The Decalogue (1989) TV Mini-Series

Ten television drama films, each one based on one of the Ten Commandments. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Seasons: 1, Episodes: 10 - Episode List
Directed By: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Written By: Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Starring: Jerzy Stuhr, Daniel Olbrychski, Krystyna Janda, Artur Barcis, Miroslaw Baka, Aleksander Bardini, Piotr Machalica, Ewa Blaszczyk, Anna Polony, Adrianna Biedrzynska, Maja Barelkowska, Henryk Baranowski
Genre: Drama
AKA: Dekalog
Country: Poland
Where to Stream
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The Decalogue belongs to 64 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 234 stars)
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Browse the full list of collections
Stars | User | Rating | |
6 | ![]() |
febraro | 100 99th |
Even the "worst" segments here have enough substance to stand out, a masterpiece that has all the qualities that made Kieslowski one of the best filmmakers of his generation. It kinda made me never want to go to Poland, though.
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MartinTeller | 92 96th |
I was impressed that each and every episode managed to be really really interesting and ring true. The only one that fell short, in my opinion, was the 5th -- "thou shalt not kill". It was oddly heavy-handed, especially in contrast to the others. But from a cinematic standpoint, it might be the best one. I liked the idea of the apartment complex and the slightly overlapping tidbits.
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Pickpocket | 5 44th |
Definitely has its moments but it also isn't this grand sweeping masterpiece that people claim it to be. Some episodes are so heavy handed and ridiculous that it teeters on absurdity. Others are so well done and interesting that you wonder how the hell the same guy made the other ones. How do you have a moment of brilliance and then lose it almost instantly? PS, this is not one of the "most incredible achievements in film." You have to be either stupid or a liar to believe that.
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4 | oaic | 0 3rd |
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I'm a Kieslowki fan, but I found this dreary, and too unsubtle and heavy-handed for the kind of drama he was doing. If Christians are wondering why church attendance is declining, maybe it's because they treat ethics as a soap opera and treat humans as cartoonish stock characters. The flat and conceptual characters here are a disappointing contrast to the rich characters in his other films. Decalogue is a testament to the misanthropic, dehumanizing arrogance of perceived moral superiority.
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Dorkovsky | 10 99th |
I watched all ten films in two sittings. It's amazing how Kieslowski was able to make TEN thought-provoking films with pitch perfect acting and pacing, using something as simple as the Ten Commandments.
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Stain | 50 33rd |
People jump up and down about these movies. I just don't care
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JooJoo | 4 55th |
Everyone is under the enchantment of this guy. I just can't seem to find anything impressive. At all.
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Icarus | 100 99th |
My favorite film(s). It never gets old and always leaves me wanting more. Kieslowski's poetic sensibility adds a palpable sense of mystery to simple tales of sins committed, punishments rendered, grace offered, and redemption found. More than that, these tales reflect and comment upon social, political, familial, and theological problems in a way that invites engagement, highlights beauty, and offers hope. This is simply a masterful series of films that remain enriching long after seeing them.
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KlausGlenski | 90 95th |
A movie thats is obviously related to the ten commandments of the bible and takes place in a suburban housing project in Warsaw. At first sight this sounds fairly unusual but since the stories just deal with social and ethic aspects of the commandments this works out excellent. Kieslowski does what he is best at, storytelling. Supported by great polish professional and amateur actors, Kieslowski did auteur filmmaking at its best with most interesting characters. 20/12/08
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2 | Teorema | 100 98th |
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The first and fifth segments of this are required viewing. Kieslowski is a master of pacing, and makes the most simple plots seem operatic.
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elmakebabi | 75 77th |
First Dekalog: 9, Second Dekalog: 8, Third Dekalog: 6, Fourth Dekalog: 7, Fifth Dekalog: 6, Sixth Dekalog: 10, Seventh Dekalog: 8, Eight Dekalog: 6, Ninth Dekalog: 7, Tenth Dekalog: 8... So, my point is 75. I'm not in love with these series, except for sixth part.
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2 | sellis | 90 87th |
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Dekalog 1: 10, Dekalog 2: 9.25, Dekalog 3: 8.25, Dekalog 4: 9.5, Dekalog 5: 7.75, Dekalog 6: 9.25, Dekalog 7: 8, Dekalog 8: 8.75, Dekalog 9: 8.5, Dekalog 10: 10
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Derekstar | 60 36th |
This will be the minority opinion here. I liked the Decalogue, but it could have been much better. Honestly, I was quite bored at times. In all fairness some episodes were quite strong in their own right, but they were the exception. Generally, they seemed to drag on and on. I feel as though ten 20 or 30 minute short films in succession would have been a better format. An hour each is a little much. I never once felt as moved or as awe-struck as I did when I watched Blue, White, and Red.
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Alex Watkins | 4 70th |
I didn't care much for the fifth episode but the rest of the series is excellent. My personal favorites were the 3rd and 6th episodes. I can't think of anything unique to say about this; it's just very well done human drama with an interesting thematic foundation (the Ten Commandments), well-acted and very strong overall.
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PeaceAnarchy | 93 98th |
I had hoped that every episode would be a fantastic masterpiece, and it's not quite that, but that's also an unfair expectation. The episodes range from very good to magnificent with most of them being solidly great examinations of morality through a slice of life, and viewing it as a whole adds layers of reflection and meaning. The series flourishes when it focuses on the humanity of the characters, which is why the 6th, 7th and 9th episodes are the strongest. Kieslowski's masterwork.
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KasperL | 85 93rd |
Art cinema of the highest quality. My favorite ep is, I think, the first one but they all fall somewhere between good and great. My favorite of Kieslowski's films remains 'Three Colors: Red', though.
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cinema_hell | 100 99th |
I just can't imagine someone getting home, in the evening, turning on his tv, and watching this. Such a masterpiece. Right after some soap opera, or other everyday tv program.
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purgatos | 97 98th |
Tough to sum this up. With 10 basically unrelated short films it's difficult to find things I can say about all of them. The acting was always great and the cinematography was constantly interesting, the different styles for every segment was a fantastic idea since it makes things feel even more mixed up. They're also all really brave, in that there's basically no subject that Kieslowski feels like he needs to shy away from, which lends a power to the entire series that little can compare with.
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tinysausage | 91 98th |
An astonishing achievement: these ten masterpieces were shot in just over a year! Each story has a distinct atmosphere, helped by having a different cinematographer for each one; but all are infused with Kieslowski's compassionate view of humanity, and how we react to tragedy and loneliness. Wonderful.
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Rufam | 60 29th |
I: 70 Powerful, but questionable moral.
II: 65 Interesting, not especially memorable.
III: 50 The dullest of the lot.
IV: 70 Morally blurry and all the better for it.
V: 50 Masterfully shot yet awfully manipulative.
VI: 75 Sweet and moving, but the ending dissapoints (the film corrects that).
VII: 60 Solid overall, but obnoxious charcters.
VIII: 65 Interesting moral debates, but too much religious stuff.
IX: 55 Heavy-handed and not entirely realistic.
X: 60 Has its moments thanks to the
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Average Percentile 85.93% from 1240 Ratings | ![]() |