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A gripping and intriguing story about loving someone from afar. This is one of those films that I randomly pick up from whatever thread I come across, and now, having seen it, I am really surprised that it's mostly unknown. From the late Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski---I know, good luck on pronouncing his name, this is the extended version of the sixth episode of The Decalogue. Tomek is nineteen years old, a single guy who works in a post office. Every night, he spies on Magda, a middle-aged woman who lives in the building across. He falls in love with her and decides to profess his love one day after seeing her cry the previous night. At first, Magda doesn't take him seriously and she eventually hurts him. What follows after is both tragic and moving. This film is really spell-binding, from the powerful human emotions it displays to its sincere silent moments. It is a true gem of cinema, a special story waiting to be told. The characters are very real and the emotions they convey very honest. The obsession and the desperation felt by the protagonists are simply too painful to watch. This film is not readily available to some but it is worth every second of searching.

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Kieslowski's movies are very unique in the sense of reflecting on feelings. One needs to think outside of the box and try to go beyond the surface... His goal is not to create an average love story, but to put love bare as it is in the center. What is love? One could list a number of adjectives, to say the least; but instead let's just use one sentence: love wants nothing in return. To love and being loved, two sides of a coin, is presented to us in this beautiful movie. Little conversation, nice music, great frames and shots, well-chosen actors, actresses, although very few; intense, touching, and serious.

It helps a bit if the watcher knows some about Eastern-European culture. But it is by no means necessary. One should only have been given the gift of being loved and to have loved.

Unlike the other masterpiece in his Decalogue, Killing, in 'A Short Film About Love' Kieslowski treats the subject of love with an extraordinarily delicate, rather than a polemic, eye. As ever he manages to express more with subtlety than most directors ever will with expression: it is rather what is not said, what is not expressed, that leaves an indelible mark upon us.

Olaf Lubaszenko's central performance as the boy is, rather than 'opaque' as it has been termed, engrossing from the start. His innocence and fragility, just like the film's, are an invitation to the intimacy we progressively acquire. We, the film's audience, watch engrossed and exposed just as does he, and, in another sense, does the subject of his observations. His telescope becomes a direct motif; distance, separation, enlargement: all the things the filmmaker provides for the viewer. Thus, at emotional, intellectual and metacinematic levels the film explores its themes: observation and love.

While it may not come to solid conclusions (nor ought it to), the sensitivity with which the director watches his actors is utterly compelling. The resultant negotiation between man and women, subject and observer, viewer and filmmaker is a relationship, a love affair. Perhaps Barthes might have sought to go further, waiting for the end of the film, its 'death', to find psychological and sexual consummation to such an affair, and the film may support such a reading. Even a far less academic approach is sufficient, however, in order to enjoy the work at it appears at face value. We do not need to analyse in order to feel, and it is the film's emotional impact that remains when our brief voyeurism, our visit to the cinema, ends.

I suppose Gaspar Noe never seen this film, otherwise he would've known how to make a movie about love.

I have no words...

I invite viewers of this film to compare it with the short version (Dekalog 6) and the script. All three differ from one another. They have different endings and lead to different interpretations.

In this film, the feature length version, Kieslowski portrays human love poetically, authentically, and powerfully. I consider Tomek as a lover by the form of incarnation. He takes into different forms (post worker, milkman, voyeur) in order to show his love towards Magda. It is important to notice that Tomek sheds his blood when Magda has sex with others. There is a scene in which Magda spills a bottle of milk and cries. Tomek sees her from his telescope. Only he is present for Magda. Overall, Tomek's love is both sacrificial and redemptive.

After Tomek's hospitalization, Magda dresses more conservatively. She does not engage in sexual affairs with any man. In this sense, Tomek's love redeems the lustful Magda. The commandment (Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery) functions in the background. We normally perceive a voyeur as being adulterous. But in Tomek's situation, he peeps into Magda not as an adulterous voyeur. He loves Magda by peeping her as an incarnate. He expresses sacrificial, and redemptive love in a humane and authentic manner.

sorry about the summary title, but i hate pithiness. this is, of course, more than just a film i like. it's beautiful. the scene when the woman fantasizes about what might have been with the boy is heartrending, and you don't have to have lived in communist East Europe to understand her sense of loneliness. others think that "A Short Film about Killing" was the stand out from the Dekalog, but to me this is the director's finest achievement, and the harshest and boldest treatment of love that you could see on celluloid. The most important film of my life.

A hauntingly accurate portrayal of social ineptitude, hypersensitivity, obsession and delayed emotional growth. Disturbing at times and heartbreaking at times. The pain of the main character is so vividly-conveyed you could almost feel it. Fine work by Kieslowski.

