The Double Life of Veronique (1991)
Krzysztof Kieślowski
There are at least three signs indicating the suppression of Weronika’s character into Veronique - rain, dust, and dirt. At the very start of the movie, Weronika (Irène Jacob) cheerfully sings into the rain during her choir’s rehearsal. In another scene, she tilts her head back amid her daydream, allowing for dust to settle on her face. Finally, the scene of her burial includes the ritual of throwing dirt over her coffin. The movie “The Double Life of Veronique” offers several interpretations, two of which I will attempt to convey here. The first interpretation is that Kieślowski is discussing Plato’s philosophical concept of two halves making one soul, where a soul has been sent to Earth and split into two bodies, leaving them to search for their other halves in an attempt to be whole again. Of course, such an interpretation would imply that this movie is essentially about melancholy, or about the loss of something that is familiar. The movie is indeed melancholic, and Zbigniew Preisner’s excellent dreamy music contributes to such an atmosphere. However, the movie also questions the concepts of fate and chance through Weronika and Veronique’s (Irène Jacob) characters. The second interpretation is that Weronika and Veronique represent the two sides of a single individual.
Kieślowski makes it obvious that he is accentuating the seemingly “random” events in his character’s lives. Even after my fifth watch, the preplanned life paths of Weronika and Veronique seem to heavily contrast scenes such as the one where Weronika spills her notes on the street after bumping into a random stranger, or where Veronique falls to the curb after hastily making her way across the street. There are numerous scenes in which Veronique fails to realize that her scarf is dragging on the floor, or that it has been pinched by a car’s door. Because of these demonstrated behaviors, Kieślowski may be attempting to present Weronika and Veronique as absent-minded characters. In other words, they verbalize their deep thoughts of insecurity over their individual wholeness. Weronika is almost joyed by such thoughts, while they serve to depress Veronique. The idea that every individual in the world has his or her “double” is intriguing, but insufficiently proven to make this the movie’s core message. Rather, it is worth interpreting Weronika and Veronique as different aspects of the same character.
Besides the physical similarities between the two characters, there are also commonalities between their life stories. They both grew up without a mother and both harbor a close relationship with their father. Infatuated with music, Weronika is a passionate amateur opera singer and music school graduate, while Veronique is a music teacher. It is easy to notice that Weronika’s character is shier and more childlike than Veronique. This is well supported with a scene involving Weronika’s discussion with her aunt (Halina Gryglaszewska), where she analyzes her recent sexual experience with Antek (Jerzy Gudejko). Here, focus is placed on her inexperience, as well as her curiosity towards sexual experimentation, which can but does not have to include strong emotions towards her partner. Additionally, the scene of Weronika getting ready for her night out, presented through the other side of her window, may be conveying Weronika’s feelings of sexual oppression. On the other hand, the first scene that introduces us to Veronique’s character happens in the aftermath of casual sex, where she asks her partner to leave her apartment as soon as possible, thereby avoiding any further tenderness. It appears as if Veronique is fully in control of her sexual life, while Weronika’s initiative for sex stems from her feelings towards Antek. Hence, the central idea is that Weronika precedes Veronique, and that her presence is implied during the scenes that involve Veronique’s character. The world, as viewed by Veronique, is impacted by her sense of loss, as well as her infatuation which evokes within her the character of a puppeteer by the name of Alexandre (Philippe Volter).
The director makes the two characters encounter each other on a street in Kraków, where Veronique enters a tourist bus and uses her camera to “catch” a glimpse of Weronika as she finds herself surprised at the realization of seeing her double. Whether this encounter is fated or owed to chance remains unclarified, but it also does not warrant any further discussion. We can assume that Weronika gains a glimpse into her future self, and maybe vice-versa. Perhaps this is what Veronique’s life would have looked like in Kraków. The “fact” that Veronique photographs Weronika on the streets of Kraków does not play in favor of the theory that the successiveness of these events in their lives does not need to be considered. In the final scenes, Alexandre finds this photograph while going through Veronique’s purse. Veronique’s gesture of allowing Alexandre to go through her personal belongings is indicative of her feelings of intimacy. It is only when Veronique experiences comfort and surrenders herself to her emotions that she protects herself from the consequences of finding the truth about herself. Weronika fares differently. She suddenly dies during her first large performance. It is important to mention an important detail from a scene here—an electrocardiogram on Veronique’s table. The fact that Weronika dies from heart failure goes in favor of the theory that Weronika is within Veronique. Thus, Weronika’s life reflects the deep-seated fears and traumas that Veronique carries within her as an adult. Further, Weronika is the hidden aspect of Veronique, who consciously surrenders herself to the new experiences of love and sex, thereby seeking the part of herself that she misses and that constantly eludes her.
Veronique is presented as a character that is often on the move. She walks, runs, and seeks out things. Her fervor and desire to solve the mystery of the messages sent to her by Alexander help her in no longer seeing the world through the glass of her window, the tram, or the storefront—or the invisible conductor of light which, either way, blocks the truth about herself. Veronique is on a path of letting herself to experience romantic feelings and new erotic dimensions. She perceives the purpose of her path as a sexual liberation from the trapped feeling that is experienced by Weronika. In addition to it all, Alexandre truly holds the strings of these two doubles in his hands, both literally and figuratively. In one significant scene following Veronique’s acceptance of Weronika both outside and within herself, Alexandre finished up a puppet of Veronique in his workshop. He explains to Veronique that he has made two identical puppets out of practical reasons—he can exchange it once the first one has been used and worn out. The exchange of Weronika and Veronique is likely taking place within Veronique and according to her own wish, but fortunately, such a practice no longer fills her with sadness. The final scene may seem enigmatic, but it does not have to be if we choose to view it in the following way: Veronique approaches her father’s house, thereby conveying her “homecoming”. She stops and touches a tree trunk, creating the final reflection in the movie. Dirt—as a natural matter—is what covers Weronika, while Veronique comes into touch with a different fruit of nature that is a symbol for the flow of energy and life. Veronique’s two aspects of the circle are thereby strengthened (the circle is symbolized by the firmament, the small ball, and the staple wrapped around her notes), while her father’s (Claude Duneton) sudden turn towards her can be interpreted as a friendly welcoming to Veronique and her transformation, being both the new and old her.
Author: Lemana Filandra
September 3, 2019