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A Short Film About Killing
A Short Film About Killing
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A Short Film About Killing

A Short Film About Killing

1988
Drama
1h 24m
The plot couldn't be simpler or its attack on capital punishment (and the act of killing in general) more direct (imdb)

Directed by:

Krzysztof Kieslowski Krzysztof Kieslowski

Written by:

Krzysztof Kieslowski Krzysztof Kieslowski Krzysztof Piesiewicz Krzysztof Piesiewicz
+1 more

Starring:

Miroslaw Baka Krzysztof Globisz Jan Tesarz Zbigniew Zapasiewicz Zbigniew Zapasiewicz Barbara Dziekan Aleksander Bednarz
More

Genre:

Drama

AKA:

Krótki film o zabijaniu

Country:

Poland

Languages:

English, Polish
imdb More information at IMDb
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A Short Film About Killing

1988
Drama
1h 24m
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Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 75.02% from 1383 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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eee_e
Rated 06 Dec 2008
80
87th
Finally something that lives up to it's title. No pretentions, no viewer manipulation, no sensationalist imagery. Just a profound message told brutally effectively.
Rated 06 Dec 2008
terrymacterrymac
Rated 05 Jul 2017
91
98th
A laugh riot this was not. Despite its bleakness, I though this was excellent. It was effective and carried some interesting messages without being overbearing or too emotive. The filming style worked brilliantly in the context of the story, and once again Kieslowski elicited great, natural performances from his cast. Brutal, thoughtful, and thought-provoking.
Rated 05 Jul 2017
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 24 Jan 2007
86
87th
I don't necessarily agree with Kieslowski (the same way I don't agree with Von Trier in Dancer in the Dark) but this film approaches the subject matter in an amibiguous enough manner to let you ruminate on it a while and draw your own conclusions. The murder scene is one of the most brutal I've ever seen.
Rated 24 Jan 2007
djrossdjross
Rated 01 Nov 2010
50
44th
Simple and only moderately effective anti-capital punishment tale. In short, over-praised.
Rated 01 Nov 2010
obdurateObdurate
Rated 03 May 2015
85
81st
Decalogue is great, so this is a wonderful extension of an episode of it. The ugliness of the area -- the usage of colours and filters -- really adds to the experience. Although it tells a simple tale of a man who kills another man and then gets executed, it is emotionally told without being melodramatic, and while the soundtrack is slim, the reoccurring song is amazing.
Rated 03 May 2015
icarusIcarus
Rated 21 Oct 2007
98
98th
The added material improves upon the episode from the Decalogue, allowing for a greater identification with the lawyer, but more importantly, a rhythm to develop in the pace of the film that makes the conclusion all the more devastating. Love the impacting presence of small children in the film, as well as the ironically sunny concluding shot. And the look of the film is consistently murky or obscured--effective for a film about a subject everyone seems so clear about.
Rated 21 Oct 2007
guvolefouguvolefou
Rated 03 Mar 2012
86
94th
İstanbul Modern - İkinci İzleyiş 13.02.2014: Öldürme kavramını çok boyutlu bir şekilde, uzun ve sert sekanslarla yoğun bir şekilde tartışıyor. Görüntü yönetimi tek kelimeyle muazzam. Hatırladığımdan daha iyiymiş.
Rated 03 Mar 2012
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 22 May 2009
91
97th
I like the dare shooting of the movie; Kieslowski shadows and breaks the form of the screen constantly. He also puts side by side the unlawful and the official killing. The output is cold and leaves an uneasy feeling.
Rated 22 May 2009
whatismynamewhatismyname
Rated 13 Apr 2009
45
8th
What was good about this? All I saw was a slow paced film that hasn't aged well. Never did I feel pity for any parties involved in the story, nor did the film make me remotely reconsider my feelings of capital punishment.
Rated 13 Apr 2009
haydnhaydn
Rated 22 Aug 2008
81
69th
This movie is by Kieslowski, my all-time favourite director. The movie is intensely important but I cannot watch it ever again. :'(
