ihath

A woman is griped by a sudden sense of sadness. She is grieving but she is not sure why or for what. The feeling that something has gone missing in the world haunts her.

Such is the start of the movie “The Double Life of Veronique” which I had the chance to see last night.

An odd chance encounter with a children’s book author and a puppeteer leads helps Veronique to get insights into her condition and feelings. The puppeteer thinks he is making up yet another one of his stories, but unbeknown to him he is helping Veronique unlock the secrets of her existence.

I have always been a huge fan of the Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski. Unfortunately, most of his movies are not easily available to the North American Public. So when I heard the Vancouver International Film center is holding a two week focus on this brilliant director, I decided that I would go see as many of his movies as I could. With work, three kids and grumpy husband I can’t go to the movie theater nearly as frequently as I would like to so I had choose very carefully. Over the weekend I went to see some of his Decalogue movies. These are 10 one hour long movies each focusing on one of the ten Commandments. I covered the following Commandments

I am the lord thy God
Thou shall not take thy lords name in vain
Thou shall not kill
Thou shall not commit adultery

All were brilliant movie but the one I enjoyed the most was the one about adultery. After this awesome feast, I decided to go see “The Double Life of Veronique” last night. All of you that are familiar with Kieslowski’s movie should be familiar with his repeated use of the little old lady that is hunched over, walking with a cane limping along slowly, holding a heavy bag and struggling to reach her destination. Last night as I was standing in line waiting to buy my ticket, I saw a little old lady with white hair, hunched over, limping along, carrying a big bag and walking towards the theater. She wasn’t holding a cane but she looked straight out of a Kieslowski movie. It was almost eerie. I felt as if I was in one of his movies already. As if the movie had started as I stood in the line, there was magic in the air, at least that is how it felt to me. I felt as if Kieslowski was with us in spirit watching the movie with us.

I found the movie “Double Life” the most dream like and the most mystical of all his movies that I had seen. In fact it isn’t a movie, I would call it visual poetry. Since the plot and story are only a pretext to engage you on a subconscious level. The movie is starring actress Irene Jacobe and in the movie she is beautiful, child like in her innocence and passion for life. Yet a grown woman in her physical appearance. In the movie we get to see her in various states of dress and undress. As I watched the movie I had the feeling as if Kieslowski was in love with Irene Jacobe and he made the movie so that he could make love to her with his camera. The movie is erotic to the extreme, yet lovely and innocent in a way I can’t explain.

I am not going to tell you the ending, but the only thing I will say is that only Kieslowski could make a movie that has a tragically sad and immensely happy ending all at once.

There were a couple of elements I didn’t understand in the movie. I am sure they are in there for a reason, but I simply haven’t been able to place them. The whole subplot where Veronique agrees to testify in court that she slept with her friend’s ex … what was that about? The other thing I didn’t understand was the symbolism of Veronique rubbing a ring against her eye lashes.

I feel like I need to go see the movie again to fully understand it.

There is a way between voice and presence where information flows. In disciplined silence it opens. With wandering talk it closes. .... Rumi