The Decalogue (TV Mini Series) Dekalog, dwa (1989) User Reviews

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

[ackstasis · 8/10 · 22 June 2007]

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.

'Dekalog': Part 2- the importance of one's word in human life and the sanctity of speech

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 11 February 2017]

'Dekalog' is a towering achievement and a televisual masterpiece that puts many feature films to shame, also pulling off a concept of great ambition brilliantly. Although a big admirer of Krzysztof Kieślowski (a gifted director taken from us too early), and who has yet to be disappointed by him, to me 'Dekalog' and 'Three Colours: Red' sees him at his best.

After being blown away by Episode 1, which is some of the most thought-provoking and moving pieces of television ever produced, Episode 2 was a slight disappointment but still wonderful. It does drag a little in places, which may alienate some, something Episode 1 did not do, but that is all that is wrong. It is by all means not one of the best episodes of 'Dekalog' but also not one of the lesser ones, which still have many great merits which is testament to the overall high quality of 'Dekalog' and the supreme brilliance of the best stories.

As to be expected from Kieslowski, it is both beautiful and haunting to look at, with photography that's startling in its beauty and atmosphere. There are some very memorable images that add so much to the atmosphere and emotion of the story. The direction is quietly unobtrusive, intelligently paced and never too heavy, and the music is suitably intricate.

The themes and ideals are used to full potential, and the characters and their relationships and conflicts feel so real and emotionally resonant without being heavy-handed. Forgot to mention in Episode 1 the symbolism of the milk with it being used frequently in Episode 2 especially. Despite being based around one of the ten commandments, don't let that put you off, resemblance to religion is relatively scant. Despite some draggy pacing, the story is as thought-provoking, intelligent and poignant as Episode 1 with a powerfully dark feel too.

Acting is one of the episode's biggest strengths and is just too good to not be commented upon due to how complex and nuanced the performances are. Aleksander Bardini in particular does an absolutely wonderful job.

Overall, not as good as Episode 1 but still wonderful. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Another powerful and poignant Kieslowski short film.

[KobusAdAstra · 9/10 · 27 October 2016]

An elderly medical specialist (Alexander Bardini) who lives alone in an apartment , his only company a bird in a cage and tropical fish, gets a visit at home by a chain-smoking woman (Krystyna Janda), living in the same apartment complex. Her husband is suffering from cancer and being treated in hospital by the medical specialist, and she demands an answer: Will her husband live or not? It turns out that she is happily married, but unfortunately childless. She recently had an affair with another man, and she got pregnant by him. Her dilemma: If her husband is to survive, she will have the child aborted. However, if her husband is to die, she will keep the child. This will also no doubt be her last chance to have a baby of her own.

Furthermore, she has to decide very soon as the window during which she can have an abortion is about to close, within a matter of days. The medical specialist refuses to give her an answer; he can't play God, he says. When asked about his belief, he says that he has a God, but it is only enough for himself.

The second story-line that unfolds deals with the life of the specialist. There are hints that he was previously married and had children, as shown by old family pictures in his living room. He has a kind old housekeeper and entertains her during her weekly visits by telling short stories to her. They initially sound like fictitious stories, but as the film progresses they make sense; they tell the story of a happily-married young medical doctor with an attractive wife and two children. Until the war broke out...

Kieslowski's attention to detail, his light-handed approach and cleverly making use of suggestions, leaving much of the film for the viewer to decide, are some of the keys to his success as a master film-maker. Add to that the superior cinematography, beautiful score and great performances by Krystyna Janda and Alexander Bardini, and we have a winner. As in Kieslowski's other 'Dekalog' films, he says more in a film shorter than an hour, than many other films twice that long. 9/10.

There are no answers for some moral questions.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 10/10 · 20 August 2008]

One close look at this film will tell that there is always ample room for strong character portrayals in all of Kieslowski's films."Dekalog, Dwa" is a grim reminder of state controlled government institutions as it tackles a not so pleasant but touchy doctor-patient relationship. The entire film is a comment on how doctors should maintain their professional integrity when they deal with relatives of their patients who are anxious to know about the well being of their dear ones.Those who have appreciated Aleksander Bardini's role as a lawyer in Bez Konca (No End) will get a new chance to enjoy his acting abilities as he demonstrates how a simple hearted doctor can be coerced to extract information about a patient's well being.Looking at the role of a woman torn between her husband and her lover,played by Andrzej Wajda's protégée Krystyna Janda,it is hard to find how genuine is the love of such women for the men they claim to love ? Her character is depicted as a tormented soul who likes to get angry much too often.As usual Kieslowski has asked us too many moral questions whose answers are not so easy to guess.

