#142: Decalogue VI


(To read the first in this series, please click here.)

Chapter: Thou shalt not commit adultery

Gist: A young and educated 19 year-old is infatuated with his attractive neighbor. Will she give into his prying methods ?

Script: It works because it's quite relatable for most part. All of us at some point have got infatuated with someone elder than us and nothing really comes of it. Kieslowski and Piesciwicz bring that sometimes-crazy-sometimes-idiotic streak of childhood fantasy alive with this story.

Acting: Remarkably well done by Tomek, the 19-year old (Olaf Lubazenko), who can't take eyes off his 30 year-old sultry neighbor, Magda. His silly attraction that he mistakes for love is the stuff all those who have been teenagers once in their lifetime can identify with. It is also not very often in a Decalogue that a character is really happy but when Tomek is, his performance is such, you will be.

Technical craft: The telescopic view of Magda's room from Tomek's distant room is a critical part of the movie and the way those scenes have been shot by DOP Witold Adamek make you feel as if you're the intruder. Another nice addition by the director is the addition of the character of Tomek's friend's mother. Would the story have lost anything without her ? No. But does the character heighten what you eventually feel for Tomek later in the story ? Yes.

I will confirm this but this also seems to be a chapter where maximum characters from other stories make an appearance.

Piece de resistance moments: It has to be the overhead shot of Tomek with the cans of milk. I am not going into the details of it but suffice to say, it is one of my favorite moments in the Decalogue. And, of course, the scene with Magda and Tomek in her apartment- erotic minimalism at it's peak.


In a nutshell: Surely worth the time. To quote Dylan, 'Don't think twice, it's alllll righhht ! "

Decalogue Rating: 4/10
P.S: Rating here implies a relative rank compared to the other 9 chapters and not an absolute rank in itself.

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