The Decalogue

Krzysztof Kieslowski was a Polish filmmaker from Warsaw (1941-1996) that brought great pride to a country that has had to overcome many hardships in order to survive. This is one of the reasons I love the Polish people. Another is that I grew up with them in my native Chicago, Illinois. They are a resilient, strong, and intelligent people. Above all, they are amongst the most caring and generous souls I have ever met. It is fitting then that they had a brilliant filmmaker who stayed in Poland through thick and thin to document their lives.

I was thinking of how I might describe Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘The Decalogue’. My thoughts throughout kept coming back to the American series ‘Twilight Zone’. We know it is a series of ten episodes. Each one is a loose study of one of the Ten Commandments. We are also aware that each episode has a character that resides in the same group of Warsaw apartment buildings. Yet, none are carried over into subsequent episodes. Finally, it is clear that the ‘The Decalogue’ was filmed in 1988. So let us go a bit deeper. It is something Kieslowski would insist upon based on his character studies.

Krzysztof Kieslowski co-wrote each segment of ‘The Decalogue’. His collaborator was Krzysztof Piesiewicz; a lawyer who Kieslowski felt added a different perspective to compliment his own style. Kieslowski directed every movie. I originally thought that he was consulted on every aspect of the filming, as like a Coppola might be. However, I found out that Kieslowski invited nine different Cinematographers to participate. He gave each one total freedom on their movie. He remarked in an interview that this brought freshness to each episode. He said that he was particularly concerned that the crew not be bored.

The characters in the movies run the gamut from young to old, clever to naive, and intelligent to foolish. However, each has a common thread running through their lives. Each must make a decision that may change their lives. This is reflected in each of Zbigniew Preisner’s dramatic and sensitive scores. The movies are intense and there is little in the way of action-based sequences. Some of the episodes may bring sadness, while others tend to make one reflect on the subject matter.

I favored the first and last episodes. In particular, Decalogue X has a nice comedic touch throughout and it is a great way to end the series. Kieslowski certainly emphasizes that point with the last lines uttered in the Decalogue. It is his signature and a fond farewell to a wonderful project. Included below are a few lines of my initial reaction to each of the ten movies.

I

Henryk Baranowski... Krzysztof
Maja Komorowska... Irena
Wojciech Klata... Pawet

A brilliant, inquisitive child takes every opportunity to learn. Every day and each moment that passes bring questions to his fascinated mind. Those around him provide insight and enlightenment, if only to give pause to his incessant thirst. Such is the world of a child. Yet, lessons are learned throughout life, and sometimes, the experience can be as harsh as the coldest winters.

II

Krystyna Janda... Dorota
Aleksander Bardini... Ordynator
Olgierd Lukaszewicz... Andrzej

Desire is an inferno not easily controlled by mere mortals. Add anxiety and deadlines to the mix and one can only hope to handle the flame without being burned. This is precisely what one self-absorbed individual is seeking to accomplish. Standing in the way is a wise and resourceful individual who might be the solution, but also garners her scorn. The results are predictable only in the fact that nothing is certain and God still has the best curveball in the game.

III

Maria Pakulnis... Ewa
Daniel Olbrychski... Janusz
Joanna Szczepkowska... Zona Janusza

Sometimes we believe what we want to believe for selfish reasons. Then again, manipulation is not often successful without a willing victim. Regardless, the outcome is never certain until the hours pass as if acts in a play lit by the moon and staged in the shadows.

IV

Adrianna Biedrzynska... Anka
Janusz Gajos... Michal

How fully has a life been lived when its meaning can be replaced with a sentence? What we know can sometimes be the furthest thing from the truth, if we convince ourselves it is so. This Decalogue examines the value we place on our relationships. Quite often, the outcome tests the very foundations they are built on. Moreover, to be sure, that is why they are laid in the first place.

V

Miroslaw Baka... Jacek
Krzysztof Globisz... Piotr
Jan Tesarz... Taksowkarz

Choices are the freedom to make your own way. The will to bring harm is perceived as better than what? Is life so boring? Then it must be served a just dose of reality. However, isn’t that what you ran away from in the first place? So is it back where you started, or ahead to the unknown. Getting what you desire can taste very harsh. Moreover, it turns out to be anything but free.

VI

Grazyna Szapolowska... Magda
Olaf Lubaszenko... Tomek
Stefania Iwinska... Gospodyni

What you see…is it what you really want to get? On the other hand, as it has been reported “Ask for what you want, you just might get it” Additionally, the ‘object of our affection’ can turn into the ‘obsession of the object’ if one isn’t careful. Earle wrote “he may just live long enough to become a man, if he can survive the tempest of youth’.

VII

Anna Polony... Ewa
Maja Barelkowska... Majka
Wladyslaw Kowalski... Stefan
Boguslaw Linda... Wojtek

Missed opportunity. We are always in a hurry and run past the open doors. Our instinct for survival is suppressed only by our emotions. They can make miracles happen or lead us into disaster. However, one surety exists: we cannot flee them.

VIII

Maria Koscialkowska... Zofia
Teresa Marczewska... Elzbieta

What becomes of the past? All we know is that it can be resurrected at a moments notice. That is the power of the mind. Most anything can push memories to the forefront. A glance. A gesture. Perhaps, the past is reawakened in a familiar story. Whatever the case, if it calls at your door, be sure before you invite it in. This time, you can change it.

IX

Ewa Blaszczyk... Hanka
Piotr Machalica... Roman

Sometimes, we have to go to the edge to see what is really in front of us. Had we been looking, we could have seen it coming from behind. The difference is measured in the miles logged running to avoid truth, at all costs.

X

Jerzy Stuhr... Jerzy
Zbigniew Zamachowski... Artur

Two brothers, two distinct lives. Ah, if one is conservative, the other must be liberal. If one is rich, the other is poor. How deep does it go? Moreover, what might it take to make them alike? Nothing you say? Oh but it is so simple and has been around forever…