Krystyna Janda

[Kirpianuscus · 27 October 2018]

Her physical traits are present, from the first occasion when I saw the episode, in early "90's. Not for beauty but as the lead tool of performance. The destroyed plant, the water on wall, the cactus, the final scene having her performance as axis. Aleksander Bardini has the virtue to give not only a beautiful performance but a precise resume of the Poland of XX century. The grief,the life after it, the advice and answer inspired by a tragedy behind every word. A woman,her husband, her lover and a dilemma . A film about the fundamental choice changing everything. And the reasonable answer.

a contrast between the expectation of a conclusive answer and the impossibility of giving any hurried opinions about the human destiny

[Aquilant · 9/10 · 16 March 2005]

Even if the main point of interest of "Dekalog 2" (Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Thy Lord God in Vain) may be ascribed to the choice between life and death, strictly connected with a concatenation of events impossible to foresee, Kieslowski is mainly interested in the multitude of piercing GLANCES spread throughout the whole episode. Puzzling GLANCES on the point of questioning, imploring, invoking, urging precise answers suspended between the earth and the sky. Mute GLANCES behind the window, intent on following the hesitating steps along the pavement while every expectations begin to fade away, replaced by a feeling of discouragement evoked by the notes of a somber music clearly aiming at emphasizing a depressing disposition of soul. Vain throbs of a lonely soul not resigned to waiting, caught in the very act of outstretching her arms symbolically in the pursuit of hypothetical sparks of life to exorcise the "horror vacui" hanging over her head. Throbs of impatience that plunge every breath of life into a chain of deviating situations without no way out of them. "Dekalog 2" shows us an irremediable contrast between the paroxistic expectation of a conclusive answer and the impossibility of giving any hurried opinions about the human destiny, due to the unpredictability of future events. Or, to be more exact, it proves us the incompatibility between tiring comings and goings through the darkness of existence in the despairing attempt to tear to pieces the veil of mist that precludes the knowledge itself and the resigned precariousness of a daily make-believe without any glances into the future. Kieslowski unmasks the disquieting dichotomy between being and not being, dwelling for a long time upon the faces of the main characters, interested in the description of little recollections, haunted by confidential memories of an unhappy childhood, by moments of life immersed in flashes of memory, similar to tragedy. In the meantime a determined bee is groping its way to the life within a glass half full (or half empty), plodding towards the rim. Will it succeed?

For me the strongest of the Dekalogs. A masterpiece of the great director

[famd-1 · 10/10 · 14 April 2009]

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" . The second in Kieslowski's film meditations on the ten commandments, Dekalog 2 is a tale about deep human questions, about life and death- but it is a simple story. Yes, it is an all-too-straightforward and unflinching story like all episodes. Yes, this is a very linear story.

Still, as in all the Dekalog films, the real story is behind the story somehow,lying in wait for the thoughtful viewer.

We can see the doctors's story for example, what we need a little imagination. We can know his tragedy only seeing his flat. Or we can know , who the woman stares at the end of the movie...

Bleak and Intense

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 11 June 2021]

Others have commented so well. I have been close to death a couple times and appreciate the will to live. The focus is a woman who is trying to find love. She is a rather humorless, harsh character. She is three months pregnant and the father is not her dying husband. He is sterile and could not have sired the baby. So she seeks out his doctor to find out whether she should have an abortion. The results are interesting. I'm not smart to figure out why the Second Commandmen.

Though still dramatically great, a little less structured

[Polaris_DiB · 6/10 · 31 July 2006]

This one I'm going to have to say was the weakest of all the Decalogue. Although much of the Decalogue deals with overall Universal ethical constructs beyond just the commandment itself, this one seemed, to me, to have the least tie-in with the Ten Commandments and also the most banal premise.

