The Double Life of Véronique
Encyclopedia
The Double Life of Véronique is a 1991
French
- and Polish
-language film directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
, co-written by Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz
, starring Irène Jacob
, with original music by Zbigniew Preisner
. The film was Kieślowski's first to be produced partly outside Poland.
A Criterion Collection region 1 DVD was released in November 2006 in the USA and Canada only. It includes an alternate ending which Kieślowski did at the request of Harvey Weinstein
of Miramax for the American release.
, Weronika, and then a young woman in France
, Véronique, both played by Irène Jacob
. Though unrelated, the two appear identical, share many personality traits, and seem to be aware of each other on some level, as if they are doppelgänger
s; but except for a brief glimpse through a bus window in Kraków
, they never meet. After Weronika sacrifices everything in the pursuit of a singing
career, Véronique abandons her own similar goal because of poor health and attempts to find an independent course for her life, while becoming involved with a man who is fascinated by clues to her double nature. The man is a puppeteer
and maker of marionette
s, helping raise the questions that are central to the film: is there such a thing as free will, or is it up to a creator of some kind, or is it just a matter of chance that one acts and thinks as one does?
, it showcased Preisner's musical score as a major plot element, crediting his work to the fictional Van den Budenmayer. The cinematography
is highly stylized, using color and camera filters to create an ethereal atmosphere; the cinematographer, Sławomir Idziak, had previously experimented with these techniques in one episode of The Decalogue
, and Kieślowski would later use color for a wider range of effects in his Three Colors trilogy
. Kieślowski had earlier used the idea of exploring different paths in life for the same person, in his Polish film Przypadek (Blind Chance), and the central choice faced by Weronika/Véronique is based on a brief subplot in the ninth episode of The Decalogue
.
: both are highly cultured, but while Véronique is seemingly free to choose her destiny, Weronika's early death represents the sacrifice of Poland during the Second World War and its subsequent incorporation into the Soviet bloc; Véronique senses this loss without realizing what it is, and that she is incomplete without Weronika.
Film critic Roger Ebert
entered the film to his Great Movies collection in February, 2009. The film got 4-stars (out of 5) rating plus "High Artistic Quality" on www.allmovie.com.
At the Internet movie database, the film holds user rating of 7.8 (out of 10), based on 9558 votes.
Site about.com, which specializes on DVD reviews, gave the film 5 of 5 stars in their critical review. The film got favourable rating (3 of 5 stars) on www.bbc.co.uk/films and holds 84 % rating on www.rottentomatoes.com
for Krzysztof Kieslowski, at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival
. Irène Jacob won the Best Actress
.
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
- and Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
-language film directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski was an Academy Award nominated influential Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for The Double Life of Veronique and his film cycles The Decalogue and Three Colors.-Early life:...
, co-written by Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Krzysztof Marek Piesiewicz is a Polish lawyer, screenwriter, and politician, who is currently a member of the Polish Parliament and head of the Ruch Społeczny or Social Movement Party....
, starring Irène Jacob
Irène Jacob
Irène Marie Jacob is a French-born Swiss actress considered one of the preeminent French actresses of her generation. Jacob gained international recognition and acclaim through her work with Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski, who cast her in the lead role of The Double Life of Véronique...
, with original music by Zbigniew Preisner
Zbigniew Preisner
Zbigniew Preisner is a Polish film score composer, best known for his work with film director Krzysztof Kieślowski.-Life:Zbigniew Preisner studied history and philosophy in Kraków. Never having received formal music lessons, he taught himself music by listening and transcribing parts from records....
. The film was Kieślowski's first to be produced partly outside Poland.
A Criterion Collection region 1 DVD was released in November 2006 in the USA and Canada only. It includes an alternate ending which Kieślowski did at the request of Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, CBE is an American film producer and movie studio chairman. He is best known as co-founder of Miramax Films. He and his brother Bob have been co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company, their film production company, since 2005...
of Miramax for the American release.
Plot
The film follows the lives of a young woman first in PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Weronika, and then a young woman in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Véronique, both played by Irène Jacob
Irène Jacob
Irène Marie Jacob is a French-born Swiss actress considered one of the preeminent French actresses of her generation. Jacob gained international recognition and acclaim through her work with Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski, who cast her in the lead role of The Double Life of Véronique...