As touching as the feelings of loneliness are in this young man who spies on a woman with a telescope are, there is too much of a violation here, and her reaction, to respond to him despite all his creepy behavior, seemed pretty strange to me. As organic as the film seems, with a sense of realism in the male character and his surroundings, the female character seems pretty unreal. There is certainly a mood created of loneliness and the desperation of trying to find someone to love, and the film may be asking questions about what love is after all - e.g. does studying someone so closely for a year in their most private moments allow you to know them at some level where you can truly love them for what they are? - but I guess I just couldn't get past the point that the woman reacts to him this way. He's shown to be a sympathetic, lonely guy; she actually questions whether she's "right" or good enough for him because of her involvement with multiple men. It seems pretty backward in that way, and I didn't see all that much that was profound in the filmmaking or script either. Not awful, but not for me.

For someone used by Hollywood to romantic films being comedies, this could be a hard one to swallow. In a way, yes, it is a drama, but no more than any other strong love is. The movie attacks directly the strongest feelings anyone has ever had: the first love. Since the main character is an introverted 19 year old, the power of his inner love can only be hinted at. But one gets the picture.

The story is irrelevant, in itself, the lead idea is that someone can identify one's life and reason to live with a feeling that isn't even shared. The interaction between the love sick and his target is only a small ploy to make us understand the things that go on inside the man.

All in all I've seen better movies than this, having stronger messages. Wicker Park, for example, is a fairly recent US movie that captures in a more alert, yet implausible way the same feelings of obsession. Is that the truest love, or is it just a Chimera, making people chase their own tail in the illusion that they have a real feeling? I think there are few movies that explore this issue, this being one of them. Be prepared for a rather depressing view on the matter.

I have watched this movie 10 years ago when I was feeling that love was an impossible happiness to achieve and it always accompanied disappointments.

Now that I am a happy man and I am not so pessimistic about love and life. However, this movie still fills my soul with wonder: How can love, disappointments and life be described so beautiful, like a poem, stylish and touching...

I will remember it as long as I believe in love.

We've seen various riffs on Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' since the release of the said masterpiece in 1954. We've seen Brian De Palma dive further into the voyeuristic core of 'Rear Window' and double down on the sleaziness to show us the dark underbelly of the show business lifestyle in Los Angeles in 'Body Double'. We've seen 'Disturbia' which was a bit of remake of 'Rear Window' specifically made mainly with the teenage/young adult demographic in mind. But in my opinion, out of all the films made subsequently that play around with the inherent 'peeping tom' gimmick of 'Rear Window', the only one(out of the ones I've seen) that distinguishes itself and deserves to be called a 'masterpiece' in its own right is Kieślowski's 'A Short Film About Love'.

The shortened version of the film was used for Episode 6 for the epic mini-series 'Dekalog'. In my opinion both the shortened version as well as this longer film version have their own distinct personalities. The film works as a subversion of conventions as well as a deep exploration of the abstract concept of 'love'. It is a subversion of conventions, because we see an immensely sensitive depiction of a young man who is a primarily a peeping tom, and he spends his time secretly watching an attractive older woman who lives in the opposite apartment, which is inherently creepy. But the twist is that Tomek doesn't do it for sexual stimulation, he does it because watching this woman(Magda) go about her mundane daily routine gives him a different form of stimulation which he describes as 'love'. Once the central surface element of the peeping goes out of the way in the narrative, in the 2nd half of the film, Kieślowski doubles down on the concept of 'love' and starts asking questions through the two central characters Tomek and Magda. Does 'love' have a place to exist in the modern world or is it a thing of the past? Can a romantic connection between two human beings be forged only through sex with eventual orgasms, or is there something beyond the desires of the flesh, something more transcendent? The film also ends up answering these questions or at least Kieślowski gives us a clear indication of his attitude towards the concept of 'love' in his characteristic poetic ways.

As I wrote earlier, there are various moments of poetry or poetic realism in the film that transcend grounded, realistic storytelling. Like the moment where Magda after an argument with one of her lovers spills the milk which Tomek delivered at her doorstep, all over her table as Tomek looks on from his apartment room via the telescope. Or the moment of pure joy after Tomek asks Magda out on a date,etc. With the ending, Kieślowski goes beyond poetic realism and ventures into territories of magical realism but without compromising the humane, tender tone of the film. The ending to the film actually is remarkably different to the ending of the shortened episode in 'Dekalog', but they both make the same thematic implication.

