Bev Hollberg - Decalogues

Film works to show Midrash since film is not necessarily explicit. Part of the struggle to find meaning comes when instructions are not clear. Even the Commandments 'thou shall not kill' and 'worship the Lord your God' are not entirely explicit. Questions that follow could be 'what about self defense?' or 'am I supposed to worship God above my child?'  Just as the Commandments are not completely explicit, film isn't always explicit either. Film can record people's conversations, lives, etc. without ever making it clear the significance of the conversations. For example, in the Decalogues, Kieslowski didn't specify at the beginning that the films we watched were about Midrash or the Commandments. He just filmed the stories and let viewers decide their own interpretation. 

The film's lack of dialogue  symbolizes a gap in understanding. But the everyday routines that the film recorded helped to bridge that gap. Everyone can relate to riding in a taxi, eating in restaurants, feeling upset, as a few examples of relatable scenes in the Decalogues. The everyday scenes in the Decalogue Films 1 and 7 help bridge the gap between communication which made the films more digestible for viewers. 

The film relates feelings into meaning by showing the father's grief so strongly in Decalogue. This grief shows what happens when a person values something over God. Kieslowski successfully showed how important the first commandment is through showcasing the father's grief over his son's death. 

Personally, I don't understand what you mean by the 'code' in the last question. But I do think that the cycles of film did bridge the flux of the moment into the ultimate meaning of eternity. But to be honest I don't know what you mean by 'flux of the moment' but I'm guessing that you're referring to profane time versus sacred time. And if that's the case, I think the film does this because it's religious in nature and religion is the best way to create meaning long term. 


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