January 4, 2015
Reviewed By: Ezzat Goushegir
Graphic Novel
Emotionally profound and drastically honest, "Blue is the Warmest Color", the graphic novel by Julie Maroh, portrays a teenage girl, Clementine, who journeys through excruciating pain to discover her identity and sexual orientation. Written tenderly with unique French sensibility and genuine frankness, the core of the story emphasizes the essentiality of love in human life.
"Clementine: Have you never been ashamed to be like that?
Emma: Only love will save the world. Why would I be ashamed to love?"
In terms of writing and drawing technique, Maroh manages to make transitions between present and past, dialogue and narrations by presenting color for present time and black and while with a touch of blue for past time. Although Maroh had no tendency to stress on racial and class differentiation, but the reader could feel slight traces of these subjects through colors, characters' manners and dialogues!
Film
Abdellatif Kechiche has been a director that I have admired immensely since his film Black Venus . Before watching "Blue Is the Warmest Color"; I had seen three powerful films by him: Games of Love and Chance, The Secret of the Grain and Black Venus. I'm still obsessed by Black Venus; a powerful film I believe had never received an adequate attention it truly deserved.
It seems "Blue Is the Warmest Color" is the continuation of "Games of Love and Chance" in a more concrete, tangible and personal way, emphasizing a deep analysis of a character torn apart by her sexual identity and social norms. kechiche is a multidisciplinary filmmaker, fascinated by the complexity of human reactions toward circumstances. He is also obsessed by the beauty and vibrating energy of the youth.
The film with all its stunning beauties and masterful scenes is unnecessarily long and in some parts ostentatious. It also falls into unnecessary pornographic expressions which takes away its absolute beauty.
Graphic Novel
Emotionally profound and drastically honest, "Blue is the Warmest Color", the graphic novel by Julie Maroh, portrays a teenage girl, Clementine, who journeys through excruciating pain to discover her identity and sexual orientation. Written tenderly with unique French sensibility and genuine frankness, the core of the story emphasizes the essentiality of love in human life.
"Clementine: Have you never been ashamed to be like that?
Emma: Only love will save the world. Why would I be ashamed to love?"
In terms of writing and drawing technique, Maroh manages to make transitions between present and past, dialogue and narrations by presenting color for present time and black and while with a touch of blue for past time. Although Maroh had no tendency to stress on racial and class differentiation, but the reader could feel slight traces of these subjects through colors, characters' manners and dialogues!
Film
Abdellatif Kechiche has been a director that I have admired immensely since his film Black Venus . Before watching "Blue Is the Warmest Color"; I had seen three powerful films by him: Games of Love and Chance, The Secret of the Grain and Black Venus. I'm still obsessed by Black Venus; a powerful film I believe had never received an adequate attention it truly deserved.
It seems "Blue Is the Warmest Color" is the continuation of "Games of Love and Chance" in a more concrete, tangible and personal way, emphasizing a deep analysis of a character torn apart by her sexual identity and social norms. kechiche is a multidisciplinary filmmaker, fascinated by the complexity of human reactions toward circumstances. He is also obsessed by the beauty and vibrating energy of the youth.
The film with all its stunning beauties and masterful scenes is unnecessarily long and in some parts ostentatious. It also falls into unnecessary pornographic expressions which takes away its absolute beauty.
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