Red: Fraternity Broken By Technology

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Red Red (1994) is a film directed and co-written by Krzysztof Kieslowski that tells the story of a model, Valentine, in Switzerland and her relationship with a retired judge that she happens by chance to meet. The film also portrays the long-distance relationship between Valentine and her boyfriend and also that of a young judge, Auguste, and his girlfriend. These relationships are all affected by technology, in the form of surveillance equipment, telephone, and mass media in the form of a newspaper. Red is a film about relationships that are actually hindered, not strengthened, by technology even when the intention is to use it to foster closeness, protection, and provide information about others. The retired judge that Valentine meets in the beginning of the film uses phone taps to spy on his neighbors. He listens to the phone calls of a drug dealer, a married man who is secretly homosexual, and Auguste and his girlfriend. The judge uses this technology to listen in on very private moments in the lives of these people. He learns the intimate details of these people’s lives without even knowing them. This is an illustration of a closeness that can be attempted to be gained through technology, although it is no substitute for face-to-face conversation and interpersonal relationships. Valentine and her boyfriend live in two different cities, leaving most of their conversations to be had over the telephone. Valentine uses the phone to find out about her boyfriend’s day in order to feel closer to him. The boyfriend also uses the phone to find out about the happenings in Valentine’s life, but more so as a form of surveillance over her. Auguste’s girlfriend uses the telephone in the film to run a business the gives personalized weather reports to her callers. Although these reports are identified as individualized for each caller, they are in fact almost the same

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