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The Decalogue
The Decalogue
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The Decalogue

The Decalogue

1989
Drama
TV Mini-Series
9h 32m
Ten television drama films, each one based on one of the Ten Commandments. (imdb) Episode List

Directed by:

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Screenwriter:

Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz

Starring:

Jerzy Stuhr, Aleksander Bardini, Daniel Olbrychski, Miroslaw Baka, Henryk Baranowski, Artur Barcis, Maja Barelkowska, Adrianna Biedrzynska, Krystyna Janda, Piotr Machalica, Ewa Blaszczyk, Anna Polony

Genre:

Drama

AKA:

Dekalog

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish
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The Decalogue

1989
Drama
TV Mini-Series
9h 32m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 85.5% from 1275 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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febrarofebraro
Rated 25 Nov 2007
100
99th
Even the "worst" segments here have enough substance to stand out, a masterpiece that has all the qualities that made Kieslowski one of the best filmmakers of his generation. It kinda made me never want to go to Poland, though.
Rated 25 Nov 2007
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 11 Jan 2012
5
44th
Definitely has its moments but it also isn't this grand sweeping masterpiece that people claim it to be. Some episodes are so heavy handed and ridiculous that it teeters on absurdity. Others are so well done and interesting that you wonder how the hell the same guy made the other ones. How do you have a moment of brilliance and then lose it almost instantly? PS, this is not one of the "most incredible achievements in film." You have to be either stupid or a liar to believe that.
Rated 11 Jan 2012
oaicoaic
Rated 19 Jun 2009
0
3rd
I'm a Kieslowki fan, but I found this dreary, and too unsubtle and heavy-handed for the kind of drama he was doing. If Christians are wondering why church attendance is declining, maybe it's because they treat ethics as a soap opera and treat humans as cartoonish stock characters. The flat and conceptual characters here are a disappointing contrast to the rich characters in his other films. Decalogue is a testament to the misanthropic, dehumanizing arrogance of perceived moral superiority.
Rated 19 Jun 2009
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 24 Jan 2007
92
96th
I was impressed that each and every episode managed to be really really interesting and ring true. The only one that fell short, in my opinion, was the 5th -- "thou shalt not kill". It was oddly heavy-handed, especially in contrast to the others. But from a cinematic standpoint, it might be the best one. I liked the idea of the apartment complex and the slightly overlapping tidbits.
Rated 24 Jan 2007
sellissellis
Rated 20 Jul 2019
90
88th
Dekalog 1: 10, Dekalog 2: 9.25, Dekalog 3: 8.25, Dekalog 4: 9.5, Dekalog 5: 7.75, Dekalog 6: 9.25, Dekalog 7: 8, Dekalog 8: 8.75, Dekalog 9: 8.5, Dekalog 10: 10
Rated 20 Jul 2019
joojooJooJoo
Rated 17 Jun 2010
4
56th
Everyone is under the enchantment of this guy. I just can't seem to find anything impressive. At all.
Rated 17 Jun 2010
icarusIcarus
Rated 18 Jun 2009
100
99th
My favorite film(s). It never gets old and always leaves me wanting more. Kieslowski's poetic sensibility adds a palpable sense of mystery to simple tales of sins committed, punishments rendered, grace offered, and redemption found. More than that, these tales reflect and comment upon social, political, familial, and theological problems in a way that invites engagement, highlights beauty, and offers hope. This is simply a masterful series of films that remain enriching long after seeing them.
Rated 18 Jun 2009
klausglenskiKlausGlenski
Rated 21 Dec 2008
90
95th