Rated 22 Aug 2008
parcalihamparcaliham
Rated 22 May 2008
90
88th
22 Mayis 08 & siddeti yuceltmeyen ve uzun - gercekci oldurme sekanslariyla seyirciyi zorlayan bir film...goruntu yonetmeni cok basarili.filmin en buyuk artisi, yesil filtreli goruntuleri.yesil cunku dunyanin ne kadar kirli bir yer oldugu gosterilmek istenmis.biraz albert camus'un "yabanci" kitabini hatirlatiyor film.nedensiz yere oldurulen taksi soforu ve katilin devlet tarafindan oldurulusu...oldurmenin cezasi, olum.
Rated 22 May 2008
purgatospurgatos
Rated 24 Jan 2009
87
86th
This movie really hits hard. If you're not on the verge of tears by the end I think there may be something wrong with you.
Rated 24 Jan 2009
lexlex
Rated 28 Mar 2015
90
80th
Kieslowski's interweaving storytelling and stylish, directly personal camerawork makes it all hit that much harder. Simply calling it a film that condemns the death penalty is selling it way short. It's a hauntingly ugly but poignant humanity piece.
Rated 28 Mar 2015
anilscnanilscn
Rated 05 Jun 2022
65
74th
kieslowski'yi türkiye seyircisinin abartması inanılmaz bi şey ya. sinematografi süper e o zaman film de süper kafasından çıkın artıııııııık
Rated 05 Jun 2022
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 24 Jul 2011
8
82nd
Whelp, the title really lives up to what the movie is about. The message didn't change my own personal views on capital punishment but even without that message this was a well made and interesting film. The tone of the film is pretty great, Kieslowski made everything look so ugly. It's really cool. I like how he didn't forcefeed his own views down our throats and instead just presented a realistic film devoid of bias, I can appreciate it.
Rated 24 Jul 2011
perrystroikaPerryStroika
Rated 26 Nov 2011
73
90th
Simple, direct, and terrifying. You'll never think of capital punishment teh same way again.
Rated 26 Nov 2011
whatisitiseewhatisitisee
Rated 04 Feb 2014
80
80th
Cold and unflinching in both of its executions, but kind of unsubstantial in conveying its indictments. The brutality detracts from relating to the dude almost as much as it adds. Still, a solid work with some great moments of dialogue scattered throughout, making events feel like they're always being rediscovered.
Rated 04 Feb 2014
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 24 Apr 2017
69
73rd
good movie
Rated 24 Apr 2017
djembadjemba
Rated 27 Jun 2009
95
99th
Sa filmy, ktore sie oglada i po seansie czuje sie wewnetrzne spelnienie.Nie zaluje zadnych minut, ktore byly niemal jak uczta w ekskluzywnej restauracji. Wielki film. Wszystko laczy sie w idealna calosc, wszystko pasuje. Gra aktorska, scenariusz, rezyseria, zdjecia, ktore w polaczeniu z pieczolowicie skomponowana muzyka Preisnera daja pewnego rodzaju epitafium na naszym sercu i podswiadomosci. Filmy takie jak ten zapadaja dlugo w pamieci. To czyni je wyjatkowymi. Tak wyjatkowymi jak Kieslowski.
Rated 27 Jun 2009
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 31 May 2012
86
84th
It's a bit disjointed, but otherwise a great piece of work from Kieslowski. The extension from the Decalogue episode is well worth it, adding some wonderful little moments and really hitting the film's largest themes about death and culpability home.
Rated 31 May 2012
damildamil
Rated 12 Oct 2012
45
17th
I didn't really care too much for this film. It took 40 minutes for anything interesting to happen, and when the film's only 80 minutes long in total, that just seems far too long. It's meant to be a condemnation of the death penalty. I'm not really for it, but the film didn't make me think any more about it. Was I meant to feel sorry for the character of Jacek? Because I did not, at any point. A much better film, in my opinion, that touches on the same subject, is Dancer in the Dark (2000).
Rated 12 Oct 2012
vincentevincente
Rated 02 Dec 2007
80
73rd
null
Rated 02 Dec 2007
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 12 Nov 2023
70
54th
Jacek Lazar: "I didn't listen in court, not until you called to me. They were all... all against me."
Rated 12 Nov 2023
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 03 Dec 2014
88
95th
(2nd viewing, 1st: 85)
Rated 03 Dec 2014
feublofeublo
Rated 08 May 2018
80
58th