I think Kieslowski himself understood this as in a later Decalogue he makes fun of it and presents a much stronger and more impactive dramatic moral tension. However, perhaps because this was one of the earlier attempts, this one seems much less complete and more about feeling the way around the strange personal Universe Kieslowski is creating. It's interesting to note, then, that the same wide-angle lens used in this episode as the other ones seems to alienate the characters from their surroundings rather than impersonate the layers of drama in their faces. Honestly everything about this episode seems a little skewed, a little off, and it's a shame that it comes so early on as it makes one somewhat worried about spending the next eight hours necessary to watch the rest of the Decalogue.

You should, if you doubt. Many of the later Decalogues are keep getting better and better and all of them are better than this one, which is still pretty good on its own.

--PolarisDiB

we are not complete

[Behdinderakhshan · 8/10 · 30 June 2023]

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

The second episode of dekalog is about a love triangle between a woman, her sick husband and her lover.

And also there is an unborn child who his life depends on the life or death of women's sick husband.

How the crucial decisions are to be made?

Where the moral lies when two lives hang in making one decision?

When humans want to justify their wrongdoings They cling to all the justifications possible in order to free themselves from the guilt, but when it comes to some life threatening decisions it becomes dependent on each individuals ultimate way of thinking.

We all need to trust someone, someone who can balance between good and evil; in this episode this balance maker is in the character of a doctor who acts in an cold but strong way maybe a little more like a complete man.

In general, the second part shows the nature of human actions and fragile decisions.

The weakest of the Dekalogs. A stumble for the great director.

[rooprect · 3/10 · 22 July 2006]

Linking this piece with the Commandment upon which it is based requires a stretch of the imagination that borders on Einsteinian physics. If you don't believe me, just read the other comments & reviews; everyone seems to have a (different) vague idea of how it relates to "Thou shalt not take the lord's name in vain", but the truth is that it's a non-sequitur story idea which Kieslowsky later beat into obscure religious context for the sake of his miniseries. It reminds me of a "B side" song which a band throws together for the sake of completing an otherwise good album.

I love the other Dekalogs. They are lucid, poignant and creative. But in #2, aside from the visual showcase (the famous bee scene which I didn't find all that impressive--all he did was throw a bee in a glass and film it for 28 seconds), I found nothing compelling or challenging to the mind. This is a very linear story which is more of an anecdote than a movie.

I still admire Kieslowsky, but this definitely made me lose some respect for the man. I'd skip it if I were you.

Decalogue 2

[Michael_Elliott · 14 November 2008]

Decalogue: Two, The (1989)

*** (out of 4)

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" is the focus of this second film in Kieslowski's series. A woman (Krystyna Janda) is going through the torment of not knowing whether or not her husband will die from his illness so she asks his doctor (Aleksander Bardini) to give her an answer. The doctor can't really say for certain but then he learns that the woman is pregnant with another man's baby. If her husband will die she will keep the kid but if he's going to live then she must have an abortion. As with the first film, this one here features some terrific acting, great direction and a wonderful look but I think the level of entertainment is a tad bit less because to the story really didn't hit me as hard as it should have. I'm not really sure what this film has to do with the original subject from the Bible but I'm sure some might see some sort of linking between the two. As for me, I found the attempt to bring the two sides together here didn't really work and I thought trying to link them was a mistake. Of course, everyone is going to see or feel something different about religion so just because these links didn't work for me doesn't mean others won't find something here. Another problem I had was that I really didn't care or feel too much for the woman going through this problem. The fact that she cheated on her husband, a sin, isn't ever really brought up nor is the possible abortion. WIth that said, the visual look of the film is extremely well done and there's no denying that the director has created a very good piece of work. The material, no matter what you feel towards it, is very well handled and is an original take on the whole idea of religion. Bardini clearly steals the film with his sad character who might be stepping over his lines due to the own pain he has suffered. Artur Barcis returns to this film playing a mysterious figure and once again does a great job.

Thought-provoking story with some great visuals

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 25 September 2023]

A woman stalks her sick husband's doctor for answers and gives him a dilemma.

The basic plot is excellent and the full effect of it is not realised until the end. There are moments when the pace slightly drags and there is a reliance on some aspects of it (backstory) being told as exposition dialogue, but this does not lesson the impact of what happens.

When the Doctor makes a key decision and we learn the outcome it is pretty jaw dropping and this ties in well to the key theme of the story. Some of it is open for interpretation whether we hear and intentional lie or someone swearing a truth to God that they do not know.

Visually it retains the same bleakness we saw in part one and has some unique sequences that work incredibly well.