A movie thats is obviously related to the ten commandments of the bible and takes place in a suburban housing project in Warsaw. At first sight this sounds fairly unusual but since the stories just deal with social and ethic aspects of the commandments this works out excellent. Kieslowski does what he is best at, storytelling. Supported by great polish professional and amateur actors, Kieslowski did auteur filmmaking at its best with most interesting characters. 20/12/08
Rated 21 Dec 2008
dorkovskyDorkovsky
Rated 25 Apr 2008
10
99th
I watched all ten films in two sittings. It's amazing how Kieslowski was able to make TEN thought-provoking films with pitch perfect acting and pacing, using something as simple as the Ten Commandments.
Rated 25 Apr 2008
teoremaTeorema
Rated 20 Feb 2008
100
98th
The first and fifth segments of this are required viewing. Kieslowski is a master of pacing, and makes the most simple plots seem operatic.
Rated 20 Feb 2008
stainStain
Rated 29 Mar 2007
50
33rd
People jump up and down about these movies. I just don't care
Rated 29 Mar 2007
rufamRufam
Rated 02 Sep 2013
60
29th
I: 70 Powerful, but questionable moral. II: 65 Interesting, not especially memorable. III: 50 The dullest of the lot. IV: 70 Morally blurry and all the better for it. V: 50 Masterfully shot yet awfully manipulative. VI: 75 Sweet and moving, but the ending dissapoints (the film corrects that). VII: 60 Solid overall, but obnoxious charcters. VIII: 65 Interesting moral debates, but too much religious stuff. IX: 55 Heavy-handed and not entirely realistic. X: 60 Has its moments thanks to the
Rated 02 Sep 2013
kasperlKasperL
Rated 15 May 2011
85
94th
Art cinema of the highest quality. My favorite ep is, I think, the first one but they all fall somewhere between good and great. My favorite of Kieslowski's films remains 'Three Colors: Red', though.
Rated 15 May 2011
tinysausagetinysausage
Rated 16 Dec 2010
91
98th
An astonishing achievement: these ten masterpieces were shot in just over a year! Each story has a distinct atmosphere, helped by having a different cinematographer for each one; but all are infused with Kieslowski's compassionate view of humanity, and how we react to tragedy and loneliness. Wonderful.
Rated 16 Dec 2010
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 16 Nov 2010
60
36th
This will be the minority opinion here. I liked the Decalogue, but it could have been much better. Honestly, I was quite bored at times. In all fairness some episodes were quite strong in their own right, but they were the exception. Generally, they seemed to drag on and on. I feel as though ten 20 or 30 minute short films in succession would have been a better format. An hour each is a little much. I never once felt as moved or as awe-struck as I did when I watched Blue, White, and Red.
Rated 16 Nov 2010
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 10 Jun 2010
93
98th
I had hoped that every episode would be a fantastic masterpiece, and it's not quite that, but that's also an unfair expectation. The episodes range from very good to magnificent with most of them being solidly great examinations of morality through a slice of life, and viewing it as a whole adds layers of reflection and meaning. The series flourishes when it focuses on the humanity of the characters, which is why the 6th, 7th and 9th episodes are the strongest. Kieslowski's masterwork.
Rated 10 Jun 2010
purgatospurgatos
Rated 24 Sep 2009
97
98th
Tough to sum this up. With 10 basically unrelated short films it's difficult to find things I can say about all of them. The acting was always great and the cinematography was constantly interesting, the different styles for every segment was a fantastic idea since it makes things feel even more mixed up. They're also all really brave, in that there's basically no subject that Kieslowski feels like he needs to shy away from, which lends a power to the entire series that little can compare with.
Rated 24 Sep 2009
cinemahellcinema_hell
Rated 02 Jun 2009
100
99th
I just can't imagine someone getting home, in the evening, turning on his tv, and watching this. Such a masterpiece. Right after some soap opera, or other everyday tv program.