. Though unrelated, the two appear identical, share many personality traits, and seem to be aware of each other on some level, as if they are doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
s; but except for a brief glimpse through a bus window in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, they never meet. After Weronika sacrifices everything in the pursuit of a singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
career, Véronique abandons her own similar goal because of poor health and attempts to find an independent course for her life, while becoming involved with a man who is fascinated by clues to her double nature. The man is a puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
and maker of marionette
Marionette
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
s, helping raise the questions that are central to the film: is there such a thing as free will, or is it up to a creator of some kind, or is it just a matter of chance that one acts and thinks as one does?
Filming style
The film has a strong fantasy element, though the supernatural aspect of the story is never explained. Like the later Three Colors: BlueThree Colors: Blue
Three Colors: Blue is a 1993 French drama film written, produced, and directed by the acclaimed Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski. Blue is the first of three films that comprise The Three Colors Trilogy, themed on the French Revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity; it is...
, it showcased Preisner's musical score as a major plot element, crediting his work to the fictional Van den Budenmayer. The cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
is highly stylized, using color and camera filters to create an ethereal atmosphere; the cinematographer, Sławomir Idziak, had previously experimented with these techniques in one episode of The Decalogue
The Decalogue
The Decalogue is a 1989 Polish television drama series directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and co-written by Kieślowski with Krzysztof Piesiewicz, with music by Zbigniew Preisner...
, and Kieślowski would later use color for a wider range of effects in his Three Colors trilogy
Three Colors
The Three Colours Trilogy is the collective title of three films – a trilogy – directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, two made in French and one primarily in Polish: Trois couleurs: Bleu , Trzy kolory: Biały , and Trois couleurs: Rouge...
. Kieślowski had earlier used the idea of exploring different paths in life for the same person, in his Polish film Przypadek (Blind Chance), and the central choice faced by Weronika/Véronique is based on a brief subplot in the ninth episode of The Decalogue
The Decalogue
The Decalogue is a 1989 Polish television drama series directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and co-written by Kieślowski with Krzysztof Piesiewicz, with music by Zbigniew Preisner...
.
Critical reception
Film critic Marek Haltof sees the film as a political allegory in which Weronika represents Poland and Véronique France, or the WestWestern world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
: both are highly cultured, but while Véronique is seemingly free to choose her destiny, Weronika's early death represents the sacrifice of Poland during the Second World War and its subsequent incorporation into the Soviet bloc; Véronique senses this loss without realizing what it is, and that she is incomplete without Weronika.
Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
entered the film to his Great Movies collection in February, 2009. The film got 4-stars (out of 5) rating plus "High Artistic Quality" on www.allmovie.com.
At the Internet movie database, the film holds user rating of 7.8 (out of 10), based on 9558 votes.
Site about.com, which specializes on DVD reviews, gave the film 5 of 5 stars in their critical review. The film got favourable rating (3 of 5 stars) on www.bbc.co.uk/films and holds 84 % rating on www.rottentomatoes.com
Box Office Performance
The film was the 50th highest grossing film of the year with a total of 592,241 admissions in France. In North America the film opened on 1 screen grossing $8,572 its opening weekend. In total the film grossed $1,999,955 at the North American Box Office playing at a total of 22 theaters in its widest release which is a respectable result for a foreign art film.Awards and nominations
The Double Life of Véronique won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical JuryPrize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival since 1974. The Ecumenical Jury is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the official jury and the FIPRESCI jury. The award was created by Christian film makers, film...
for Krzysztof Kieslowski, at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival
1991 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Roman Polanski *Férid Boughedir *Whoopi Goldberg *Margaret Menegoz *Natalia Negoda *Alan Parker *Jean-Paul Rappeneau *Hans Dieter Seidel *Vittorio Storaro...
. Irène Jacob won the Best Actress
Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * ....
.
- Cannes Film Festival1991 Cannes Film Festival- Jury :*Roman Polanski *Férid Boughedir *Whoopi Goldberg *Margaret Menegoz *Natalia Negoda *Alan Parker *Jean-Paul Rappeneau *Hans Dieter Seidel *Vittorio Storaro...
