Episode 3: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy

The third episode of The Decalogue by Kieslowski represents the commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”  Although this film doesn’t seem to be based off this specific commandment on the surface, Kieslowski delicately painted the picture of the Sabbath day through Christmas Eve.  He used a specific visual trope in the beginning of the film: Santa Claus.  Throughout this scene, Santa was distributing gifts to the children and having a “jolly” time with a family.  This visual trope not only allows the viewer to be drawn in to the Christmas mood, but it allowed a vessel into the tightness of that particular family.  However, this is where the film takes a slightly different turn.  Ewa, a woman that has had a past with the father of this family, Edward, began an unfortunate series of lies in order to lull Edward out of the house to spend Christmas Eve with her.  Together, they become consumed with lies, tension, and hate as they spend Christmas Eve together away from where true family lies.  Although there are multiple issues that weave their way through this film, I think this story-line does, in fact, have to do with the Sabbath day.  Through his actions, Edward is simply not respecting his family as well as the Christmas holiday throughout his escapade.  This depiction truly allows the viewer to connect to remembering the “Sabbath day,” or Christmas in this case.  While I was watching the film, I was angry that Edward was not home with his family where he belongs, and I think this relates to the fact that Christians should be with their Family (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) on the Sabbath day.

Another visual trope that kept occurring throughout the film was a shot of a man that was wandering around asking “where is my home?”  I think this specific visual trope also plays into the Sabbath day theme.  While we didn’t know who this wandering man was, I think he still played an important part.  This man seemed to have a completely opposite problem in comparison to Edward.  He was wandering the streets during Christmas Eve asking “where is my home?”  Edward, on the other hand, knew where his home was and where he should be, but he was simply ignoring it.  As the viewer, I wanted him to go home to his family for Christmas instead of staying out with Ewa.  However, he continued to ignore his family on Christmas Eve.  It seems almost unfair that the wandering man just wanted to be home, but Edward was taking advantage of the fact that he had a home.  For this reason, the wandering man was used as a visual trope throughout the film to indicate the deliberate sin against keeping the “Sabbath day” holy.  Another cinematic device that added to this idea of sin throughout the film was the low lighted diegeses.  This specific cinematic device contributes to the seriousness of the story-line and plays into its sinful feel.  Although this film isn’t explicit with its meaning, Kieslowski’s use of these cinematic devices, visual tropes, and deep story-line caused the viewer to think about the true moral of the story.

Episode 2: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

                Not all of the Decalogue episodes line up with the commandment they are based on. Episode 2 is definitely one of them. The entire storyline is one of adultery and deceit, a clear infraction of the seventh commandment. Until further research, I was under the impression that this was the commandment that the movie was based on. I was wrong. Though the entire movie seems to be based on this commandment, its title is that of the second commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” I am not entirely sure as to how this commandment was illustrated in the film.

                 The issue of adultery never explicitly talked about in the movie as being wrong.  The main character, Dorota cheats on her husband and is impregnated by her lover. The fact that her husband is dying in the hospital, confuses Dorota on her true feelings toward both men. She decides to have an abortion, cuts off ties with her lover, and gives up on her husband’s recovery. Out of self-centeredness and hurt, she essentially gives up on the three people in her life who are closest to her.

                Plants are shown 4 times throughout the one hour film. Though their significance is never talked about or disclosed in the film, the viewer is almost forced to place a meaning on them due to their constant reappearances. The meaning I ascribed to them was that of the preciousness of life. The first and third times plants are spotlighted in the film, the doctor is shown handling them with care and nurturing them. This creates a great symbolism about his character. As a doctor, he cares greatly about the lives of his patients, and does his best to keep them alive. The second time focus is placed on a plant is a shot of Dorota ripping the leaves off a tall and healthy windowsill plant. (picture of Dorota and the plant below) This illustrates how she forsakes all hope of her husband’s recovery, and her total disregard for her baby’s life. The final time Kieslowski uses this visual trope is in the hospital room. Dorota takes the leaves she ripped off the plant earlier in the film and places them on the ground next to her husband’s bed. We are shown an extreme close up of them. Though the husband is confused when he wakes up and notices the leaves, we, as viewers, are reassured that Dorota has indeed given up all hope for her husband’s recovery.

Dorota 

                The constant close ups of each character’s face keep the viewer closely connescted to the emotions of each character. Low lighting is used to play into the somber mood of the movie and to emphasize the evident sin. Though Kieslowski’s use of cinematic devices and visual tropes definitely force the viewer to think about the deeper meanings, parallels and morals of the film, I am not sure that the meaning he was trying to convey is evident.  

