FILM · 1994 · FRANCE

Trois couleurs : Rouge

Directed by

Krzysztof Kieślowski

Runtime

100 min

Studio

France 3 Cinéma, CAB Productions, Studio Filmowe Tor

13 archived facts · 2 topics · 1 source · Last reviewed Oct 2026

Part-time model Valentine unexpectedly befriends a retired judge after she runs over his dog. At first, the grumpy man shows no concern about the dog, and Valentine decides to keep it. But the two form a bond when she returns to his house and catches him listening to his neighbors’ phone calls.

Summary: TMDB

• 

All facts (13)

1. #001

   Before filming, Krzysztof Kieślowski asked Irène Jacob whether she had wanted a different name as a child. Jacob told him she had always wanted to be named Valentine, and that name was used for her character.

   INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
2. #002

   TRILOGY TRADEMARK: In all three parts of the trilogy, an elderly person is seen trying to throw an empty bottle into a recycling bin. In this final installment, Valentine (Irène Jacob) helps him, while in the other two parts the main character only watches.

   INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
3. #003

   It is Krzysztof Kieślowski's final film. After making it, he announced his retirement.

   CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
4. #004

   The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disqualified the film from competing as Switzerland's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, arguing that it did not sufficiently meet the required guidelines regarding a film's "artistic control" in a foreign co-production. (In an unprecedented move, Switzerland refused the Academy's offer to submit another film.) Miramax Films co-chairman Harvey Weinstein persuaded more than sixty industry heavyweights to sign a complaint letter calling on the Academy to reconsider its position, but to no avail.

   CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
5. #005

   According to Harvey Weinstein, after seeing The Double Life of Véronique (1991) at Cannes, Quentin Tarantino approached him to cast Irène Jacob as Fabienne in Pulp Fiction (1994). Jacob turned down the role of joining the film.

   INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
6. #006

   Juliette Binoche, Benoît Régent, Julie Delpy and Zbigniew Zamachowski, the stars of Three Colors: Blue (1993) and Three Colors: White (1994), appear in small roles at the end of the film, reprising their roles from those films.

   INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
7. #007

   It is the second collaboration between Krzysztof Kieślowski and Irène Jacob. They had previously worked together on The Double Life of Véronique (1991).

   INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
8. #008

   With this film, Krzysztof Kieślowski became the sixth person to receive a Best Director Oscar nomination for his final film: Jerome Robbins (West Side Story (1961)), Joseph L. Mankiewicz (Sleuth (1972)), Ingmar Bergman (Fanny and Alexander (1982)), Sir David Lean (A Passage to India (1984)) and Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda (1988)). Of these six, Robbins is the only winner.

   CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
9. #009

   Blue, White, Red — the order in which the Three Colors trilogy should be watched; it reflects the French flag.

   INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

   Sources (1)

   1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

   ·Share·Report
10. #010

    Before turning to Switzerland, Krzysztof Kieślowski considered shooting the film in Italy or England.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    Sources (1)

    1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

    ·Share·Report
11. #011

    Because of Valentine's Day, the name Valentine has been associated with the color red.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    Sources (1)

    1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

    ·Share·Report
12. #012

    Roger Ebert named the Three Colors trilogy the fifth best film of the 1990s, after Hoop Dreams (1994), Pulp Fiction (1994), GoodFellas (1990) and Fargo (1996).

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    Sources (1)

    1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

    ·Share·Report
13. #013

    The film is included among the Top 250 Narrative Feature Films on Letterboxd.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    Sources (1)

    1. IMDb — IMDb kaydı

    ·Share·Report