Rated 02 Jun 2009
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 09 Jan 2009
4
70th
I didn't care much for the fifth episode but the rest of the series is excellent. My personal favorites were the 3rd and 6th episodes. I can't think of anything unique to say about this; it's just very well done human drama with an interesting thematic foundation (the Ten Commandments), well-acted and very strong overall.
Rated 09 Jan 2009
brrrpbrrrp
Rated 19 Feb 2024
55
31st
Thematically rich and poses a lot of interesting questions and dilemmas. I felt Kieslowski directed with a heavy-hand. What may have been better explored in a harsher mode seems to have been imbued with lofty spiritual significance and this often detracts from the value of countering ideals with complicated realities. Important nuggets were gleaned from this often protracted and tiresome series.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 27 Jan 2024
69
35th
Interesting but frustrating mini-series that purports to dissect humanity’s ethical and moral behaviours through the prism of the Ten Commandments, but gets bogged down in heavy-handed, soap opera dramatics (with the impotence segment the nadir). Strikes gold in episode 8 with a very thought provoking treatise on WWII, and how wartime potentially (necessarily?) corrupts ethical behaviour, but the rest are largely well constructed, but shallow and superficial views of the topics of discussion.
Rated 27 Jan 2024
hotsakehotsake
Rated 28 Dec 2023
59
46th
A very uneven series to say the least.
Rated 28 Dec 2023
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 19 Dec 2022
87
89th
Too much to talk about in a 500 character review, but the anthology is remarkably consistent, generally ranging from pretty good to amazing. They all fit together well. It's a very impressive achievement and definitely deserves its reputation. Many thoughtful moral questions and examinations. My favorite episode was episode 4, but the run from 4-7 is fantastic, and 1 is great as well. The weakest for me was probably 3, though it's still good. The later episodes lose a little steam. Great.
Rated 19 Dec 2022
metismetis
Rated 06 Aug 2021
97
98th
9???????????/E01?????9?????????????????/E02?????7?/E03?????7?/E04?????9??????????????????????????????????????????????/E05?????8???????????????????/E06?????9???????????????????????????/E07???
Rated 06 Aug 2021
hombredemaizHombredeMaiz
Rated 06 Jul 2021
90
96th
Ten moral tales ranging from romance to character study to rumination on the nature of God. Kieslowski's love of color and symbolism brings each individual film to life. With such variation in subject and genre, each person is likely to find something they love in the anthology and something they are indifferent to. Nevertheless, the collection as a whole is worthy of consideration as one work of art. The whole is a filmmaker's attempt to understand humanity. And it's a remarkable success.
Rated 06 Jul 2021
hssnozdagghssnozdagg
Rated 24 May 2021
81
74th
It was an unforgettable experience. I would be lying if say some of episodes wasn't boring to me. However, some of them were just masterful.
Rated 24 May 2021
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 28 Nov 2020
80
78th
Impressive character studies that are, although a few are a bit of a stretch, gripping. All of them offer ethical quandaries; Kieslowski doesn't want to spoon-feed you any answers. At the same time, it's exhausting (thankfully, he ends on a wryly comical note), so I don't know if I'll ever revisit these.
Rated 28 Nov 2020
syvyyssyvyys
Rated 26 Feb 2020
85
67th
Don't quite understand why it's regard so highly by so many. At least half of the episodes are quite shallow, a bit borng and the acting varys a lot. Nonetheless Kieslowski and Piesiewicz are outstanding at creating characters and dense webs of realism.
Rated 26 Feb 2020
kcknzkcknz
Rated 17 Aug 2019
91
98th
