the ultimate fictional realm:

in trop, this happens in an illusion, Sauron's illusion:

Like Valentine and the judge, their love can't be sustained by reality, it wolud be crushed by hopes, ideals and power, but is unlatched from reality, alive in a place that trascend time and space. They both feel it, but will they acknowledge this? Only time will tell.

With this I won't mean that their love is not real, but that is bigger than the real world they are in (regardless from their behavior and choices)

Disclaimer: this is just my interpretation of Galadriel and Sauron relationship, it can be fallacious and is not a universal truth.

[cinemaastimegoesby]

Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994). dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[mariwatchesmovies]

Trois couleurs: Rouge | Three Colours: Red (1994) dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski cine. Piotr Sovociński

[estellaestella]

Three Colours: Blue (1993), Three Colours: White (1994) Three Colours: Red (1994). Written/co-written, produced and directed by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. Starring Juliette Binoche, Julie Delpy, Irene Jacob.

[rrrauschen]

Krzysztof Kieślowski, {1994} Trois couleurs: Rouge (Three Colors: Red)

[cinematicjourney]

Three Colours: Red (1994) | dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski

[falsenote]

Three Colours: Red (1994)

[nihillist-blog]

Three Colours: Red (1994)

[allweknewisdead]

Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994) - Krzysztof Kieślowski

[metamorphesque]

Irène Jacob in "Three Colors: Red" (1994)

[limbdolly]

Three Colours: Red Dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski 1994

[cinemaastimegoesby]

Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994). dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski

[meiiijuin]

[thegirlwithcollarbones]

In a 1996 interview, Kieślowski summarized the meaning of the trilogy films:

La double vie de Véronique:

Live carefuly, because there are people around you, whose lives and well-being depend on your actions. This concerns all of us, because the paths - these people and their destinies - cross each other all the time, whether we are aware of it or not. That's what responsibility means to me - to live carefully and attentively. We should observe people around us, and most of all ourselves.

Three Colors: Blue

Everything connected with emotions and with objects or with any kind of commitment is a trap. It forces us to give up our freedom. Love also takes away our freedom.

Three Colors: White

I don't think people want to be equal. Everyone wants to be a little better. And that's true for good things as well as bad ones.

Three Colors: Red

"Fraternity" means sympathy, a willingness to help others. The hero tries to convince her that it doesn't exist, but her very presence proves fraternity is possible.