A well-put style that animates through color and camerawork. The atmosphere and sort of distorted lens we look through allows for a unique expression. It's central statement goes beyond the death penalty and ponders the force of death on loved ones. This successfully covers subject matter that is continuously questioned on what is right/wrong.
Rated 08 May 2018
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 09 Nov 2018
3
36th
definitely a candidate for the 'best cinematography that makes me never ever want to set foot in its location for as long as i live' award
Rated 09 Nov 2018
mrcimrci
Rated 09 Jun 2022
50
32nd
Impressive cinematography and music score but the story is not engaging enough.
Rated 09 Jun 2022
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 03 Oct 2019
80
69th
I guess I now know the origin of Mamoru Oshii's late-period style. Felt like I was being lectured to in the second half, but otherwise very good.
Rated 03 Oct 2019
larsvontrierLarsVonTrier
Rated 02 Feb 2021
4
93rd
Such a powerful movie.... So that it triggered heated discussions about death penalty in poland.
Rated 02 Feb 2021
metismetis
Rated 06 Aug 2021
80
70th
8????????????????????????????????????
Rated 06 Aug 2021
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 17 Apr 2022
40
27th
While I strongly agree with the film's stance on capital punishment, the comparison at its heart is pretty lackluster, and I find it cheesy that a biographical excuse is made for Jacek's violence. The script in general is pretty bland and characters poorly fleshed out.
Rated 17 Apr 2022
rihreyrihrey
Rated 06 Jul 2022
72
95th
What I like most about Kieslowski is the empathy he treats his characters with. They're written in a completely humane way, devoid of judgment. A lot of them are mostly bad people and there's usually no justification for what they do, but they're treated with the utmost care regardless; this is how you write characters, in my opinion.
Rated 06 Jul 2022
lethiaslethias
Rated 28 Aug 2022
81
51st
This was a bit too brutal for my mind right now. Set in bleak, colorless, grey, muddy and depressive communist Warsaw. Following a sadistic character, empathic lawyer and apathic taxi driver, this is a raw portrayal of twisted human minds with sterile bureaucratic system dealing with them, with sick humans of our society, in horrific way. I really preferred other films by Kieslowski so far, this felt too brutal and set in such a depressive environment - it was hard to watch. Won't watch again.
Rated 28 Aug 2022
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 13 Jan 2023
85
85th
I had previously seen the shorter version of this in Dekalog, and this adds some texture and context to that story. The aesthetic is stunning, as it almost looks like the whole movie is shot through a greenish film that makes the sky especially look otherworldly, and the edges and corners of the screen are often darkened so the world looks like it does when your eye is half open. Why some of these choices were made, I'm not sure, but they are very effective. The ideas are thought-provoking.
Rated 13 Jan 2023
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 17 Jun 2023
98
98th
A short film about two killings; one carried out by an individual, the other carried out by the state. It's a testament to the power of cinema that this work was instrumental in the Polish government's decision to put an end to capital punishment. Through heavy vignetting, manipulated shadows, and a distorted color palette, Kieslowki paints an oppressive setting that feels almost like an irradiated wasteland, where characters go about their days unaware of the dangers that surround them
Rated 17 Jun 2023
bingbing
Rated 03 Oct 2010
75
66th
Effectively disturbing film-making, but overall lacking in substance. Social commentary spread far too generously over an uncomplicated story.
Rated 03 Oct 2010
neonmanNeonman
Rated 22 Jul 2010
60
15th
A very well-made and dread-filled film, but it's message just seems so plain to me. This film has absolutely no affect on my life.
Rated 22 Jul 2010
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
73
56th
# 542
Rated 02 Mar 2008
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 10 Feb 2012
81
55th
Too short, but intense. Should brutality be met with brutality?
Rated 10 Feb 2012
sonrisaSonrisa
Rated 22 Dec 2011
90