with all Kieslowski's trademarks: ethical problems & questions; religion & faith; dilemmas: life and death, trust and betrayal, love and hate, showing and hiding; psychoanalytic sub-themes like peeping tom or impotency; the use of illusions both visual & narrative way (e.g. reflections of the character on windowpane that will intensely use in "the double life of Veronique" later). Dekalog is an important milestone in visual storytelling. also a pure artistic heritage for humanity.
Rated 17 Aug 2019
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 08 May 2019
100
99th
Twin Peaks, Seinfeld, O Decálogo, tudo começou naquele ano de 1989 e continuam sendo minhas coisas favoritas já feitas para a TV, por isso jamais pensem que darei uma nota melhor do que cinco estrelas a qualquer um deles, não importa o quanto os revise. Box Versátil O Decálogo.
Rated 08 May 2019
gokseltuzungokseltuzun
Rated 24 Jan 2019
100
96th
master
Rated 24 Jan 2019
feublofeublo
Rated 03 May 2018
88
83rd
As a whole, it intertwines with all of the commandments in an ambiguous manner as you digest the context. Some segments seem stronger than others - but I believe the experience is shaped by what one may value more. Kieslowski and the multiple cinematographers play with the cinematic effects that we see in his other work, and it's brilliant. Bundled with tons of symbolism, the quality is unique at eliciting interpretations.
Rated 03 May 2018
saudadesaudade
Rated 28 Aug 2017
64
93rd
1,7 and 10 were my favorites.
Rated 28 Aug 2017
rosettaonsetRosettaOnset
Rated 02 Oct 2016
93
92nd
CHAPTER 01: 95__ CHAPTER 02: 92__ CHAPTER 03:TBD__CHAPTER 04:TBD__ CHAPTER 05:TBD__CHAPTER 06:TBD__CHAPTER 07:TBD__________CHAPTER 08:TBD__CHAPTER 09:TBD__CHAPTER 10:TBD
Rated 02 Oct 2016
moncliviemonclivie
Rated 14 Feb 2015
75
55th
If you think this was great, I'm sure something got lost in translation.
Rated 14 Feb 2015
luxnatalisLuxNatalis
Rated 11 Dec 2014
58
56th
(I) Dekalog, Jeden: 63 • (II) Dekalog, Dwa: 54 • (III) Dekalog, Trzy: 51 • (IV) Dekalog, Cztery: 62 • (V) Dekalog, Piec: 58 • (VI) Dekalog, Szesc: 77 • (VII) Dekalog, Siedem: 51 • (VIII) Dekalog, Osiem: 53 • (IX) Dekalog, Dziewiec: 57 • (X) Dekalog, Dziesiec: 51.
Rated 11 Dec 2014
allynhiAllynhi
Rated 28 Nov 2014
85
94th
Marvellous. Only 9 which felt weak to me, a couple more which were merely good, but most of it is thoroughly outstanding. 1 and 4 personal favourites.
Rated 28 Nov 2014
neonmanNeonman
Rated 09 Feb 2014
77
56th
A mixed bag. Some episodes have a stronger resonance and clearer relation between film and story than the others.
Rated 09 Feb 2014
canggicanggi
Rated 27 Feb 2013
100
50th
The most beautiful sounds and images I have ever sensed in screen. I have sentimental reason. This film was made when my first early memories were created in my brain, thus the colors, nuances were nostalgic. I may not comprehend all the ten films, but I surely do sense divine beauty in each of them.
Rated 27 Feb 2013
nepetaNepeta
Rated 10 Jan 2013
95
96th
Taking inevitably didactic material and yet rendering it completely morally murky and posing questions over morality rather than instructing with answers. The series is deeply humanist, universal, intelligent and moving. My favourite episodes are One (the wonderfully shown relationship between the father and son, and the deeply moving bits on faith) and Four (the most morally murky of the series and one of the episodes with the most clearly humanist viewpoint), my least favourite is Eight.
Rated 10 Jan 2013
simurg56simurg56
Rated 01 Dec 2012
93
88th
on emirden yola cikan 10 orta metrajli film.
Rated 01 Dec 2012
snallygastersnallygaster
Rated 29 Sep 2012
74
83rd
I think the usual summaries of this series set you up to view the films through a kind of tunnel vision. While Kieslowski may have used the Ten Commandments as a source of inspiration, you could arguably ignore that fact without missing anything. It *can* be an exploration of the Ten Commandments, if you like, but in my opinion the films are essentially humanist rather than spiritual. The style of each segment varies a fair bit, and my evaluation of each ranges from good to great.
Rated 29 Sep 2012
