Guide to cinema

DECALOGUE

Decalogue: translation

(Dekalog, 1988)
A ten-part series of contemporarytelevision filmsdirected byKrzysztof Kieślowskifor thefilm studio Tor. Kieslowski's series is loosely inspired by the Ten Commandments, which are not illustrated but referred to in ten anecdotes, each with two or three leading characters.Decaloguewas produced with the involvement of Kieslowski's regular collaborators: scriptwriterKrzysztof Piesiewicz, composerZbigniew Preisner, and nine leading Polish cinematographers (Piotr Sobocińskiworked on parts 2 and 9), which resulted in slightly different visual styles in the various parts ofDecalogue.The enigmatic, angel-like character (Artur Barciś) glues the series together and adds an almost metaphysical dimension. He appears in some decisive scenes ofDecalogue, when the fates of the protagonists are determined.
Despite its apparent religious connotations,Decalogueis not only an exploration of religious or metaphysical issues, but also an acute analysis of the mental condition of Polish society before 1989. The ugliness and grayness of the dehumanized urban setting dominate the filmic landscape, together with close-ups of the people who endure these harsh conditions. The series introduces undistinguished characters, mostly intelligent professionals, dwarfed by an oppressive political system. The viewer watches them in situations that require immediate and vital decisions and is introduced to their moral dilemmas. The open structure ofDecalogueinvites the viewer to interpret the actions of Kieslowski's protagonists, to follow their struggles with destiny in an abundance of chance encounters, symbols, allusions, ambiguity, deliberately slow pacing, laconic dialogue, and a number of recurring motifs.
Kieślowski also produced extended versions of two parts ofDecalogueto be shown in cinema theaters. The feature versions ofDecalogue 5,A Short Film about Killing(Krótki film o zabijaniu, 1988), andDecalogue 6, A Short Film about Love(Krótki film o miłości, 1988), were exceptionally well received in Europe.
Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof

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  2. decalogue—Decalogue translation Decalogue The term employed to designate the collection of precepts written on two tables of stone and given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai dd Cath...Catholic encyclopedia
  3. décalogue—dcalogue bersetzungdekalg m REL Dekalog mu die Zehn Gebote...Dictionnaire Francais-Allemand
  4. decalogue—Decalogue translation The name given by the Greek fathers to the ten commandments the ten words as the original is more literally rendered Ex. . These commandments were a...Easton's Bible Dictionary
  5. decalogue—decalogue translationSynonyms and related wordsTen Commandments Zeitgeist axiology behavioral norm business ethics code code of ethics code of morals ethic ethical system...Moby Thesaurus
  6. decalogue—[deklg]десять заповедей декалог...Англо-русский большой универсальный переводческий словарь
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  14. decalogue—n десять заповдей...Англо-украинский словарь
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  20. decalogue—deklg n библ. декалог десять заповедей десятисловие...Новый большой англо-русский словарь под общим руководством акад. Ю.Д. Апресяна
  21. décalogue—m рел. десять заповедей десятисловие...Новый французско-русский словарь