Among the Three Colours trilogy, which encapsulates Krzysztof Kieslowski′s body of work, Blue and Red particularly stand out for their special acclaim. Juliette Binoche, who had already built a reputation through her collaborations with filmmakers like Leos Carax and André Téchiné, rose to the status of a world-class actress when she won the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in Blue. When one thinks of Juliette Binoche, the power of her gaze is what comes to mind first, and it shines most intensely in Blue. Centering on a woman devastated by the loss of her family who gradually attains inner freedom, the film, contrary to its title, ultimately arrives at radiance. Kieslowski, who must have contemplated how to express the protagonist′s state of serenity, achieved it through the combination of Binoche′s facial expressions and sublime music. Indeed, music is one of the film′s crucial themes, and Zbigniew Preisner′s score, featuring large-scale orchestral pieces with a choir, permeates the character′s very origins. (LEE Yong Cheol)