Blue Is the Warmest Colour is the 2013 film by Abdellatif Kechiche. It is based on the graphic novel by Jul Maroh. The film stars Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux. It chronicles the life of a young woman as she grows up and comes to terms with the emotions, feelings, and relationships that define her sense of self and her identity.
The film avoids melodrama and emphasizes the authenticity of the emotional experience. It depicts the extent to which a relationship can transform a person and, by extension, the self-formation that a person can go through as a result of a relationship. At almost 3 hours, the pacing is deliberate and gives the viewer a sense of intimacy with the truly remarkable changes, the delicate self-adjustments, and the tensions a person can go through over the course of a relationship.
Plot Summary
Adèle is a teenager living in a French city. At the beginning of the film, she is a high school student and is trying to figure out life. She is trying to find out what she wants, and she has a slightly diffused sense of self and purpose. Even with friends, classmates and family there is a void that causes confusion. Adèle is grappling with questions that, when answered, will mark and define her fulfillment and sense of being understood.
One day while walking around the town, Adèle sees a young woman with Blue hair. Adèle never forgets this moment. The woman, Emma, is a university student, a confident and creative artist. Soon enough, Adèle and Emma meet once again, and this time, a bond is about to be formed.
The two women get more and more close. They develop a profoundly meaningful relationship. Emma shows Adèle the the fundamental world of the fine arts, the new world of ideas, and the new world of self expressions. Adèle gives Emma the warmth of human relations, the sincerity of everyday life, and the passion of a person that longs to be understood. With this new relationship, Adèle is discovering more of herself and what she holds important, what she fears, and what her life goals are.
But with time, the contrasts of the two start to emerge. Emma is focused on her artistic career and spends time with her friends, and Adèle is centered in the everyday, more grounded life. The differences then, starts to create a distance. The film shows the way relationships can be affected when people grow apart in different directions.
Ultimately, Adèle and Emma part ways. The film’s second part takes Adèle’s perspective as she transitions to adulthood and becomes a schoolteacher, with her thoughts still lingering on the past. Adèle recalls all the emotional moments spent with Emma—all the lessons learned, joys shared, and the aching void of the relationship that once meant everything to her.
The film concludes with Adèle being a changed person. She has loved and lost, and in turn, has undergone a certain type of growth. She embraces the end of her story with an unambiguous joy, a newfound sense of self, and an understanding of the most important things in life.
MAIN CHARACTERS AND PERFORMANCES
Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos)
Adèle occupies the focal point of the story. She captures the role with great depth, sensitivity and vulnerability. In the course of the film, we observe her movement from just a reflective teenager to a still reflective, but now adult, marked by a newly acquired maturity. The emotional candor of Adèle Exarchopoulos’ performance is praised at all levels of Adèle’s growth—her excitement, confusion, heartbreak, and eventual self-awareness.
Emma (played by Léa Seydoux)
Emma, being innovative, enthusiastic, and artistic, helps Adèle transform by introducing her to different thoughts and ways of being. Through Emma, Léa Seydoux’s performance provides depth and complexity, demonstrating both Emma’s strength and tenderness. Although Emma, in her own way, grows, she still plays a significant role in Adèle’s journey, even after they are no longer together.
The two actresses create tremendous emotional impact by their chemistry, forcefully and humanly relating a story. This central human relationship, together with their performances, constitutes the most profound aspects of the film.
Themes and Interpretation
- Self-Discovery
The theme of personal growth most centrally relates to Adèle and the film. Her journey is to discover her true self, apart from the expectations of other people. Adèle examines her thoughts, feelings, and goals and, in the process, learns to listen to her inner voice with increasing confidence.
- Love and Connection
The film explores the relationship between Adèle and Emma in depth. It is shown how love can provide joy and discovery, but should also require understanding, communication, and respect. When these are absent, even the most powerful feelings and emotions might not be enough to keep people together.
- Change and Growth
Adèle and Emma both experience change as the narrative progresses. Initially aligned, their paths start to separate. The film portrays the emotional distance that can arise when people grow in different directions as a natural part of life. It underscores the impact that even brief chapters in life can have.
- Art and Expression
While Emma is involved in the art world, Adèle leads a more practical and grounded life. In this regard, art functions as a tool for Emma to explore her identity. Adèle is introduced to creative articulation through Emma, whereas she herself teaches Adèle the significance of a personal voice and the strength that comes from silence.
- Memory and Reflection
The film’s latter part centers around memory—how it shapes our identity, the people with whom we have shared our lives, and the memories we retain. Adèle’s reflections on Emma are silent, yet they resonate and remind the viewer of how powerful a meaningful experience can be.
Direction and Cinematic Style
Adbdelatif Kechiche prefers a realistic and intimate style of direction. He constructs the film using a series of close-up shots focusing on the characters’ faces to reveal their emotions and to capture their silent exchanges. The overall pace of the film is slow and each scene is allowed to unfold naturally.
The use of natural lighting, long takes, and minimal background score further enhance this effect. Importantly, everyday moments – meals, walks, and conversations – are captured in detail, allowing audiences to empathize with the characters and their situations.
The symbolic use of the color blue, most predominantly with and around Emma, resonates with key emotional moments in the film. The film’s visual style conveys its themes of yearning and metamorphosis.
Analysis and Reception
With regards to the film’s reception, Blue Is the Warmest Colour received critical and commercial acclaim. At the Cannes Film Festival, the film won the Palme d’Or, the most prestigious award at the festival. In an unusual gesture, the award was given not only to the director but also to the two lead actresses, in explicit recognition of the remarkable emotional truth of their performances.
Critics admired the film’s emotional honesty, the quality of the performances, and its treatment of love and self-discovery. While some audiences felt that the film’s long runtime and slow pacing could be problematic, most viewers felt these qualities contributed to the film’s realism and authenticity.
People remember the film for the sensitive treatment of identity and personal growth and the powerful depiction of a relationship that profoundly shapes the life of her protagonist.
Conclusion
Blue Is the Warmest Colour tells the story of growth, love and self-discovery. It tells this story from the perspective of Adèle. It captures the long and painful struggle of adolescence, the various stages of a relationship, and the quiet resolve needed to embrace the future.
In its most painful moments, the film shows that love, even if it diminishes, can leave behind valuable and enduring gifts. It shows how difficult and joyous phases that life offers, in all of their complexity, contribute to our identity. With its soft narrative, stunning performances, and emotional authenticity, Blue Is the Warmest Colour offers and important and powerful exploration of the human condition.
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