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Dekalog - The Ten Commandments - Parts 1-5 Details

1988 DVD Certificate 15.gif
  • Rated:
  • 70
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One of the greatest and most ambitious cinematic achievements, Krzysztof Kieslowski's THE DECALOG consists of 10 short films inspired by the Ten Commandments. Each film takes place in and around the same area of late-20th-century Warsaw, provoking timeless ethical and moral questions for this era. Specifically, the films .. Read more

Starring Miroslaw Baka, Henryk Baranowski, Artur Barcis, Aleksander Bardini
Director Krzysztof Kieslowski
Genres Drama, World Cinema

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Dekalog - The Ten Commandments - Parts 1-5 cover art

Dekalog - The Ten Commandments - Parts 1-5

One of the greatest and most ambitious cinematic achievements, Krzysztof Kieslowski's THE DECALOG consists of 10 short films inspired by the Ten Commandments. Each film takes place in and around the same area of late-20th-century Warsaw, provoking timeless ethical and moral questions for this era. Specifically, the films address personal issues dealing with family, friends, love, life, and death. Winner of awards from the Venice, Sao Paulo, and Cannes film festivals and originally made for Polish television, Kieslowski's masterwork has been screened all over the world to international acclaim. The video release will give viewers the opportunity to revisit each episode and discover characters from the other films that pop up in the background of the current story and might also help to better explain the mysterious presence of Artur Barcis, a quiet onlooker who might be an angel or a devil. Kieslowski, collaborating with cowriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, has made a series of films that feel small and intimate yet are actually epic commentaries on modern human existence, making THE DECALOG a lasting work of art. Includes episodes 1 through 5, see also DECALOG 6-10.

Starring Miroslaw Baka, Henryk Baranowski, Artur Barcis, Aleksander Bardini
Director Krzysztof Kieslowski
Studio ARTIFICIAL EYE
Run time DVD: 4 hrs 38 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Drama, World Cinema
Language Polish
Subtitles English
Released DVD: 27 May 2002
Production year: 1988
Format DVD

Dekalog - The Ten Commandments - Parts 1-5 (2 discs) (1988)

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  • Critics' reviews (4) of Dekalog - The Ten Commandments - Parts 1-5

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  • "...Rarest of all are those films that are so accomplished, so overwhelming, so profound that seeing them on screen is nothing less than a privilege. Krzystof Kieslowski's THE DECALOGUE is such an event..."

    • Los Angeles Times
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • "...[The series] stands as a masterwork of modern cinema, essential viewing for anyone who cares about the movies as a serious art form..."

    • New York Times
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of Dekalog - The Ten Commandments - Parts 1-5

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  • 25 out of 25 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Unexpectedly accessible Polish classic

    The first 5 instalments of this 10 part, made for TV series, proves to be unexpectedly accessible for the average film viewer. Despite its obvious art house sensibilities, and European cinema pedigree (written and directed by Kieslowski, he of later three colours fame) these stand-alone episodes provide quality, thoughtful viewing with almost universal appeal. Granted, the first 10 minutes of Polish subtitles and dour communist bloc concrete cityscapes may be off-putting, but if the viewer is willing to stick with it and become immersed in the characters and themes, there is rich reward.

    The 5 episodes, loosely based on the first 5 commandments, offer deep and complex character studies performed with exceptional gravitas by a talented local cast. Added to this, the ambiguous and challenging moral themes that underpin each story challenge the viewer to engage with the characters and empathise with their predicament. Empathy, is easily found since, despite the far removed tower block communities suffering the last throes of communism, the characters and themes get right to the root of the human condition which we are all subject to.

    So sit yourself down determined to see beyond the barriers of low-budget and subtitles. Don?t try to watch them all in one or two sittings, just set aside an hour to watch one of them spending the next day mulling over the deeper meaning of the film, and you will be treated to some of the best thinking persons? cinema around.

      • Gus from Leicester
      • Posted 03 Aug 2004 11:59

  • Most recent members' review of Dekalog - The Ten Commandments - Parts 1-5

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  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    A proper TV series

    This series deals, very loosely in some episodes, with the ten commandments, and how they can be related to a contemporary society which, like most, is loosing its faith.

    All these collections are acted superbly, with extreme subtlety, an accolade which extends to the camera-work and storylines.

    I would highly recommend the series to those who want a quieter film, examining an extremely interesting period of social change, and doing so deftly and skillfully.

      • bruler from Midlothian
      • Posted 18 Apr 2006 18:51

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      • One of the greatest and most ambitious cinematic achievements, Krzysztof Kieslowski's THE DECALOG consists of 10 short films inspired by the Ten Commandments. Each film takes place in and around the ...