A Favorite: Dekalog

Kieslowski's 1988 masterpiece "The Dekalog" is a Polish TV miniseries that many film buffs simply consider to be one big fat ten hour movie. It's this film buff's 54th favorite movie of all-time, 2nd favorite Kieslowski film, 4th favorite film from the 80s, and favorite film of 1988. It tells ten different stories about different folks who all reside in the same apartment complex. In addition they're all watched by the same mysterious angelic figure. We might think of this figure, it has been suggested, as one of the angels in Wim Wenders's masterpiece "Wings of Desire." The stories more or less match up to one of the ten commandments, but each episode contains much more than a simple morality tale. Every Kieslowski fan must watch this. I suspect it's also a good entry point for new comers. Below are links to reviews for the individual episodes.

  I "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me." 

II "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."

III "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

IV "Honor thy father and thy mother."  

V "Thou shalt not kill."

VI "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

VII "Thou shalt not steal."

VIII "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

IX "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife."

X "Thou shalt not covet."