Episode 4: Honor Thy Father and Mother

                                    Photo from: filmsufi.blogspot.com
In the fourth episode of the Decalogue series, Kieslowski tackles the fifth commandment: thou shalt honor thy father and mother. We see that Kieslowski is continuing in the same manner as the previous three films; he is not addressing the commandments literally from the view of Christianity but rather through a different possible alternative meaning to God's commandment. In this episode, that possible interpretation shifts the focus of the episode from honoring parents to incest. Twenty year old Anka is being raised by her father since her mother's death when she was 5 days old. When her father, Michal,  is away on a business trip, she discovers an envelope labeled "to be opened after my death". Upon opening the letter, she finds another sealed envelope inside addressed to her in her mother's handwriting. The melodramatic scene showing her reading the letter has been left out contrary to what we would expect from Hollywood conventions. She seemingly recites the letter to her father at his arrival and says that he is not her biological father. Anka now feels safe admitting that she suffers from incestuous desires and believes that Michal reciprocates. He does admit to it but does not give in when she tries to seduce him. When she awakes the next morning, she sees Michal walking away from the house. She runs outside believing he is abandoning her and admits to forging the letter before learning he was on his way to buy milk. The real letter has not even been opened. The absence of that scene  works its magic in another capacity - we now know why the scene was left out and can make our own discoveries. The episode ends with them burning the unopened letter together, never to know the contents. This ending may seem like a disappointment but it fits with the episode's handling of human imperfections. The choice to never know the contents of the letter is cowardly but it is perfectly human - many would take this easy way out. Throughout the episode, Kieslowski does not shy away from showing the human imperfections of his characters. Make no mistake, this is not a Hollywood style film with a fairy-tale setting and happily-ever-after ending. The use of little dialogue draws the viewer into the story by using body language and facial expressions to show the carnal side of the human experience. Everything is not handed down on a narrative platter. The emotions are real; Anka does not cry daintily, she sobs realistically. Some scenes may seem to be held for a beat too long but they cause you to feel uncomfortable, to think. The entire episode causes you to think and evaluate the way you perceive the ten commandments and the world around you. As Anka says in the episode, we must learn to read between the lines.