I wrote this article for cinemachords.com - direct link!
We all have been waiting for the Blue is the Warmest
Color trailer for what seems to be an eternity. The official
premiere at the Cannes Festival back in May 2013 had kept us all
hanging on. When Adbellatif Kechiche’s movie won the Palme d’Or,
audience anticipation for this film grew even stronger.
Well, the trailer is finally here!
It is a captivating premise to what will surely become a
classic of New Queer Cinema. The simple waterfall of emotions to the tune
of Beach House is a piece of art of its own. The mute characters
displayed here are another attempt to keep the mystery alive until you get the
chance to watch the full movie. For the UK, you will have to wait until the
15th of November to rush to your movie theater. Lucky for me, it will be shown
at the Vancouver International Film Festival in a few days…
The French drama – based on the graphic novel by Julie
Maroh – focuses on Adèle’s self-discovery and her love story with Emma, a
blue-haired art student. The sublime Adèle Exarchopoulos / Léa
Seydoux duo received critical acclaim for their performance. Blue
is the Warmest Color has already been described as the first great
love story of the 21st century. Expect some pretty realistic sensual scenes
between the two actresses. In an interview earlier this year, Adèle and Léa
were asked « What shouldn’t you think about during a sex scene ? ».
Adèle looked into Léa’s eyes and simply stated : « I shouldn’t think…
That I have my nose in your asshole.»
. I enjoy this kind of horrid tales about the monstrosities inflicted to people in the name of social customs. The hypocrisy of religion embraces the whole community. The so-called respectable 'upper class' is obviously the worst. Explore sordid sexuality. Meet molesters. Get offended by child abuse. Haneke's analysis on the obsolete views of normal child development is rather good. Link a kid's arms to his bed at night so he stops masturbating? Really?! I like the director's approach of the century-old clarification of central topics like death. I find Das Weisse Band visually delightful and the thriller-themed pre-war plot is well-operated. But (because there is always a 'but') I am a bit disappointed by the end. I expected a clear-cut grand finale and I left the room with this feeling of unfinished business. From my perspective, Das Weisse Band could have been a masterpiece but as it turns out, it has been a little bit overrated. Every piece by a master doesn't necessarily turn out to be a masterpiece. Das Weisse Band is simply a piece by the master Haneke.