The film is rated NC-17 for several graphic scenes of lesbian sex, one of which is 7 full minutes and yes, that extended scenes goes on for so long it begins to repeat itself, becoming harsh and hard in its portrayal of lovemaking, making one wonder just how many takes Kechiche felt the need to shoot. More recently, there have been words from star Léa Seydoux ("Farewell, My Queen," "Sister") which have caused Kechiche to go on the defensive. Sensing something's missing, Adèle breaks off with Thomas (Jérémie Laheurte) and accompanies a buddy to a gay club, but it's just an excuse to cruise the lesbian bar next door for the woman with the brightly hued hair in "Blue Is the Warmest Color." Since winning the Palme d'Or along with his actresses at Cannes, Writer/director Abdellatif Kechiche ("The Secret of the Grain") has come under all kinds of scrutiny, accused of being a pervert (or at least supplanting his lead's point of view with his own) by feminist critics and even the source graphic novel's author. Adèle has described Kechiche as taking her from the shadow and putting her into light, in Blue is the Warmest Colour she has taken the most volatile, extraordinary and misrepresented emotion and placed that in the light.15 year-old Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos, "I Used to Be Darker") is being courted by a senior who has all her girlfriends swooning, but when she spies an older woman on the street she is shaken to her core. Exarchopoulos’ emotionally expressive face makes her a sympathetic conduit to the depths of anguish and a relatable reference for personal ravages. After having spent so long flying solo with Adèle at the beginning her pain here is contagious. This being a well-rounded tale of love, the narrative also goes into mistakes, anger, jealousy and fights. In an industry where sex usually plays like a ‘best of’ advertorial, seeing a passionate expression of love is cause for celebration.
In the context of so much naturalism, long, graphic depictions of carnality do not seem gratuitous or pornographic, they seem like passionate expressions of love. Food and its sloppy consumption remains important, as does – and if you haven’t read the salacious reams on this, bravo – sex. In the microcosm of a relationship the rhythm of life finds a pulse. Careers develop, other friendships ebb and flow, families exert definitive influence. The passage of time is conveyed in subtle changes in lifestyle – now Adèle wears earrings, now Emma’s hair is no longer blue. Kechiche’s unerring confidence in the power of this simple story manifests in long takes of domestic and outdoor dramas. No priority other than how two lives will develop around a bond. Here, there is no sense of urgency, just space and time and two women with only eyes for each other. In its organic progression through flirtation, discussion and physical intimacy, the film shows up the million romances that rush through these stages, substituting signposting for sincerity. Kechiche’s script was apparently on the slim side, leaving the actresses – who became great friends – to work up their relationship naturally. This character is ripe and ready for shaping through experience.Įxperience has a name and that name is Emma, an older, more refined and defined lesbian artist.
Whether Adèle’s face is blank or electrified by feeling, whether she is eating, reading, dressing or fucking, the camera creates a sense of great anticipation. The camera is Exarchopoulos’ most loyal companion, locking its gaze on to her face when she is still, following her from behind when she takes off, hair quivering in its own forcefield as she pounds the streets en route to school or a date. She lives with her mother and father and long dinner scenes of them hoovering up spaghetti in near-silence set the tone for a story in which appetites speak louder than words. Her character lives for love, and this single-minded focus can be seen in her constant attentiveness to the external world and the way it connects to her blue-haired girl, Emma (Léa Seydoux).īlue… spans many years, beginning when Adèle is a schoolgirl engaging in sexual experiments with a schoolboy. No painted A-list face has channeled such sincerity as the messy, unselfconscious, captivating Adèle. No nose has ever run as excessively as Adèle’s in scenes when she is gripped by the fear that she will lose her lover.
The essence of a genuine 19-year-old exists in the character of Adèle, which makes sense after witnessing the drastic range of emotions she displays. In the graphic novel that inspired the film, her character’s name was Clémentine but here it is Adele, an amendment made by Kechiche so he could use footage shot when technically work was all over for the day. Three hours fly by, in a large part because of the committed performance of young star, Adèle Exarchopoulos.