Surprised that this thread doesn't have more responses.
I first saw
Blue is the Warmest Color several years ago on the Criterion Blu ray, and was extremely impressed by the film - it's definitely one of the most remarkable foreign movies I've seen, and also one of the best coming of age films of all time. Even though it was three hours long, it never dragged or felt forced. This film is definitely a true masterpiece, and is one of the few love stories/romances I actually enjoy. I found it quite moving and poignant, and this is coming from a straight guy.
As far as being able to relate - or not relate - to the characters. Well, I have absolutely no problem with seeing two women together - but, I still wasn't sure I could really identify/relate to the film prior to seeing it - i.e., I knew I would like the love scenes, etc. - however, I wasn't sure if the relationship aspect would be that interesting to me.
Well, I needn't have worried because I found the entire movie quite compelling - especially the relationship aspect, which was the focal point of the entire film. I liked how you really saw the progression with Adele first noticing Emma in the park in the beginning, to the early beginnings of the relationship, to their eventual moving in together, etc.
Especially impressed by:
The importance & use of food in the film - being a foodie myself, I found this interesting: In the first part of the film when Adele is in school and living @ home, she eats very standard food like spaghetti & salad. After she meets & then starts seeing Emma, she seems to experiment more with eating shell-fish/seafood & other more exotic foods - that she didn't have much interest in previously. Food definitely seems to have some kind of erotic connection here, or maybe I'm reading too much into this.
I like the use of the color
Blue in the film. Though the obvious use of the color is related to Emma's dyed hair when she first meets Adele, I did also notice: a light blue blanket on Adele & Emma's bed, as well as the darker blue dress that Adele wore when she attended Emma's art showing at the end of the film.
The break-up scene - when Emma threw Adele out because she had cheated - was definitely one of the most disturbing scenes I've ever seen in a movie; the emotional pain of each character was quite palatable, and heart-breaking. Quite impressive acting here.
The scenes when Adele is suffering from depression
after the break-up (while alone in her new apartment) were quite realistic & well-done.
"Aging" Adele from her teens to her more mature early-mid 20's was brilliant; no aging make-up was used, but the character had a different hair style, glasses, and attitude during the later scenes when she was a teacher vs. the earlier scenes when she was still in school.
I also thought the
last scene of the film was truly brilliant, and non-Hollywood in the best way - i.e., the guy that Adele has met at a party years before met her again at the art gallery - and, when he went to look for her after she left the gallery/party, couldn't find her...a far cry from the typical Hollywood tear-jerker - in which the guy & the girl would hook up at the end & ride off happily into the sunset...
I have dated bi women in the past. And, IMHO I would have to say that Adele was bi-sexual - with a
probable stronger attraction to women than men.
However, if she had only been into women, I don't believe she would have cheated on Emma with a guy.
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