☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Decalogue (1988) -- K. Kieslowski
Prior to his later
international success (with the Double Life of Veronique and Three Colors:
Blue, White, and Red), Krysztof Kieslowski made this 10 part series of short
films (50 minutes each) for Polish TV. Each episode, shot by a different
cinematographer, focuses on one of the 10 commandments (or perhaps on how
people break the commandment and the subsequent implications). But it isn't
exactly straightforward which film goes with which commandment (although some
internet pundits do make the call) -- instead these might be considered
"puzzle films" because we are thrown right into the lives of the
characters (mostly all residing in a single housing estate) without any context
or back-story. The plot, or moral
dilemma, faced by the characters is only slowly revealed. Some are doozies and you find yourself
thinking "what would I do?" or "what exactly _is_ the right
thing to do?" or even "there's no way in hell that I would end up in
that predicament". At times, I felt
that I was watching a series of really intriguing "afterschool
specials" designed to get me to think about ethics and really that's not a
bad thing. Amazing that Kieslowski and
his collaborators are able to sustain curiosity excitement and interest in the
viewer (this viewer) across nearly 10 hours.
Highly recommended.
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