Episode I--No Other Gods

The first episode of Kieslowski's The Decalogue depicts the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me." (Ex. 20:3 ESV) The film is subtle in its religiosity, and draws us into the story with smart writing and brilliant use of cinematic devices. As Tim alluded to in his overview, the setting is quite bleak in keeping with the sentiment of the Eastern European audience in the late 20th century.

Kieslowski's use of the television at the beginning and end of the film is powerful in generating questions and then answering the same questions as the film ends. It lets us into Pavel's aunt's world, tells us his story, and then releases us back into the present to continue our lives, hopefully different for having been a part of Pavel's story.

Pavel's story is a sad one, yet one that is necessary to be told. Kieslowski's use of the pigeon and the dead dog to raise questions of the meaning of life and death are spot-on. As Pavel asks his father those questions, we can identify with both of them, as most of us have pondered these important concepts at one time or another. His father's stark answers are not satisfactory to Pavel, and he seeks his Christian aunt's opinions as well.

Kieslowski portrays the father as an athiest, but a loving atheist who wants his son to be safe. When Pavel finds the skates we get a sense of impending doom, especially once the father double checks the thickness of the ice after having run the calculations on the computer. The father is humanized in this moment, and loses a bit of his coldness. It is at this moment we see that the father doesn't completely trust his computers, which means he may not completely trust his own atheist worldview.

The father's refusal to go to the ice and check immediately on Pavel is maddening, since that is the first place we want to go. Our first instinct is to rule out the worst case scenario, but the director wants to draw us further into the father's atheist view first. Kieslowski has the father exhaust all other options before finally admitting to himself that something terrible may have happened. After tracking down the reunited family that left the scene near the ice, the father realizes Pavel is likely dead, and collapses in a dark stairwell and the realization sinks in. The use of the dark tones in this film pays off by pulling us into the father's grief.

The director does a fantastic job of illustrating punishment for putting other things in place of God. The father trusted his computers, his reasoning, even his own physical tests, but had no faith in God. In the end, the father is overcome and returns to the church, tossing the religious items on the altar, perhaps in some way getting back at God for taking Pavel. But the fact that he came back to the church indicates that he blames God and therefore acknowledges His existence.

The ahha! moment comes when the scene cuts to the image of Pavel running through the school, and it is thoroughly satisfying. It is a visual trope that neatly answers the questions raised at the beginning of the film. Another visual trope is the observer at the fire near the lake, who is mysteriously absent during the key moments of the film, when the kids fell in, and when they are pulled out of the water. I'm not certain of his significance, but Kieslowski puts several shots of this man throughout the film. I believe he could represent "us," the audience. Kieslowski has never revealed why he put those specific shots in the film, but I believe it is simply another filmic device that encourages us to engage the film and search for meaning in each frame.

Inspiration for The Decalogue

Before watching The Decalogue, one should understand the background and the context from which it was created. We will be looking into Polish and Eastern European culture in the next posts and throughout the course of the blog. Keeping that in mind, we will tackle the filmmakers and their creative vision and inspiration.

The series of movies was conceived after the producer saw a medieval depiction of the Ten Commandments. The above picture is presumably of the aforementioned depiction. The producer decided that it was important to make a modern-day depiction of the Ten Commandments told through a modern-day medium: film. 

Notable in the picture is the medieval concept and perspective of the Ten Commandments. Notice, in particular, the demonic figures in each portion, seemingly playing a part in or even enabling the sin to occur. In other words, the devil made me do it. It will be interesting to see how the Decalogue tackles the concept and nature of sin and what humankind's responsibility is in regard to sin. Is humanity born depraved and into sin? Or is humankind drawn to sin by evil forces or circumstances?

It is important to properly understand the Ten Commandments and how modern society has developed a misguided perception. The Ten Commandments were not given to Israel simply to create regulations for life that are in turn punishable when disobeyed. Instead, they were given as a gift to the people of God as a way of conveying the best, most productive way of living: "It might work out better for everyone, if you don't kill each other."  So it will also be interesting to note how The Decalogue deals with the idea of this covenant with God and how the characters are dealt with who rebel against its precepts.

Also of note is how the late 20th century mindset of Eastern Europeans impacts the storytelling. Will the settings be generally bleak? Will the filmmakers choose to address specific cultural mores or themes on a broader scale or both? 

Kieslowski tackles ideas of morality and society in his Three Colors Trilogy, as well. Wikipedia (Three Colors: Red)  mentions that he addresses the themes of "the manner in which man acts in society, the relationship between the law, ethics and socially acceptable behavior and how not all of them coincide." This may be an indication on how he will challenge the viewer with each part of The Decalogue to make his/her own decision of what is right and wrong.