Decalogue, The - III: "Remember The Sabbath Day, To Keep It Holy." (1989)

Kieslowski's Decalogue

"Did you just hear Jesus? I think he's watching!"

Genre: Drama (Poland)

Starring: Daniel Olbrychski (The Tin Drum), Maria Pakulnis

Directed By: Krzysztof Kieslowski (The Double Life Of Veronique; Three Colours Trilogy)

Overview: On Christmas Eve, a woman finds her old lover and lures him away from his family under the guise of needing his help.

Performance:

Three years ago, a married man and a married woman (above) ended an affair. Now we wait, watch and see if their meeting tonight is about rekindling the past or putting it behind them.  When players like these involve themselves in a dialogue-heavy, subtext-rich tale as this one, the question of talent is one that shouldn't even be posed.  I'm guessing Kieslowski thought the same.
Rating: 8

Cinematography:

Not as vivid and exciting and full of obvious visually symbolic moments as the others in the series, we're shown a lot more of the standard television fare, naturalistic as it may be. Nevertheless, Kieslowski makes it his own in enough scenes to deserve a nod to his cinematic grace.
Rating: 8

Script:

It's a difficult task writing a script told by two ex-lovers without turning it into a resumé for the sake of the audience. In fact I'm sure many people out there who didn't understand the relationship between our two players got a little frustrated trying to sort out what their relationship indeed was. It's almost like Kieslowski challenges himself to speak subtext while still having the characters speak in a believable way. He pulls it off rather well, and tosses in a touch of double-entendre ever so often - metaphorically, not sexually...
Rating: 8

Plot:

For as much as many would say this is one of the 'lesser' of The Decalogue, I find that the dynamic between the characters is deeper than in most of the other episodes. The love a father shares with his son needs not be explained, a woman and the prickly relationship she has with her husband's doctor is rather thin. With Decalogue III, we are thrust into a world rich in the past, but one both our characters don't wish to overexpose. Characters speak without saying too much in an attempt to heal without opening old wounds, and for as much as this tale is not as involving as others, it's probably one of the more human tales, because it's so personal.
Rating: 7

Mood:

This episode isn't one of those dramas that pulls the heartstrings to the point of tears or fills you with rage or fear. We all can relate to personal stories like this one, but I think that less people would connect with Decalogue III compared to the others given that it's so specific. To some it could be considered out of their spectrum, but hopefully you'll see it as a new and interesting exploration in the private lives of two people.
Rating: 7

Yep, that about sums it up.

Overall Rating: 76% (Dec-A-Log With Boughs of Holly)

Aftertaste:

'Remember The Sabbath Day' is indeed a hard sin to show the consequences of, but I guess leaving your family to meet your old mistress on the day when being with your family should be your primary concern... yeah, pretty rude.