Dekalog

This masterwork by Krzysztof Kieślowski is one of the twentieth century’s greatest achievements in visual storytelling. Originally made for Polish television, Dekalog focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply personal and universally human. Its ten hour-long films, drawing from the Ten Commandments for thematic inspiration and an overarching structure, grapple deftly with complex moral and existential questions concerning life, death, love, hate, truth, and the passage of time. Shot by nine different cinematographers, with stirring music by Zbigniew Preisner and compelling performances from established and unknown actors alike, Dekalog arrestingly explores the unknowable forces that shape our lives. Also presented are the longer theatrical versions of the series’ fifth and sixth films: A Short Film About Killing and A Short Film About Love.

Film Info

  • Poland
  • 1988
  • 583 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.33:1
  • Polish
  • Spine #837

Special Features

  • New, restored 4K digital transfers of all twelve films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays
  • Selection of archival interviews with director Krzysztof Kieślowski, taken from a 1987 television piece on the production of Dekalog: Two, excerpts from the 1995 documentary A Short Film About “Dekalog,” and a 1990 audio recording from the National Film Theatre in London
  • New program on the formal and thematic patterns of Dekalog by film studies professor Annette Insdorf
  • New and archival interviews with Dekalog cast and crew, including cowriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, thirteen actors, three cinematographers, editor Ewa Smal, and Kieślowski confidante Hanna Krall
  • Trailers
  • PLUS: A book featuring an essay and capsules on the films by cinema scholar Paul Coates, along with excerpts from Kieślowski on Kieślowski

  • New cover by Anthony Gerace

Purchase Options

Special Features

  • New, restored 4K digital transfers of all twelve films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays
  • Selection of archival interviews with director Krzysztof Kieślowski, taken from a 1987 television piece on the production of Dekalog: Two, excerpts from the 1995 documentary A Short Film About “Dekalog,” and a 1990 audio recording from the National Film Theatre in London
  • New program on the formal and thematic patterns of Dekalog by film studies professor Annette Insdorf
  • New and archival interviews with Dekalog cast and crew, including cowriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, thirteen actors, three cinematographers, editor Ewa Smal, and Kieślowski confidante Hanna Krall
  • Trailers
  • PLUS: A book featuring an essay and capsules on the films by cinema scholar Paul Coates, along with excerpts from Kieślowski on Kieślowski

  • New cover by Anthony Gerace
Dekalog
Cast
Henryk Baranowski
Krzysztof
Maja Komorowska
Irena
Wojciech Klata
Paweł
Artur Barciś
Krystyna Janda
Dorota
Aleksander Bardini
Olgierd Łukaszewicz
Andrzej
Stanisław Gawlik
Postman
Jerzy Fedorowicz
Andrzej’s friend
Ewa Ekwińska
Basia
Maria Pakulnis
Ewa
Daniel Olbrychski
Janusz
Joanna Szczepkowska
Janusz’s wife
Adrianna Biedrzyńska
Anka
Janusz Gajos
Michał
Andrzej Blumenfeld
Michał’s friend
Tomasz Kozłowicz
Jarek
Elżbieta Kilarska
Jarek’s mother
Mirosław Baka
Jacek
Krzysztof Globisz
Piotr
Jan Tesarz
Taxi driver
Aleksander Bednarz
Executioner
Maciej Maciejewski
Prosecutor
Zbigniew Zapasiewicz
Law school examiner
Grażyna Szapołowska
Magda
Olaf Lubaszenko
Tomek
Stefania Iwińska
Tomek’s landlady
Piotr Machalica
Małgorzata Rożniatowska
Post office manager
Anna Polony
Ewa
Maja Barełkowska
Majka
Władysław Kowalski
Stefan
Bogusław Linda
Wojtek
Katarzyna Piwowarczyk
Maria Kościałkowska
Zofia
Teresa Marczewska
Elżbieta
Tadeusz Łomnicki
Tailor
Bronisław Pawlik
Zofia’s neighbor
Ewa Błaszczyk
Hanka
Jan Jankowski
Mariusz
Jolanta Piętek-Górecka
Female patient
Jerzy Stuhr
Jerzy
Zbigniew Zamachowski
Artur
Henryk Bista
Shopkeeper
Maciej Stuhr
Piotrek
Cezary Harasimowicz
Detective
Henryk Majcherek
Stamp collector
Jerzy Turek
Stamp collector
Credits
Director
Krzysztof Kieślowski
Cowriters
Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Cowriters
Krzysztof Kieślowski
Producer
Ryszard Chutkowski
Cinematographers
Wiesław Zdort
Cinematographers
Edward Kłosiński
Cinematographers
Piotr Sobociński
Cinematographers
Krzysztof Pakulski
Cinematographers
Sławomir Idziak
Cinematographers
Witold Adamek
Cinematographers
Dariusz Kuc
Cinematographers
Andrzej Jaroszewicz
Cinematographers
Jacek Bławut
Composer
Zbigniew Preisner
Art direction
Halina Dobrowolska
Sound
Wiesława Dembińska
Sound
Małgorzata Jaworska
Sound
Nikodem Wołk-Łaniewski
Editor
Ewa Smal
Assistant directors
Teresa Violetta Buhl
Assistant directors
Dariusz Jabłoński
Assistant directors
Paweł Rzepkowski
Production managers
Paweł Mantorski
Production managers
Włodzimierz Bendych
Set design
Grażyna Tkaczyk
Set design
Robert Czesak
Set decorator
Magdalena Dipont
Costume
Małgorzata Obłoza
Costume
Hanna Ćwikło
Makeup
Dorota Seweryńska
Music performed by
Orkiestra Filharmonii Łódzkiej
Still photographers
Andrzej Burchard
Still photographers
Jacek Cichecki
Still photographers
Janusz Całka

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