Decalogo

The Decalogue is without doubt a monument of movie history. The ten films are apparently based on the ten commandments, but this relationship is tentative. Kieslowski himself commented that "the films should be influenced by the individual Commandments to the same degree that the Commandments influence our daily lives". The amazing thing about them is that they are much more than a series of abstract cinematic emblems. Assisted by superlative acting, they acquire each their own depth, their own real personalities and complex dilemmas. Kieslowski presents a cinematic view of morality that is about as sophisticated as it gets. A grand achievement of one of the great film-makers of the twentieth century.

I am among those very fortunate few in this world to have seen the 'dekalog' series in a theater.And i am proud of it.I knew precious little about Kieslowski until i saw this series which was shown during the 29th international film festival of India, held at Trivandrum. ever since i have respected,admired and loved this man for his skills. Anybody can learn a lot from the these 10 little gems. Even a lot many contemporary so called serious movie makers have lots to learn from this extremely intelligent filmmaker.

Shot mostly in stark black and white, the camera seems to have a knack to bring out the faintest of internal turmoils each of the characters undergo. This man has proved how good an observer of life he is. His way of putting across ideas in a simple but intense manner will leave an everlasting impression in our minds.

'A short film about killing' and 'A short film about love' may have found its way to the theaters and gained more attention. But i strongly feel that one has to see all the 10 episodes (in any order and do note that) which covers issues from adultery to incest to treachery and what not. Even more amazing is the fact that all the episodes seem to have been shot in the same locality, covering the occupants of a large residential complex.There are very few characters in each episode(which is about an hour each)and they ALL seem to leave an imprint in our minds. Krzysztof Piesiewicz,the screenplay writer for all the episodes has done a marvellous job.But i am sure i have lost the essence of some of the dialogues as i saw only the subtitled versions.

There are no grandiose attempts while making these episodes-say through utilisation of huge sets or big stars or slick camera movements. It is kept down to earth,realistic and bereft of too many cinematic elements.The camera moves snail pace but something keeps you alert because you realise that the man behind it is making an attempt to speak not just though dialogues. I wish i got a chance to see more of his works and keep away from the commercial crap we are being forced to view everyday.

I sincerely hope more of Kieslowski's offerings find its way to my country and more people from all over the world get a chance to see the works of this genius. This man is SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL !!!

Krzysztof Kieslowski's "The Decalogue" is one of the most powerful cinematic experiences you'll ever have, and probably the best ensemble cast I've ever seen (if you consider them a single film, like I do). I used to think Mike Nichols, Ingmar Bergman and Robert Altman were the supreme actor's directors, but I might consider Kieslowski (1941-1996) my #1 for this project alone. It helps that all the actors are unknown to most of us and not famous Hollywood stars, and that makes the experience even more real, but that wouldn't be much if they couldn't act. I had seen Kieslowski's "Three Colors" (which happens to be my all-time favourite trilogy), but I didn't think of him as a particular actor's director because Juliette Binoche or Julie Delpy don't necessarily need a great director to deliver a great performance (I'm not sure about Irène Jacob, though; I haven't seen "The Double Life of Veronique", in which she's supposed to be brilliant, and I do like her in "Red", but she never impressed me in any movie not directed by Kieslowski). Adrianna Bierdzynska (who looks like a cross between Jennifer Jason Leigh and Hilary Swank) and Olaf Lubaszenko, from segments 4 and 6, respectively, stand out; they're more Oscar-worthy than 90% of the nominees of the past decade; but every member of the cast did a terrific job. Stanley Kubrick described "The Decalogue" as the only masterpiece he could name in his lifetime - if that doesn't make you curious to watch this poignant, unique experience, then you're not a film lover. 10 out of 10 in my books.

Kieslowski left us way too soon. But he did leave behind a handful of achievements that place him at the forefront of filmmakers of the last quarter of the 20th century. The Three Colors movies and The Double Life of Veronique - the movies for which he is probably best known - would be enough to ensure his reputation, but is this film - or ten films, if you wish - that elevate him.

While the movies are based upon the Ten Commandments, they are not simple morality tales and illustrations. Kieslowski and his co-writer, Krzysztof Piesiewicz, create meditations that connect both intellectually and emotionally with the commandments instead. They explore the commandments' themes with the head and the heart. One great example is the first movie, in which a parent and his child use a computer to predict the freezing rate of a pond. Casting the computer and human knowledge as false Gods is not a new or unique idea, but in Kieslowski's hands, the idea expands and fills not only the mind but the heart. Man, I wish I had the vocabulary to express what moves in me every time I watch any one of these films.

Everything about this film, from the cast - always nice to see the ubiquitous Daniel Olbrychski (ubiquitous for Polish films; I always wondered if Poles ever play six degrees of Daniel Olbrychski) - on. The cinematography for each episode is ideal; the look and feel of these movies, shot with the same director but different cinematographers, are all perfect.

And who is that watchful, mute man who appears in the background of all or most of these films?

Look, just see this. Find it, rent it. If you love beautiful, heartbreaking, thoughtful movies, you'll thank me for this advice.

I would have hoped more people would have seen this superb collection of 10 short films, now that is available on video and DVD and has played on the Sundance channel. If you haven't, you are missing out on 10 superb masterpieces. Yes, they are slow-moving and some of them are very depressing, but what did you expect from this director, Adam Sandler? The acting, writing, direction, and music are all near perfection. 2 corrections to make from the earlier reviewer, these films are not in black and white, but in a very muted, monochromatic color. Also you should see them in sequence as 2 of the earlier episodes are referred to in the 8th and 10th episodes.