(France)- Won: Best ActressBest Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * ....
(Irène Jacob) - Won: FIPRESCI Prize (Krzysztof Kieslowski)
- Won: Prize of the Ecumenical JuryPrize of the Ecumenical JuryThe Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival since 1974. The Ecumenical Jury is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the official jury and the FIPRESCI jury. The award was created by Christian film makers, film...
(Krzysztof Kieslowski) - Nominated: Golden Palm (Krzysztof Kieslowski)
- Won: Best Actress
- César Awards (France)
- Nominated: Best Actress – Leading RoleCésar Award for Best ActressList of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actress .-Winners and nominees:...
(Irène Jacob) - Nominated: Best Music Written for a FilmCésar Award for Best Music Written for a FilmThis is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Music Written for a Film . Before 2000, the award was called "César Award for Best Music".-1970s:...
(Zbigniew Preisner)
- Nominated: Best Actress – Leading Role
- Golden Globe Awards (USA)
- Nominated: Best Foreign Language FilmGolden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...
- Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film
- Independent Spirit AwardsIndependent Spirit AwardsThe Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
(USA)- Nominated: Best Foreign Film
- Los Angeles Film CriticsLos Angeles Film Critics AssociationThe Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
(USA)- Won: Best Music (Zbigniew Preisner; also for At Play in the Fields of the LordAt Play in the Fields of the LordAt Play in the Fields of the Lord is a drama film directed by Héctor Babenco adapted from the 1965 novel of the same name by American author Peter Matthiessen. The screenplay was written by Babenco and Jean-Claude Carrière...
and Europa EuropaEuropa EuropaEuropa Europa is a 1990 German language film directed by Agnieszka Holland. Its original German title is Hitlerjunge Salomon, i.e. "Hitler Youth Salomon". It is based on the 1989 autobiography of Solomon Perel, a German Jewish boy who escaped The Holocaust by masquerading not just as a non-Jew, but...
)
- Won: Best Music (Zbigniew Preisner; also for At Play in the Fields of the Lord
- National Society of Film Critics Awards (USA)
- Won: Best Foreign Language FilmNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the annual awards given by the National Society of Film Critics.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
- Won: Best Foreign Language Film
Cast
- Irène JacobIrène JacobIrène Marie Jacob is a French-born Swiss actress considered one of the preeminent French actresses of her generation. Jacob gained international recognition and acclaim through her work with Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski, who cast her in the lead role of The Double Life of Véronique...
- Weronika/Véronique (with the voice of Anna Gornostaj for Polish dialogue) - Halina Gryglaszewska - Aunt
- Kalina Jędrusik - Gaudy Woman
- Aleksander BardiniAleksander BardiniAleksander Bardini was a Polish theatre and opera director, actor, notable professor at the State Theatre School in Warsaw...
- Orchestra Conductor - Władysław Kowalski - Weronika's father
- Guillaume De TonquédecGuillaume De TonquédecGuillaume de Tonquédec is a French actor, born 1969.He was made famous in 1991 as school-boy and Claude Jade's son Jules in Tableau d'honneur, followed by his Serge along with Juliette Binoche in Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors: Blue and Claude Zidi's Deux starring Gérard Depardieu..-External...
- Serge - Jerzy Gudejko - Antek
- Philippe VolterPhilippe VolterPhilippe Volter , child of director Claude Volter and actress Jacqueline Bir, was a Belgian actor....
- Alexandre Fabbri - Bruce SchwartzBruce SchwartzBruce D. Schwartz is an American puppeteer and sculptor. By extension, he is also a mimic, storyteller and clown. He is using a technique where, unlike most puppeteers, who usually hide their hands in gloves, or use strings or sticks, he does the opposite and shows his hands.He performed the puppet...
- Puppeteer - Sandrine DumasSandrine DumasSandrine Dumas is a French film actress.Dumas was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. She has appeared in Twice a Woman , Miloš Forman's Valmont, and Krzysztof Kieślowski's The Double Life of Véronique, among other films....
- Catherine