La double vie de Véronique (1991)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski (writer) &
Krzysztof Piesiewicz (writer)

Release Date:

22 November 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Each of us is matched somewhere in the world, by our exact double - someone who shares our thoughts and dreams

Plot:

Veronika lives in Poland. Veronique lives in Paris. They don't know each other. Veronika gets a place in a music school...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Krakow Poland | Female Nudity | Choir | Bus

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Irène Jacob	...	Weronika / Véronique
Halina Gryglaszewska	...	La Tante
Kalina Jedrusik	...	La femme barjolée
Aleksander Bardini	...	Le chef d'orchestre / Conductor
Wladyslaw Kowalski	...	Le père de Weronika / Weronika's father
Jerzy Gudejko	...	Antek
Janusz Sterninski	...	L'avocat / Lawyer (as Jan Sterninski)
Philippe Volter	...	Alexandre Fabbri
Sandrine Dumas	...	Catherine
Louis Ducreux	...	Le professeur / Professor
Claude Duneton	...	Le père de Véronique / Father of Véronique
Lorraine Evanoff	...	Claude
Guillaume De Tonquedec	...	Serge
Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus	...	Jean-Pierre
Alain Frérot	...	Le facteur / Postman

Also Known As:

Podwójne życie Weroniki (Poland)
Podwojne zycie Weroniki (Poland)
The Double Life of Veronique (USA)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

France | Poland | Norway

Language:

French | Polish | Italian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Germany:12 (f)

Filming Locations:

Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France

Company:

Sidéral Productions

Trivia:

Kieslowski originally wanted Andie MacDowell to play Veronique.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Weronika is at the window of the bus, she holds some papers up to Antek, who is on a motorcycle. The angle she's holding the papers at alternates from perfectly straight to slightly askew as the shot alternates repeatedly from back to front.

Quotes:

Weronika: What else do you want to know about me?
Antek: Everything
Weronika: [picks up her purse and gently dumps the contents on the bed in front of him]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994)

Soundtrack:

Verso il cielo

Superb! Existential feast of ideas from the Master!

Kieslowski drives me to hyperbole, but I am not exaggerating when I say that this film is truly one of the best films ever made. It's an exploration of identity, presentiments, relationships (with the "self" and others) and the soul. Such themes could be messed around, but in the hands of such talented people, these so-called "irrationalities" are brought to life with beauty, subtlety and intelligence.

The music is amazing, the cinematography is stunning and Irene Jacob is wonderful. This is one of greatest films to explore the idea of the soul - and one of the best films, in general. If you haven't seen it, prepare to be moved by the metaphysical, the mysterious, and the humanity of the piece. If you like the Trois Couleurs trilogy, you'll surely love this too and maybe even feel like you've returned home, to the tree, to life, to the beginning - Kieslowski had the ability to move us all in such ways. Enjoy his beautiful film!