Trois Couleurs: Rouge

After liberté and egalité, the final part of the trilogy - fraternité. The colour of revolution and of the sacrificing of the self for the greater good of society. As red can be both shared blood and blood spilt, so the concept of brotherhood seems also to be balanced on the edge of a sharp sword.

In his film Trois Couleurs: Rouge, Krzysztof Kieślowski saw the colour red as being symbolised by "the eternal question of knowing whether when we give a little of ourselves we do it to have a better image of ourselves". Red is the colour that wants to stand out, that wants everyone to know that it is there and what it is doing. It is the ultimate attention seeker. But how can we make a selfless sacrifice when we are being so strident?

It is one of the twin colours of the city of Paris, but it is the louder, revolutionary sibling to the more discreet blue. Where blue soothes and comforts, red screams and protests. Perhaps both are necessary in any city, but red should not forget that brotherhood also means sharing and understanding.