The seemingly continuous move from Dorota in her flat, to the Doctor's glowing red face below, across to Andrzej hospital bed and finally to the bee in the glass is an absolutely brilliant combination of cinematography and editing.

Krystyna Janda, Aleksander Bardini, and Olgierd Lukaszewics are all excellent.

The bird goes west west west west then east east east then south south then north north north but it doesn't get water

[vishal_wall · 1/10 · 18 August 2006]

A man is in the hospital. His wife haunts the doctor. She wants to know if her husband will survive because she is pregnant with another man's child and if her husband lives she has to get rid of the child. Doctor tells her that her husband will die. She does not get rid of the baby and husband survives.

I think this was one of the slowest and meaningless film I saw in a long time. Plot looked good initially but it was stretched so much that I lost it after 15 minutes. Door opens, a lady comes out then she walks, then she stops, then she drops her cigarette, then she kills it, then she walks again. It all takes a minute. Thats the kind of intelligence you are dealing with here. In the name of art director kills a plant and then throws a bee in a glass filled with juice. Reminded me of cow set on fire scene from 'Andrei Rublev'. I don't know what this organization called 'censor' does. The story has got nothing to do with the commandment "don't take gods name for no reason". In my opinion commandment itself doesn't make sense. How can we forget the blunder God committed by creating this world and not think about him all the time? anyways thats besides the point. So if you are not a Russian and you think that 'Russian Ark' was a great film and 'Solaris' was fantastic art work you will find this mind blowing else keep away and do some laundry or house cleaning. Believe me that sucks but is still better than wasting your time on this flick.

My biggest problem with 'Dekalog' is that although everything is humane and looks very mundane but there is a miracle attached to the stories. Of course without a miracle there is no god. I think these films are based on superstitions and are absolutely medieval and outdated. Its sad to see people writing great stuff about these mindless-old-fashioned-preachy-stone-age stories i.e if you don't believe in god he will kill your son. Reminds me of a great thinker from Israel who said this during crusade "there are two types of people, one with brains and other with religion". These movies are obviously for the latter ones. Packaging is good but content is dated and is unhealthy. Keep away.

A modern parable

[bruceevan · 6 March 1999]

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." The prognosis of a man languishing in a Warsaw hospital from cancer holds the key to the fate of his wife and her unborn child. In this, the second of his meditations on the ten commandments, Kieslowski again fashions a small, intimate ensemble piece into an exploration of the metaphysical and spiritual agonies of modern human life.

The Bee

[tedg · 22 May 2005]

Matches flare, a glass is dropped, a plant is ruthlessly destroyed. Water drips as a man's life seeps away. A bee is captured in drinking glass half full of juice.

Kieslowski's method is to have his writing partner come up with the moral knot and the narrative that ties it. He then imposes all his cinematic magic on it, adding his own commentary on what he is doing.

Sadly, most people think these films exist so that some story can told. Others think the cinematic explication and punctuation is what makes these special. Certainly those are nice, but it is Kieslowski's subtle insertion of his own soul that makes this magical. Those other things are just necessary incantations.

The story this time is about an artist, not unlike Kieslowski, who is struggling with the question of whether to bring a special creation into the world. The question involves three men, her adventurer husband, her artist lover and the doctor treating her husband's sickness.

The "god" figure, the doctor, convinces her to accept the artists' gift, in effect substituting one creator for a lessor one. That's the linkage with the commandment here.

At the end, in a "Taxi Driver" type of surreal imagining, the husband is imagined to live and encounter the doctor. He is glad the baby is coming.

This is not among the best work of this master, but it is likely better than what you might watch instead.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Dekalog 2

[chaos-rampant · 12 March 2016]

This is Kieslowski doing Bergman and trying to make the walls elusive.

It's the elusiveness at the end that makes it worthwhile, the rest is drab. Kieslowski doesn't ground the images as well as he would in Dekalog 6 but it's driven by the same notion of dreamlike inhabiting. The dying husband comes to again, in a magical way expressing his blessing for a love that may not be there, or is it? Is it her dream where he absolves her to give birth to a love that goes forward?

Kieslowski is sketching with these Dekalogs, they're over just as they would flow off the edge of boundaries and he keeps most of it inside, but he's sketching close to the heart that makes life fluid again. Maybe it's where he apprenticed for Three Colors where I have my sights on already.