SummaryThis masterwork by Krzysztof Kieślowski is one of the twentieth century’s greatest achievements in visual storytelling. Originally made for Polish television, Dekalog focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply person...
SummaryThis masterwork by Krzysztof Kieślowski is one of the twentieth century’s greatest achievements in visual storytelling. Originally made for Polish television, Dekalog focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply person...
These despairing, ambiguous pieces are always emotionally unsettling, and that is due in part to Kieslowski's complete assurance as a director. His spare, minimal visual preferences dominate each episode. The camera work is fluid and precise, and the films are so rich they seem to be feature-length though they're not.
The great, unifying success across all ten shorts is Kieślowski’s representation of Poland, which is political, social, and personal all at once. Each movie is its own experiential encounter.
The best 10 hours you will spend at movies and this Series.
Ten commandments. 10 episodes. 10 hours. When it first aired on Polish television in 1989, decades before long-form filmmaking would come to be regarded as the last bastion of auteurism, Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Dekalog” was one of the most immense undertakings the cinema had ever seen. There had been longer works, and more lavishly financed ones — even when accounting for inflation, “Dekalog” would qualify as a micro-budget project — but the existential girth of Kieślowski’s magnum opus immediately made it feel like a monolith among molehills.
Kieslowski's beautiful, sad and clear-eyed The Decalogue -- an overwhelming psychological and spiritual epic for our times -- faces the darkness, sends out a song against the storm.
Dekalog certainly lives up to its reputation as a mind-altering masterpiece. You marvel at the precision of its filmmaking even as it spreads an atmosphere of moral unease.
Being a pessimist at heart, Kieslowski, who cowrote all 10 scripts, unfolds a variety of human weaknesses, shows how difficult it is to conform to one commandment, let alone 10, and considers human frailty with sympathy but little hope.
Touching and human, Dekalog is a trip inside morality and common people's dilemes. Doesn't matter social class, culture or context, it's hard not to indentificate yourself or at least feel dismayed or thinkfull and for that reason, series is timeless too.
The greatest series of short films ever made, by one of the masters of cinema and almost certainly the greatest director of the 90s. An exploration into characters with intense moral and ethical dilemmas, that allows one to reflect on the intricacies and nuances of the human spirit. Dekalog is considered one of the most acclaimed and important works of art in recent history, yet I believe it deserves further adoration. This is extraordinary filmmaking, 10 of the best films you will ever watch.
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.
Commandments rehashed in city lights, they might hold up, might not but Dekalog's quality surely will test against time.
Dekalog
Krzystof Kieslowski; the co-writer and director, of this phenomenal ten part series, which is often claimed to be as ten hour long film, is a testament in itself, to filmmaking, storytelling and, art that drives all. With the crowd pleasing concept, the writers, Krzystof Kieslowski and Krzystof Piesiewicz, are actually enjoying. That's quite a shock, isn't it? The concepts are established, the theme well introduced, the cinematography almost like some painting, the metaphors spread across like elements and the characters staged with a spectacular choreography. What more is left, they wondered. And fun, is the answer they came up with.
Take each of the chapters individually and you'll see for a brief period everyone is let loose in their own rhythm. The cars zooming, couple laughing, mother discovering her son or daughter, friends tearing up, brother spiralling plan and a boy dancing after getting an approval from her crush. What a release it is, speechless, to see such calculated tales feeling no obligation, breaking their rules, for that one smile of the day. Another fine quality and major theme of these films is the physical sequences.
He wants you to scratch your brain, Kieslowski, when the physical acts are on the run. What is that urge that he gives birth to, that we feel compelled, almost insisting, on finishing that puzzle. No matter how carefree your attitude is, if someone is being chased or chasing, you would be mesmerized until they leave the frame. The spectators are too hovering around in these films, a particular one that can be seen in every chapter except for the last one, can often be considered as the perspective through which the germ of the idea that these creators had before magnifying these stories on screen. Now, as you can see, Dekalog is timeless not because of the hard work, but because of how much they loved working hard on it, they had fun as much as you had, I'd say that's a balanced world.