THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE
Poland/France, 1991, 93 minutes, Colour.
Irene Jacob, Philippe Volter.
Directed by Krzystof Kiezlowski.
The Double Life of Veronique was Kiezlowzki's first film after his mammoth undertaking with The Decalogue, his series of one-hour films on the ten commandments in a modern setting and the two feature films which emerged, a short film about love and a short film about killing. Two years after Veronique, he would release Three Colours Blue and then White and Red. Unfortunately, Kiezlowski died of a heart attack after the release of Three Colours Red. Though he had said he would withdraw from film-making, he had begun, with his regular collaborator (as here) Krzystof Piesiewicz. The only film script that he had completed by the time of his death was for Heaven, which was made into a film in 2001 by Tom Tykwer.
The Double Life of Veronique won the Best Actress award at Cannes for its star Irene Jacob. She is as, as so many critics say, luminous in the role of a young Polish woman called Veronica who has a gift for singing and the transcendent joy of music. As she sings in a cantata, it is too much for her and she collapses, dead.
However, she had seen a tourist who had looked exactly like her and had been photographed by the tourist. She felt that she was not alone in the world and after 30 minutes the film transfers to the story of the French Veronique, a violin teacher who is also struggling for some kind of meaning and relationship.
The film is intelligent, beautifully composed, utilising the music of Kiezlowski's regular composer Preisner and employing a whole range of suggestive symbols, especially looking through glass and getting distortions and varied perspectives, of light and reflections, mysterious lights which indicate a transcendent presence, as well as an old woman struggling along the road and, principally, a master of puppets who creates a story which illustrates the lives of the two Veroniques. Clearly, those who want a religious interpretation of the film will see the puppet master and the symbolism of God and God's control over people and the universe. The film won the Ecumenical Prize at Cannes in 1991.
1. The work of Kiezlowski? World admiration for his film as art? His perspectives on character, on society, on religious and transcendent values? The search for meaning? The importance of colour and beauty, music, singing?
2. The Polish setting, Krakow and the city streets, homes, concert halls? The city square and the tourist bus? The contrast with the world of Paris, its streets, railway stations, apartments, the countryside? The importance of the two settings for the two Veronicas?
3. The colour photography, the musical score, the ethereal beauty of the singing, the Dutch composer and his melodies? The recurring musical motifs throughout the film? Music as a character in the film?
4. Kiezlowski's perspective on individuals in the world, their equivalent counterparts? The plausibility of the two women being half-sisters - physically, spiritually? The puppet master and his telling the story of the two Veronicas born on the same day, their links, the one being burnt, the other knowing not to touch a hot stove_? The puppet master speaking of God's perspective on his creation?
5. The portrait of the Polish Veronique: her ability to sing, the story of her hand being caught in the car door and having to give up her piano career? Her relationship with her father, fondness, the visits to him, the discussions? Her singing at the opening of the film, in the rain, the encounter with the man, going to the room? The importance of sexuality and sexual encounters? On the road to the discovery of love? The separation from the man, not writing to him, his ringing, her seeing him from the bus, getting out, the discussion, on the bike? Her friends? Her visit to her aunt? An ethereal person, going to the audition, listening, joining in the singing? Her winning the competition? Her joy? The Polish Veronique seeing her double in the bus, allowing herself to be photographed? Her comments to her father about not being alone in the universe?
6. The performance, the intensity of her singing, the beauty of her singing, it being too much for her, her collapse and death?
7. The transition to France, the French Veronique and her sexual relationship, her love for the man, her reflections about her situation? Her visits to her father and discussions with him? Her explaining that she was in love, but could not explain fully why? Her having a sense of being in love? At her home, the episode of the person shining the mirror into her room, her response to the light? Her looking out the window, the person withdrawing, yet the light still present in the room with no-one seeming to shine it in? The importance of looking through windows, looking through glass, each of the Veroniques looking through a marble, the different perspective, the village and the street with the church spire?
8. Veronique and her classes, the children, the Dutch composer, the beauty of the music, the children playing out of tune? The visit of the puppeteer, her watching the story of the ballerina, the tragic atmosphere? Her looking out the window at the puppeteer?
9. Her friends, the divorce situation, her willingness to give testimony? The discussion about the puppeteer, her friend remembering the book and reading it to her daughter, finding that the puppeteer was the author?
10. The phone call in the night, the voice asking her to listen, hearing the music? The gift of the cigars? The gift of the tape? The sounds of the railway station, the information about the train? Veronique and her going to the station, waiting, the puppeteer's arrival, his explanation about writing the book? Her horror, running away, watching him pursue her? His finding her, his saying that he loved her, her response? Their going away and being together in the hotel after the chance encounter in the lobby?
11. Her realisation that she was in love, that she was not alone, the discovery of the photo taken in Krakow, her being satisfied with knowing that there was somebody close to her? The puppeteer and his creating the story of the two Veroniques?
12. The finale with Veronique going to see her father, touching the tree? Leaving the interpretation and the meaning open to the audience?
