Letting The Ship Sail

The story goes that Krzysztof Kieslowski began editing Three Colours: Red and realised that the story didn’t work. This was a film he’d spent years writing, storyboarding and had shot it. Now the story didn’t work.

Instead of struggling with the scenes, or calling back actors to do reshoots, he rewrote the film while editing.

There are two distinct forks in the road here. Scrap what he had and reshoot it to find what worked in the script in the first place. Or rewrite it during the editing process, letting the film dictate what should happen.

Reportedly this is similar to how he made La Double Vie de Veronique. Actress Irene Jacob showed up to the premiere to both films just as blind to the story as the rest of the audience.

Another film maker might have gone back and determinedly reshot exactly what he wanted to do, perhaps found the missing link that made the story work. Chaplin stalled for months trying to find the perfect way to have the blind character in City Lights think that the Tramp was a wealthy man – through hearing a car door.

Kieslowski’s approach involved sailing blindly out of the harbour and giving into the direction of the wind. Go along for the ride. Listening to the work itself to find the right answers, to find what is true to the story, and write the film that way.

When you’re stuck at a point, it’s worth questioning whether it is time to force your way through, or let the winds take you some other place you hadn’t thought.

They both take courage, in different ways. Remaining true to the work and what is honest to piece you are writing is the common trait.