The acting from the two central actors Olaf Lubaszenko and Grażyna Szapołowska is nothing short of special. Their individual scenes as well as the scenes that they share together are incredibly rich with subtlety, with pathos and with genuine emotions. Apart from the actors, something else that has to be admired for helping Kieślowski with the film is the beautiful music and score by Zbigniew Preisner which is rich with a sense of melancholic sweetness.

Highly Recommended.

i watched it last night and it completely blew me away. what a brilliant, wonderful, heart touching,.... ( running out of adjectives ) film. while watching it a rarest thing happened to me, tears filled my eyes. last time i remember tears rolling down, it was while watching "to kill a mockingbird". it's actually a good thing that it is one of cinema's best kept secrets because there are people who don't have the heart to appreciate it. i am 19 and a straight guy and i can say for sure there are morons who would call it the crappiest, lousiest film ever. so at least it has been saved from those god forsaken creatures. anyway i just love this movie. my ratings 10/10

"A Short Film About Love" is a psychological and unconventional love story that urges the viewer to really feel something from the very beginning until the wonderful ending. It's difficult to be impassive, to not feel anything about the story of a lonely young man who fell in love with a distant neighbor and whom he peeps at with stolen binoculars.

The story is told through the lens of the binoculars from where 19-year-old Tomek (Olaf Lubaszenko), a shy Post Office worker who spies his opposite neighbor Magda (Grazyna Szapolowska), a very promiscuous woman. In a Hollywood story many people would have thought that he wants to have sex with her and that he's a perverted. But, his actions are quite different and he'll always try to find a way to be near her and the way he does this approaches are quite odd, disturbing Magda's peace by sending false notices or calling the gas company when she's with another guy at her home.

He practically knows everything about her and this obsession gives him a return from the woman who thinks she can play with him just like she does with other guys but things can and will follow through some desperate and sad ways.

Writer and Director Krzysztof Kieslowski (who wrote the screenplay along with his collaborator Krzysztof Piesiewicz) tells us a story about a dry and tedious world who tends to suffocate and destroy the notion of love (Magda says to Tomek that she doesn't believe in love), and feelings are thrown to the wind by mere acts, and the best thing someone can do is just sit and watch things happen just like Tomek does being an observer because to be part of them it might not be so interesting in the way you thought it could be. Themes of loneliness, pain, emptiness, the lack of communication are intertwined in a very peculiar and interesting way.

But it's not just sad things, there's hope and some funny things too. Perhaps the most positive of the characters is the old lady who lives with Tomek, the grandmother of his only friend, and she likes the boy very much and wants him to be settled with someone, she's the one who really cares about him. She's the most communicative figure in the film and every time she says good things to him about how a girl likes to be treated and other things.

In a world where it's more easy to shout and complain about everything than to say "I Love You!" Tomek finds his way; he's a bold character with an awkward way to express what he considers to be love. I really prefer his ideal of what love is than to the concept presented in "Atonement" for instance (great film though).

It is a realistic story but at the same time it's not. If the director presents a real world with real situations in one hand, on the other he gave us a romantic and cinematic notion of some very fantastic and beautiful things (in real life many people would've call the police if they met a obsessive stalker. Instead of that we see a curious woman who wants to know more about this guy). This contradiction works and life itself has many of them.

Kieslowski once again made a wonderful movie, very calm, his camera allows you to see all the details, tiny little things that makes a tremendous effect on the story and in the viewer. The slow pace is precisely great to show Tomek's perspective looking inside of Magda's apartment, all this presented brilliantly. Kieslowski could tell the whole movie just by showing those images that I would love the film anyway. His direction of actors is very efficient too. To me, Olaf Lubaszenko will always be remembered by his portrayal of Tomek, wonderful job, he really felt the character, made him very believable and it's very difficult to resist to his charming puppy eyes. Grazyna Szapolowska is spectacular as well, she dominates the second half of the film in an astonishing way when her character realizes what Tomek really felt about her.

Art in its best form, "A Short Film About Love" is highly recommended to everyone who enjoys great cinema and philosophical stories. This movie really is gonna make you to have a opinion about it, it will prevail in your memory. 10/10

The obscure object of Tomek's desire is always the same: the magical world of the attractive woman in the opposite palace, made of unadorned rooms and dreary meetings. The young busybody caught by the merciless camera in the act of scrutinizing the voluptuous, graceful shape of her scantily exposed human flesh feels a sensation of warmth in his heart, picturing to himself a dream world where the people can be embraced with the power of his piercing glance. His level of mental perception seems to grow exceedingly at the moment of penetrating the innermost recesses of Magda's intimacy, his recalcitrant flame of passion, his fickle, forbidden desire.

