Sunday 6 December 2009

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.


8 comments:

Christine said...

These are all wonderful.
Thanks!

Tim said...

WHere was the "red Metro" photo taken?

e said...

I love the red Metro sign. Is the metro accessible to people with wheelchairs?

Owen said...

I think I like the question mark most of all, something very insouciant about... a provocation, an affirmation of curiosity...

Adam said...

Tim & e: Yes, it is something of a rarity. It's outside one entrance to the Place Monge Metro station. You should be able to see it here.

Is the Metro accessible to people with wheelchairs? Again, the answer is in the link above! Unfortunately, very little in Paris, or indeed the whole of France, is adapted to people in wheelchairs. It's one of the biggest problems in the country.

Starman said...

People who need wheelchairs in Paris, usually take the bus. Assuming that someone with a baby carriage hasn't usurped their place.

PeterParis said...

Line relatively new metro line no. 14 has at last the quays on the same level as the floor of the waggons. Why not before?

From the Kieslowski film I believe I remember especially Irène Jacob. Already 10, 15 years ago?

Thanks for the info about the red metro sign!

Cergie said...

N'as tu pas remarqué, Adam, que souvent le détail qui tue chez moi est rouge ? La photo au ciné télescope par exemple que j'ai postée aujourd'hui... Elle est parfaitement centrée sur un bidon rouge qui est à l'intersection des diagonales de l'image.. Un personnage vêtu de rouge et c'est une vibration supplémentaire.
Toutefois pour avoir été en Allemagne souvent, j'ai constaté que le rouge ets plus répandu là-bas. C'est une couleur qui y est aimée. Les personnes s'habillent avec des couleurs très vives, alors que tu as bien sûr remarqué qu'en France la "rue" (c'est à dire les parisiens) est noire...
(Une couleur que tu pourrais illustrer aussi...)
PS : le petit bout que tu as photographié, en bas, me fait penser par son graphisme à une fresque de la rue Ramponneau...

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