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.
I was very confused while watching this episode until the very end. The viewer is given no answers until one of the very last scenes when Ewa finally confesses to Edward that she had been lying the whole night. Even though this film was confusing, there were things that could be picked out right from the beginning. Edward wasn’t home with his family on Christmas Eve. This hurts his wife and kids. As the viewer, all you want throughout the movie is for him to leave Ewa and go home. I think Ewa is analogous to distractions on the Sabbath day. This was very evident to me, but only after reading the title of the episode. Had I not read it, I do not think I would have made the connection Kieslowski intended his viewers to make. The low lighting and the wandering man helped me make this connection.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was definitely a little difficult to understand which is different from what we're accustomed to but is certainly not bad. Not having everything handed to you helps you stay engaged in the episode. To clear up a little confusion... Edward is Ewa's husband who left her three years ago after finding Ewa with Janusz. Janusz is the father. I was confused about that until I looked the episode up on imdb.com.
ReplyDeleteThe use of Christmas Eve gives us insight into Polish Christmas traditions. Midnight mass which was shown in the episode is a very popular Polish tradition. According to a 1991 government survery, 96% of the population of Poland claimed Roman Catholicism as their religion (http://countrystudies.us/poland/38.htm). The information may seem old but it is important to remember that the Decalogue first aired in 1989. A lot of Polish traditions were depicted in the episode. Christmas Eve is spent with family and ends with a large dinner. The Christmas tree is often decorated on Christmas eve. Even the outdoor Christmas tree that Ewa made Janusz hit with the car is part of Polish tradition - Christmas trees are often decorated outdoors. The Santa Clause depicted in the beginning of the episode may seem to be the Anglo-Saxon version of Santa Clause that we are all familiar with. However, the Polish Santa does not differ very much with the Santa we know and love unlike many of the other European nations. The wafer that Ewa shared with Janusz (at her flat) is called oplatek and is traditionally broken at the dinner table on Christmas Eve. It is a symbol of the family's unity with each other and with Christ. It definitely held a lot more meaning than just sharing a wafer. Kieslowski's intended audience was Polish; seeing these traditions in the episode would help them feel connected to the characters. The research I did on Polish Christmas traditions definitely helped me understand the episode better, especially the breaking of the oplatek. (Sources: http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/holidays/ligon.holiday/Poland/Poland.html and http://www.polishcenter.org/Christmas/WIGILIA-ENG.htm)
There are two ways to look at this.
ReplyDeleteThe first way is that Janusz, the father and husband in this episode, is a good man. However, he broke his marriage vows and had an affair which has been over for 3 years. He is acting as a married man but they show him as not completely engaged, somewhat distracted and detached at home. Yet at home. He is lulled out by his former mistress, Ewa, under false pretenses. He spends the night trying to find her husband, who in reality has already left her and is happily remarried. He is kind to Ewa who is portrayed as mentally unstable, dangerous and a liar. He knows something is up but plays along with it and is still over all respectful of her. In this reading of it, he spends time with someone who is lonely, alienated and you have the sense that in doing this he prevents her from killing herself.
There are allusions to this potential suicide by the insane boy who escapes from the mental hospital, the razor blade with the dull edge in her flat, the man driving the bus the narrowly avoid hitting (this man has shown up in episode 1 as a representative of death--he is the vagrant man with the fire sitting in the snow-- and he also shows up in episode 2 as I believe death again when he is hanging around Dedora's husband in the hospital room) and in this episode again as death driving the bus.
Janusz shows her back to her car and that end and the two exchange a goodbye with the headlights of their car flashing back and forth. You have the sense that the desire to die that prompted Ewa to start her evening has been prevented by the kindness of her prior lover. He on the other hand, avoids another tierst and leaves back home. He assures his way that when he returns home he will not be seeing Ewa anymore. He observed the Sabbath, he went to church, he ended his affair truly this time because when he comes home we have the sense once more he is engaged again with his family.
I think the writer and director are not stating the obvious in episode 1 , 2 and 3 but are showing life is not black and white but is ambiguous and sometimes observing the commandments may be in a slightly different way that is on the surface.
In other words, clearly, Janusz should be home with his family but she led him to believe her husband was missing and desperately needed his help. He did what a good hearted person would have done which is to try to help. So, in this reading, he observed the Sabbath by doing and acting as a good Samaritan and by not sleeping with his mistress and truly returning home, he kept in holy.
The symbols of homelessness (the boy at the end wandering alone in the station who the police stop, insanity (the little boy escaping out of the house) , incarceration (the drunks in jail), suicide are contrasted with the loving and warm symbols of the Christmas dinners with the families in this episode, the children, the trees, Church and the faithful wife. In the end, the protagonist, returns home. He rejects the sterility of Ewa's apartment,her lies, and her flirtation with death. He keeps the Sabbath holy.
The second way to read this is that Janusz is bad, he does not stay home with his family but leaves them on Christmas to engage again with his mistress and does not keep the Sabbath holy. He violates the sanctity of the day and the birth of Christ. I think that this reading of it is too black and white and does not put the protagonist through any stages of development and would be uninteresting as a plot. While this could be the case, I believe the first reading to probably be more accurate.
Very nice, Country Mouse. Thank you for your insights. I think I hear you saying just as Jesus says in Matthew 12 "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
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