But Tomek is not satisfied with the sight of her bare-legged beauty (opaque and unlikely reminiscence of the evangelic Mary Magdalene), he does not want to remain a passive onlooker. Like a capricious and authoritarian "Demiurge" he devises disturbing situations by means of the phone in order to claim the exclusiveness of his prey, running the risk of being given a sound trashing. On account of his state of blind unconsciousness, he runs on burning coals, aflame with curiosity and passion, almost paying heavy tribute to arbitrary flights of fantasy.

The movie is an extended version of "Dekalog 6", (Thou shalt not commit adultery), with a different epilogue. It gives us a good reason to get to the heart of Kieslowski's art of poetry and to relive the emotions of an ambiguous and poignant story, probably the most licentious of the whole Decalogue, a ruthless description of an insatiable desire for possession, caused by a mind deviating from the straight path. A piece of work made of immoral ambiguity and irresponsible premeditation. A dangerous midsummer night's dream carried out awkwardly, fated to rush headlong into an open conflict with a pitiless reality without finding a way of escape.

Overrated and silly. It is considering a masterpiece by the IMDb reviews and ratings. But in my opinion, it's overrated because of its silly storytelling. The main protagonist man did a very well performance. Very well. Except for this, there is nothing special.

A boy peeps at a woman aged than him. He tries hard to meet her in any way. However, he meets her, and an unexpected turn of the story which leads to an unclear tragedy or may be, not a tragedy, nobody knows.

Except for the way it ends, it deserves 7, not more than this.

As said in my review of 'A Short Film About Killing', the more work I see of Krzysztof Kieslowski, the stronger the feeling that he was an incredibly gifted director, responsible for some brilliant work, taken from us too soon.

Have yet to see anything bad from him, with even my least favourite (the eighth episode of 'Dekalog') still being very good, with the masterful 'Dekalog' and 'Three Colors: Red' (all three "Three Colors" films are must watches, but especially 'Red') being particularly great. Like 'A Short Film About Killing' was an expansion of Episode 5 of 'Dekalog', 'A Short Film About Love' is an expanded feature length version of Episode 6 (to me like Episode 5 one of the best 'Dekalog' episodes).

Granted, 'A Short Film About Love' is not for everybody and it is easy to understand why. It seems to have been mistaken for a depressing take on romantic love, to me while there is love and passion (being two of the main themes of Episode 6 of 'Dekalog') it is a more complex and darker interpretation of "love" but is actually much more than that. Often it is more a film about obsession, forgiveness, lust and heartache. People may easily dismiss 'A Short Film About Love' as pessimistic and dispassionate, perverted has even been used, while others find it beautiful, haunting and moving. Belong in the latter category myself.

Kieslowski's films are all visually striking and exceptionally well made. The same can be said for 'A Short Film About Love'. As well as being beautifully shot with atmospheric use of colour to match the mood, it is gritty yet beautiful with many thoughtful and emotionally powerful images lingering long into the memory. Kieslowski's direction is quietly unobtrusive, intelligently paced and never too heavy, and the music is suitably intricate.

The themes and ideals are used to full potential, and the characters and their relationships and conflicts feel so real and emotionally resonant without being heavy-handed. Despite being based around one of the ten commandments, don't let that put you off, resemblance to religion is relatively scant, unless anybody argues God's seeming love for sinners. Being a non-religious person that's not for me to say, just mentioning an interesting and quite unusual observation read recently about the film.

Story-wise, it's deliberate in pace but rich and provocative. It's never dull, and more often than not it's creepy (like Magda being followed out of the post-office), poignant (Tomek on the roof, Magda in tears after knocking over milk and the heart-wrenching fantasy about what life might have been with him). There is even some nice black humour that is so subtle it's easy to miss.

'A Short Film About Love's' themes of obsession, stalking, lust, love, passion, forgiveness and heartache are expertly explored, likewise with the characterisations and interactions. The acting is superb as to be expected from both the two leads, again the complexity and nuances of the performances is to be admired.

Overall, another masterpiece from Kieslowski though one of his most divisive. 10/10 Bethany Cox

"A Short Story About Love" with its cast of two, not including a couple of side characters, is not short in length at 86 minutes but is short in stature as it lingers tediously over the tenuous relationship which develops between an immature and introverted postal worker and the attractive older woman he watches from his bedroom window through a telescope from across a courtyard as she cavorts nightly around her flat. A laconic sentimental flick with little to offer save the psychodynamics of a pair of peculiar characters, this tale of strange bedfellows is very well done for what it is, which ain't much. Sweet soup with no meat and potatoes or dessert, this is one for the artie crowd. (B-)

That girl wished to gave him sexual experience but she learned what is love. The boy was looking for true love. This movie differentiate love and sex very well. I am left with no words, just watch it, you will feel it.