Although Krzysztof Kieslowski once denied the existence of such a practice, which is to add political perspectives to his films, it is true that there are some allusions to political ideas in some of them. After A Short Film About Killing (1988) was shown, the Polish government announced a five-year suspension of the death penalty in view of the criticism of the it in the film.Trois couleuos: Bleu, Blanc, Rouge (1993-1994)as a series of three films trying to express France's equality, freedom and fraternity. In The double life of Veronique (1991), It can be regarded not only as a portrayal of Kieslowski's career, but also as a description of the current situation of European film industry in the late 20th century. In the film, Weronika from Poland and Veronique from France, both of them are part of the director's life experience and the image of their respective countries.
Before Kieslowski made the film, there was a trend in Europe: a European film system dominated by French films had been established. There have some reasons why France become the center of the European film: first, the signing of Blum Byrnes agreement (1946) provided an opportunity for the revival of French films. Second, the cooperation with other European countries (such as Italy)initiated the first step of transnational cooperation, and the direct subsidy policy of the state and the "avance sur recettes" provides the finance support for the local directors (Nettlebeck, 1999). As France is the center of European films, Krzysztof Kieslowski, as a young director, chose to leave Poland and go to France. This is the background of the double life of Veronique.
1.Between dream and reality
Nettlebeck(1999) thinks that film can be regarded as its film producer. Kieslowski's transformation from a Polish director to a French director. In the process of this transformation, the director expresses his feelings of contradiction and struggle through this film. In the movie, two singers with the same name(Weronika and Veronique) have similarities in many places: Both have heart disease, but are singers and love music. The only difference is where they are(Poland and France). The director hopes to highlight the only difference,because this difference determines the different lives of the two girls. When describing the difference between France and Poland, Kieslowski arranged the first scene of the beginning of the film purposefully: On Christmas night, a Polish mother takes her daughter to see the stars and describing them in poetic language; A French mother introduces her daughter to Christmas tree, and teaches her the vein and pattern of the leaves. As shown at the beginning, in Kieslowski's performance, the Polish ‘stars’ represent a spiritual power: a perceptual and supernatural power derived from primitive gods. What the metaphor for French ‘leaves’ is another kind of rational and realistic idea (Newttlebeck, 1999). Under the guidance of two different ideas, the two girls with similar circumstances come to different endings: Weronika loved art and was willing to give her life for it until she died; Veronique struggled under the rigid art system and lost her original dream. If Weronika is regarded as a metaphor of Kieslowski in Poland,Veronique's situation is the same as that of Kieslowski after he went to France. Similar to what is implied in movies, French movies are forming a system (rationality) and gradually becoming a paradigm in Europe. This story may be understood in this way. Kieslowski hopes to give the audience a warning:with the rapid development of the film industry, human nature is gradually disappearing, replaced by the pursuit of interests and endless temptation.Under the control of rigid system, even the soul with inspiration and passion will be destroyed. Kieslowski undoubtedly experienced this transformation, in the process of which he killed Weronika in his heart. This is his dilemma: the true artist, must obey his destiny (Robert, 2000).
2.Betweenlife and death.
When talking about the double life of Vironique, Kieslowski said that he shot the film with pure emotion, which is only a personal film without political metaphor (Stok, 1993). But combined with the special setting of characters'fate in the film, it seems that some deep political implications can be found. Weronika and Veronique can be regarded as the eastern and Western versions of the same character. The film starts in 1970’s, and the haze of the cold war is over Europe. The main plot of the film takes place around 1990, when the Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse, and the countries of Eastern Europe don't know where to go in the future. This setting can be reflected by fallen Communist Party statues and protest crowds in the square. Weronika in Poland is living in this turbulent situation, while Veronique in France is being protected. They play two roles: the sufferer and the onlooker in the political disaster. So, they are very similar but have different lives. When there's a connection between them, there's a delicate but powerless situation: seeing another self, but can't getting a response. In this film, Weronika of Poland dies, while Veronique of France lives. This ingenious setting can be regarded as a metaphor for Kieslowski to look at Western Europe from his perspective as a polish. It's not equal, but Kieslowski doesn't reinforce that too much.Instead, in his setting, Weronika's death is a sacrifice, opening up a new space for Veronique (Knight, 2009). The sufferings of the dead give birth to reasons for the living to live better. But in the end, Kieslowski understood that in a world forcibly divided by different political ideas, gentle and poetic connections cannot cross the gap between the two real worlds. The only thing left is the blessing to the living and the unspeakable loneliness.
Word account: 959 words
Reference:
Knight, C. (2009). “For once, then, something”:Krzysztof Kieslowski’s the double life of Vironique and the apophatic beyond.Literature/Film Quarterly. ProQuest Direct Complete. 37(4). 283-294.
Nettlebeck, C. (1999). Is There a "European"Cinema? The "French" Films of Krzysztof Kieslowski as Case-Study. The"French" Films of Krzysztof Kieslowski. 36(1), 136-151.
Robert, G. (2000). Double Lives: Europe and Identityin the Later Films of Krzysztof Kieswlowski.Why Europe? Problems of Culture and Identity. London: Macmillan Press. 37-50.
