Decalogue, The - II: "Thou Shalt Not Take The Name Of The Lord Thy God In Vain." (1989)

Kieslowski's Decalogue

"Well what do I get if he DOES die? Don't I get a 'lovely parting gift' at least?"

Genre: Drama (Poland)

Starring: Krystyna Janda (Man Of Iron), Aleksander Bardini (The Double Life of Veronique)

Directed By: Krzysztof Kieslowski (The Scar; Three Colours Trilogy)

Overview: A woman in a dilemma ask her husband's doctor for a definitive answer. "Will he live or will he die?"

Performance:

The story here revolves around a doctor and the wife of one of his patients, a man dying of an illness he may recover from. Cold as he may be, the doctor is a good listener, and attempts to add a lesson of patience to his discussions with a woman who insists he provide an instant and definite answer to her questions. What is it about Eastern European Film that portrays characters without overzeal, yet still leaves it deeply dramatic?
Rating: 8

Cinematography:

Regardless of the plateau I've been put at with Decalogue I, this, and the whole series I expect, is wonderfully shot. Not only do we see honest representations of everyday life in this apartment complex with such scenes as take place in cramped elevators or while lighting a gas stove, but the simplicity in these shots perfectly bridges the gap between television and film.
Rating: 8

Script:

From time to time there's even a dash of wit thrown in on the part of the doctor, hard as his job may be, but most of the discourse is a clear understanding of our lady with her issues. Kieslowski doesn't fill his air to hear talking... a nice change of pace.
Rating: 8

Plot:

If the medical bureaucracy introduced is anything factually representative of Polish Health Care, then I can understand why the doctor's as cold as he is. Imagine a woman who comes to your apartment door asking how her husband is because you, as a doctor, only see people on Wednesday afternoon, regardless of the fact that your spouse is in critical care and could die or recover at any time. Well, you can imagine her frustration. That adds a nice touch to her existing problems, and for as much as the Second Commandment focussed upon in this episode is a bit of a stretch, I'd say that there's enough playing God going around to warrant this take on it.
Rating: 8

Mood:

Symbols in Decalogue II are fairly prevalent, but the viewer need not understand them to enjoy the story. The one represented by the bee in the glass (below), is probably the most talked about scene in all 10 episodes of the Decalogue series. The reason for that is simple: it's powerful, it's meaningful, and representative of the artistic moments Kieslowski takes pride in.
Rating: 8

"Of course strawberry juice symbolizes Malaria, duh!"

Overall Rating: 80% (Jesus, That's Good!)

Aftertaste:

I never realized how influenced I've been by Kieslowski's style of presenting symbolism. He does it in such a way that rather than feeling overwhelmed by the need to recognize the literary insinuations in that way Peter Greenaway is (in)famous for, it's just out there, bold and obvious, but not integral to the story. Though most of his symbols are presented visually, they're also presented as crowning a plot element, or spoken as a double meaning.
I like.