Decalogue, The - V: "Thou Shalt Not Kill." (1989)

Kieslowski's Decalogue

"Oh, NOW you're sorry!"

Genre: Drama (Poland)

Starring: Miroslaw Baka, Krzysztof Globisz

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

Overview: Decalogue V is an unflinching look at the crime of murder, as well as the state's response to such crime. Careful, spoilers in this one, predictable as it may be!

Performance:

What makes this different from most extreme punishment lessons like the shockingly stomach-turning Dancer In The Dark, is that the sinful in this one are truly sinful. In fact, all the characters save the lawyer are either cold and withdrawn, be they executioners or judges, or downright malevolent, as is the case with our selfish taxi-cab driver who won't pick up fares, or our most-heinous killer, a man so malignant even his motive is masked in the unknown, who seeming kills on a whim.
Rating: 8

Cinematography:

For the first time in the series we have special effects. Most shots have vignetting and a sepia tone hue. I read that this was to symbolize the limited view that our character the killer has for the regard of others, but I suspect it might be more telling of the killer's mindset and his potentially self-loathing thoughts. Before he commits his murder, he takes in an old, beat-up, vignetted black and white photo of his deceased sister to have it enlarged. Should the photograph be representative of the young man's anguish, then the short's veneer of having the 'old photograph' look as we follow the killer might just be showing us what's been on his mind all day.
Rating: 8

Script:

We open with an overly sensitive lawyer-hopeful declaring how he believes capital punishment to be an unnecessary evil. Heavy words are the order of the day, especially near the end when the sentenced man speaks to his lawyer, asking for favours. What I appreciated most of all though was the amount of dead air, pardon the pun, as the most dramatic moments were without dialogue. Silence speaks volumes.
Rating: 8

Plot:

Rather than simply exploring the issue of murder as sin, Kieslowski takes it that further step that continues the theme of sin without acknowledgement: the unapologetic, unremorseful capital punishment inflicted upon the accused. As stories go, it's a predictable natural end to this exploration of this Commandment, but its telling is special, filled with deplorable types that ask the moral question in extremis, rather than with innocents or likeable folk.
Rating: 8

Mood:

I must be jaded. In fact I know I'm jaded, fine, but when I read that this was probably one of the longest murder scenes in film history (at seven minutes), I was surprised. Decalogue V is indeed graphic, and more than once, since capital punishment is also intensely explored. All that to say I don't know why it didn't move me like it should have. Still intense and true to the series, V is definitely one of the more popular because of its dark nature and in-your-face graphic detail.
Rating: 8

That about sums it up...

Overall Rating: 80% ("A Little Bit Of The Old Ultra-Violence")

Aftertaste:

Of all sins, if you ask me, murder is the one that has the greatest effect on the most people for the longest time, and I was interested in seeing how Kieslowski would explore the sinlessness of this act. Capital punishment. Nailed it right on the head.