"Dekalog" (1989) TV series

User Rating:

9.2/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

10 December 1989 (Poland)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Ten television drama films, each one based on one of the Ten Commandments.

Awards:

9 wins

Cast

Artur Barcis

...

Young Man / ... (9 episodes, 1989-1990)

(more)

Series Directed by
Krzysztof Kieslowski		(10 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Writing credits
Krzysztof Kieslowski		(10 episodes, 1989-1990)
Krzysztof Piesiewicz		(10 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Produced by
Ryszard Chutkowski	....	producer (10 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Original Music by
Zbigniew Preisner		(10 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Cinematography by
Wieslaw Zdort		(2 episodes, 1989-1990)
Piotr Sobocinski		(2 episodes, 1990)

Series Film Editing by
Ewa Smal		(10 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Production Design by
Halina Dobrowolska		(10 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Art Direction by
Halina Dobrowolska		(1 episode, 1990)

Series Costume Design by
Hanna Cwiklo		(2 episodes, 1989-1990)
Malgorzata Obloza		(2 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Olaf Lubaszenko	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Art Department
Waldemar Weiss	....	construction coordinator (10 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Sound Department
Nikodem Wolk-Laniewski	....	sound (5 episodes, 1989-1990)
Malgorzata Jaworska	....	sound (4 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Piotr Jaszczuk	....	assistant camera (6 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Editorial Department
Henryka Dancygier	....	assistant editor (7 episodes, 1989-1990)

Series Music Department
Elzbieta Towarnicka	....	musician: soprano (1 episode, 1990)

Series Other crew
Serafin Miroslawa	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Sender Freies Berlin (SFB)
• Telewizja Polska (TVP)
• Zespol Filmowy "Tor"

Distributors

• Facets Multimedia Distribution (USA) (DVD)
• New Yorker Films (2000) (USA) (subtitled)
• Warner Bros. (????) (Poland) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Decalogue (USA) (video title)
The Ten Commandments

Runtime:

55 min (10 episodes)

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Warsaw, Poland

Company:

Sender Freies Berlin (SFB)

Trivia:

Director Stanley Kubrick described 'Dekalog' as the only masterpiece he could name in his lifetime.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Man yan (2004)

Made for TV, it's a masterpiece in any forum.

It's worth noting that about the same time this was airing on censored, Communist Poland TV, America was airing the "Heart to Heart reunion" and "V". Obviously, the Ten Commandments themes that it reportedly addressed in order are not actually in order, some of the shorts address two and even three commandments. No worries, though.

This collection is a masterpiece. It's a major accomplishment with every film short being watchable, and some being unquestionable masterpieces. Kieszlowski is a master of presenting both sides of the argument; the pregnant, cheating wife and the cuckolded husband's doctor; the peeping Tom and the lonely woman; the atheist father and the religious sister.

The final film centers on two brothers who inherit the stamp collection of their recently deceased father. They come to find that the collection is priceless and they scheme to sell it, mistrusting their father's former colleagues and ultimately one another. But despite their eventual downfall, the brothers find something of value from their folly. It's wonderfully affirming without being sentimental. That sentence probably describes most of these shorts.