BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR (La Vie d'Adéle) by Abdellatif Kechiche

Ever since it was presented at Cannes, where it was awarded the Palme d’Or, Blue is the Warmest Colour has held a reputation as a controversial film. This is particularly due to the lengthy and explicit lesbian sex scenes that take place throughout the film. However, this is a rather dismissive reputation as well as quite simply a huge mistake, which ignores the intimacy that Kechiche allows his characters to portray on the big screen by breaking conventional boundaries and building new bridges with a modern audience in connecting with romance on a new level.

 

Blue is the Warmest Colour is, after all, a film that tells the story of a heartfelt romance between two homosexual women from the school days to early adulthood. Adele (Adéle Exarchoupoulos) is only fifteen when she first sees and is instantly gobsmacked by the older and more confident art student Emma (Léa Seydoux). It is through her that she experiences a sexual awakening and out of their initial attraction a touching and heartfelt love story develops.

 

The story comes from a graphic novel by French Julie Maroh, yet it has been noted that the cinematic version is closer to being modified by director Kechiche’s own concerns about class and society. It certainly feels that way, not least of all because it is very clear from the film that he is not simply content with portraying or observing this love story. What he aims to achieve is a careful examination of a romance, the mysterious reasons for magnetic attraction, the consequences of such magnetism and the forces which in the end may or may not work against it.

 

To achieve this, he is not afraid to take his sweet time in establishing a realistic perception of the girls’ feelings for one another. However, despite the hubbub, this is not only achieved through dragged out and admittedly inventive sex scenes. Kechiche also lets the scenes where the two girls converse, share their mutual feelings and contrasting opinions breathe. Although it is not at all surprising that this factor has not drawn as much attention, it is something very important to point out. In the end not only does this effectively expose the bond and the strengthening of the bond between the girls but also perfectly balances the sacred vows of romance with what is more openly unholy but equally as important.

 

If we were to link it with the history of French cinema, we could see Blue is the Warmest Colour as a continuation of what the greats of the French New Wave tried to establish with their trendy representation of many of the same themes and elements. We can particularly trace a directly link with Jean Eustache’s work, especially The Mother and the Whore – which incidentally also touched on homosexuality towards the end although perhaps more intended as a way of self-discovery or expression of freedom. What really links these two films up is the use of somewhat similar approaches in establishing their points, particularly by letting each individual scene breathe and develop naturally and at its own pace. As a consuquence, both of these films exceed the three hours mark but remain entrancingly gripping both on an emotional and philosophical level.

 

Admittedly, there are moments where Kechiche’s composition falters. Despite his heartfelt connection with the theme of adolescence, the film’s scenes that take place in the classroom feel constructed and reek of obviousness. Much in the same element, and perhaps more disappointingly, the distracting overuse of the colour blue carries a cleverness that falls half way between student film territory and TV advert wit.

 

Nevertheless, despite the few imperfections and over indulgences, it is quite remarkable how the structure of the film contributes to it being so absorbing. This achievement is also aided by Kechiche’s intent in making the story look trendy and modern with a wide use of bright colour schemes that give the film a stylish look. However, he remains true to his aim of representing a faithful side of romanticism by using widely unobtrusive camerawork and leaving over stylised cinematography out of it. This is perhaps what makes the sex scenes so crude and eccentric but also what captures the film’s convincing warmth.

 

Of course, at this point it is only fair to point out the performances delivered by the beautiful Adéle Exarchoupoulos and Léa Seydoux. They are both simply remarkable not only because they certainly deliver the brave performances that were required to hold the film together and make the pivotal love story credible, but also because of the wonderful sexual chemistry and tenderness that they share. There is no doubt that these two will potentially become cultural symbols of modern romanticism whether the censorship boards like it or not.

 

Yes, there is a lot of steamy sex in this film. However, the theme of homosexuality has certainly not been exploited. By the end of the film, all the noise about its racy nature will hardly matter. The bigger picture is much more passionate, engrossing and overall rewarding. While it is true that Blue is the Warmest Colour’s shameless zeal occasionally gives into excess, it is also true that it’s easy to forgive a film that can widely remain so intimately and profoundly captivating as well as extraordinarily compact despite its over three hour length and the many dangers which threatened to make the film’s architecture clumsily crumble.

 

- Matt Micucci