svengaliSvengali
Rated 11 Aug 2012
87
97th
The episodes are not masterpieces on their own but they add up to something so damn impressive and elegant. I'm always so impressed by Kieslowski when I watch him, how he constructs things and uses certain things in cinema. Kudos to his homie Piesiewicz as well.
Rated 11 Aug 2012
friendo55friendo55
Rated 15 Feb 2012
88
79th
Some parts are brilliant while others are mediocre. The good strongly outweighs the bad. Fun to watch over a 3-day period with friends.
Rated 15 Feb 2012
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 05 Feb 2012
96
97th
Although not a film, it is almost better than a film: A conceptual miniseries. If that sounds desperately dull to you, consider the fact that each major character (and there are many) are well-rounded, wonderfully acted, and each script is very human and brilliantly conceived. Highly recommended to anyone who can bear reading subtitles.
Rated 05 Feb 2012
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 30 Nov 2011
93
86th
#140
Rated 30 Nov 2011
sebbysebby
Rated 25 Nov 2011
95
99th
Probably one of the 10 greatest achievements in film. Dekalog is representative of Kieslowski's great strengths as a filmmaker -- his perfect pacing, his knack for taking the mundane and making it riveting, and his ambiguous takes on morality and the purpose of life. Every chapter in the series except for maybe 3 and 4 is a master stroke.
Rated 25 Nov 2011
canciancancian
Rated 06 Nov 2011
100
83rd
gostei mais do 1, 2 e 3
Rated 06 Nov 2011
delizdeliz
Rated 28 Aug 2011
71
29th
It's good, some episodes are very good, and unfortunately some are bad. Worth watching if you like the Krzystof's work.
Rated 28 Aug 2011
calexicoCalexico
Rated 13 Aug 2011
90
91st
A very interesting series. 1 - Eerie & engrossing. 2 - Kept me guessing. 3 - Not as good. 4 - Great tension. Big surprises. 5 - Dark, subdued, unapologetic. 6 - Creepy & cool. 7 - Disliked the characters. 8 - Not great, not bad. 9 - Tension explodes like fireworks by the end. 10 - Funny. Great relationship between the brothers. // I digged the relatively dark tone, the exploration of ambiguous interpretations of the commandments, and the good endings. Favorites: 1, 4,
Rated 13 Aug 2011
giturragiturra
Rated 28 Sep 2010
98
81st
Great series for polish tv. Kieslowski at its best. And that''s to say a lot. Every story is an examination of one of the 10 commandments. Even if all stories are of uneven quality, even the worst one will make you stop and think for a while. And the best ones rank among the best mini movies ever made. Minimal, but full of beauty and care for its characters. And somef them carry an emotional punch hard to explain with words. Filmmaking at its most pure, harsh and poetic
Rated 28 Sep 2010
lilarcorLilarcor
Rated 18 Jun 2010
85
83rd
An impressive achievement, but not all episodes were as compelling and I found it at times hard to watch. It's one of those things that needs time to show you its greatness and it didn't really pick up until the third hour for me personally. Part 8 was a disappointment after having seen the excellent parts 3-7. Thankfully part 9 is one of the better and the last part is a very entertaining black comedy; a great ending to a unique drama series.
Rated 18 Jun 2010
syntaxerrorsyntaxerror
Rated 01 Jun 2010
9
76th
If you manage to have the time to watch these ten segments [each around 50 minutes], you should do so. I've yet to complete the entire series [and may change rank based on completion], but I can honestly say its one of the finest pieces of film around. Read the other reviews for more in-depth analysis!
Rated 01 Jun 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 13 Jan 2010
93
86th
131
Rated 13 Jan 2010
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
93
86th
132
Rated 19 Dec 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 01 Mar 2008
94
90th
# 111
Rated 01 Mar 2008
theyshootpicTheyshootpic
Rated 17 Apr 2007
90
92nd
# 94
Rated 17 Apr 2007

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