The Decalogue (1988-89) is late Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski’s widely acclaimed 10-part series (which originally aired in 10 separate hourlong segments on Polish television and was co-written with Kieslowski’s longtime collaborator Krzystof Piesiewicz) receives a long-overdue showing on the big screen. Each program is based on one of the Ten Commandments and uses a contemporary and inter-related tale to explore moral issues and questions of human existencePart 9: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife” tells the story of an impotent man who encourages his wife to take a lover, and then reacts antagonistically when she does. Part 10: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods” deals two brothers who struggle to complete their deceased father’s rare stamp collection, and then suspect each other once it is stolen.
This article appears in February 23 • 2001.
