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Content:
(H, L, V, SSS, NN, A, D) Humanist worldview; 1 obscenity; dog hit by car; brief but strong scene of sexual immorality; rear male nudity; alcohol use; and, references to drug abuse.
More Detail:
The movie RED concludes Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski ‘s trilogy based on the colors of the French flag. The color red corresponds to the theme of “fraternity.” This movie is a character study involving a friendship between a young woman, Valentine, and a cynical, retired judge in Geneva, Switzerland. Valentine hits a dog with her car, and when she goes in search of the dog’s owner, she meets the Judge. Upon arrival, she interrupts his practice of wire-tapping his neighbors’ phones. They soon find that they have more in common than either of them suspected, and the friendship that develops helps both of them.
RED is short on plot and lacking in action but full of character. What dramatic tension exists is largely the result of the mystery of the Judge’s misanthropy. Why is he such a recluse? What has caused this man to indulge in wire-tapping his neighbors? A related subplot involves a young man, Auguste, who seems headed in the same direction as the Judge, and not only in his choice of career. At the film’s conclusion, however, there seems to be a subtle implication for hope of healing: Auguste makes contact with Valentine, who has had a positive influence on the Judge. While production quality and performances are first-rate, there is some objectionable content and, regrettably, very little dramatic tension or action.