91st
Po obejrzeniu tego filmu mam ochotę okaleczyć się otwieraczem do słoików. To miło, że Kieślowski jest taki lubiany.
Rated 22 Dec 2011
mrblueskymrbluesky
Rated 21 Jan 2014
94
93rd
''Biri birini öldürür, devlet hepsini öldürür'' Filmde kullanılan black-sepia effect ile sovyetler ardından bitmişlik temsil ediliyor. ''gözünüzü yiyeyim sovyet disiplinil yönetmenler''
Rated 21 Jan 2014
kough33kough33
Rated 26 Jun 2014
74
68th
I didn’t care for the filters used in cinematography. Kieslowski’s visuals are usually catching but this creative decision was to film’s disadvantage in my opinion. However, how he weaves the characters together to depict the entire system, all the hopes and failures it originates, in only 84 minutes is admirable. World is a small place according to Kieslowski.
Rated 26 Jun 2014
pratchett3Pratchett3
Rated 31 Aug 2017
8
71st
kind of sucks until toward the end when it gets pretty crazy
Rated 31 Aug 2017
nathandarkoNathanDarko
Rated 12 Feb 2009
91
85th
So simple...so true..so real...
Rated 12 Feb 2009
nobletNoblet
Rated 11 Feb 2016
81
73rd
I appreciated the unique visual style. The rest of the film is pretty straightforward but still very interesting.
Rated 11 Feb 2016
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
68
36th
631
Rated 19 Dec 2008
dardandardan
Rated 01 Jan 2016
65
64th
Pretty underwhelming work from Kieslowski, perhaps because it should have been even simpler. Bresson would have achieved much more with the same script.
Rated 01 Jan 2016
rufamRufam
Rated 23 Jun 2012
50
14th
Uninteresting storyline, weird visual choices (odd framing and use of light, although Kieslowski does capture some gorgeous imagery) and deliberate pacing compose one of Kieslowski's weakest and most pretentious features. For the most part, the tedious plot supports a rather ambiguous message. But when the film dissolves into shameless melodrama towards the end, it becomes obvious that the simplistic tale was actually serving a strictly conventional moral.
Rated 23 Jun 2012
mddglumddglu
Rated 01 Jun 2015
81
89th
1.6.15
Rated 01 Jun 2015
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 14 Nov 2010
70
50th
I like this film's simplicity, which contrasts nicely with of the complexity, some would say opaqueness, of some other entries in the Decalogue. Also, the look of this film is whack. Probably the best looking of the Decalogue.
Rated 14 Nov 2010
glm01glm01
Rated 29 Oct 2013
86
87th
85.500
Rated 29 Oct 2013
empiremagempiremag
Rated 22 Apr 2009
4
71st
"Heady stuff, not for the faint-hearted."
Rated 22 Apr 2009
thereeldealthereeldeal
Rated 31 Aug 2015
75
65th
A Short Film About Killing has Kieslowski blossoming into the beautiful directing style that would define his beautiful humanism. For the first time we see a distinct focus on color and music. ASFAK chooses bronze, as a dystopian somber golden sunset is cast over the final days of its characters. Though made with an agenda, characterization through expression and little words creates a mesmerizing lead-in story. The subject matter doesn't possess much of a grey area, and the film lacks depth.
Rated 31 Aug 2015
spanksSpanks
Rated 15 Mar 2011
80
82nd
Usually I can't stand a film that is so obviously gunning to display a political message. Kieslowski is the exception.
Rated 15 Mar 2011
teeceeteecee
Rated 10 Oct 2008
70
95th
En særdeles ubehagelig film. Især mordet er realistisk og ubehageligt. Fra Kieslowskis "ti bud".
Rated 10 Oct 2008
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 18 Jun 2015
78
78th
While it's maybe both a little too blunt and a little too obscure for it's own good, the real highlight is Slawomir Idziak's cinematography (even if Jean-Pierre Jeunet films are almost enough to ruin this style for me). I think it could have been longer, but i guess that would have betrayed the title?
Rated 18 Jun 2015
parallaxParallax
Rated 11 Jan 2016
72
28th
I think I missed something here, but I'm not sure what. Like I can see the pieces and how they fit together, but the together is missing. Still, I enjoy the look of it, which is as bleary and grungey as a film can get.
Rated 11 Jan 2016
rafaelbastosrafaelbastos
Rated 07 Sep 2010
88
67th
advogado chorando no fim ficou meio nada a ver.
Rated 07 Sep 2010

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