Double Life of Veronique Research Paper

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Double Life of Veronique

The film The Double Life of Veronique, directed by Krzysztof Keislowski, is the extraordinary story of a somewhat mystical connection shared by two women, one in France and one in Poland. The Polish version, Weronika shares with the French Veronique the feeling that they are not alone in the world and that their experiences are shared, or at least connected. Throughout their lives, the women together provide the concept of a balanced whole, with the spiritual being represented by Weronika and the earthly, or physical, by Veronique. As such, there is not only a perpetual balance, but also a continuous tension between the spiritual and physical, which lasts until Weronika's death. In interpreting the film, some questions may arise, including the reasons why the balance seemed more effective in Veronique than in Weronika.

The dichotomy between the spiritual and physical components in the two women becomes evident during the first scenes of the film, where Veronique and Weronika are shown with their mothers. In Weronnika's scene, she is held by her mother and she sees the city upside down. Her mother, however, draws her attention to the stars rather than the earthly realm of the city. This is then where Weronika's attention remains until the end of her life, with the stars representing heaven, or the spiritual realm.

The gaze at the stars is the start of a kind of addiction for Weronika. She is so smitten with the spiritual realm that it is difficult for her body to exist in the physical dimension.

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As such, she finds extreme joy in the art of music, which elevates her to the dimension of the spirit. Symoblically, the world of spirit is represented by physical images such as the stars, rain, and the upside down Polish city of Weronika's vision at the start of the film. For Weronika, the pursuits of spirituality manifest themselves as artistic forms; music, dancing, and drawing. Art in its purest form belongs only to itself, being created for its own sake. Hence, it is intensely spiritual and does not belong to the earth, but rather to the spiritual realm. It is this kind of art that brings intense joy to Weronika, but it is also her addiction. It creates havoc for her physical body.

This becomes evident every time she engages in her artistic pursuits. At one point, practicing for her recital makes her so weak that she can barely walk. Yet, her urge to surrender completely to the music is so great that it eventually kills her.

Weronika does have a few precarious connections that bind her to the earth and creates the possibility for her to live for a time in the physical realm, even if it is precarious. Her relationship with her boyfriend, for example, is her most visceral connection to the flesh. Making love to him provides her with a temporary groundedness that allows her to maintain her physical energy. She also has….....

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