First airing on May 11, 1990, the second episode of Krzysztof Kieslowski's acclaimed ten-part miniseries, 'Dekalog,' perhaps lacks the supreme emotional resonance of its direct predecessor, though it still remains a somber, thoughtful and meditative exploration of humanity. The episode is fairly loosely based on the commandment "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," though, of course, each episode does not completely correspond with the single commandment of the same number.
Episode Two concerns the dilemma facing a old, tired and lonely doctor (Aleksander Bardini). His apartment is a cold and unwelcoming place, distinctly lacking the warmth provided by being with those that you love. The doctor is approached by Dorota, a middle-aged woman who lives in an apartment above him. Dorota's husband, Andrzej, whom she greatly cares for, is being treated for a terminal debilitating illness in the doctor's ward, and she wishes to know whether or not he is going to die. As any medical consultant would be, the doctor is hesitant about making any certain predictions, since, ultimately, it is not up to him to decide whether or not a person survives.
Dorota, however, has a fairly good reason for wanting to know. During the time that her husband has been ill, she has also fallen in love with another man, and she is now three months pregnant with this other man's child. She sorely wishes to have a baby, but loves Andrzej enough to have an abortion if it is certain that he will recover. For Dorota, discovering a certain answer before she loses everything becomes almost an obsession, and the doctor is placed in an impossible position. His recommendation could cost the life of an unborn child and what right does he have to decide who lives and dies?
Written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, this episode is one that truly makes you consider the hopeless plights of others, and to appreciate what you do have. The doctor, having apparently lost his entire family in a bombing attack, knows what it is like to lose a child, and so he knowingly lies to Dorota, influencing her to keep the baby regardless. The cinematography by Edward Klosinski and Wieslaw Zdort succeeds in capturing the cold, impersonal worlds of each of the two main characters. Also, the acting itself cannot be faulted, with the two experienced Polish actors giving heartbreaking, realistic performances.
Episode Two concerns the dilemma facing a old, tired and lonely doctor (Aleksander Bardini). His apartment is a cold and unwelcoming place, distinctly lacking the warmth provided by being with those that you love. The doctor is approached by Dorota, a middle-aged woman who lives in an apartment above him. Dorota's husband, Andrzej, whom she greatly cares for, is being treated for a terminal debilitating illness in the doctor's ward, and she wishes to know whether or not he is going to die. As any medical consultant would be, the doctor is hesitant about making any certain predictions, since, ultimately, it is not up to him to decide whether or not a person survives.
Dorota, however, has a fairly good reason for wanting to know. During the time that her husband has been ill, she has also fallen in love with another man, and she is now three months pregnant with this other man's child. She sorely wishes to have a baby, but loves Andrzej enough to have an abortion if it is certain that he will recover. For Dorota, discovering a certain answer before she loses everything becomes almost an obsession, and the doctor is placed in an impossible position. His recommendation could cost the life of an unborn child and what right does he have to decide who lives and dies?
Written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, this episode is one that truly makes you consider the hopeless plights of others, and to appreciate what you do have. The doctor, having apparently lost his entire family in a bombing attack, knows what it is like to lose a child, and so he knowingly lies to Dorota, influencing her to keep the baby regardless. The cinematography by Edward Klosinski and Wieslaw Zdort succeeds in capturing the cold, impersonal worlds of each of the two main characters. Also, the acting itself cannot be faulted, with the two experienced Polish actors giving heartbreaking, realistic performances.