After the horrors of the last segment, Kieslowski quiets things down considerably here. It begins with the head judge in Miroslaw’s case saying that court is adjourned. We see Piotr, downcast, wearing his Polish judicial robe. Miroslaw asks him if they are finished.

As Miroslaw is escorted out of the court, we see numerous people in tears, I assume they are Miroslaw’s family, and an older woman in a wheelchair being taken out — I assume that is Jan’s widow. A man hands Miroslaw a pack of cigarettes as he walks by.

Piotr continues to glum. He goes to a payphone and calls someone — I would assume his wife or girlfriend — and passes on the news that he lost his case. He talks about “walking it off.” He takes a short walk in the courtroom, looks out a window, and sees Miroslaw being escorted to a police van. Piotr yells out to him and Miroslaw looks up to acknowledge him before being stuffed into the van.

Next, Miroslaw decides to do something risky: he seeks out the judge in the case. When the judge opens the door, Miroslaw confesses that what he is doing is unusual and the judge agrees. He asks if a more experienced or famous lawyer might have helped his client’s case. The judge responds that his closing statement was the most eloquent critique of capital punishment he has heard in a long time and tells him he represented his client well. If anything, perhaps Miroslaw had the wrong judge — he said the writing was on the wall for this case from the start.

Piotr then relays that he was in the same coffee shop at Miroslaw the day he committed the murder, something he did not realize until his testimony (apparently there was no fifth amendment type protection for accused criminals in communist era Poland.) He says he might have been able to do something about the outcome.

The judge tells Piotr that he is too sensitive for this profession, leading him to reply that it’s too late to change careers now. Then he tells him that he grew significantly older that day, which I suppose was meant as a compliment.

After what we saw in the last scene, it’s hard to feel any sympathy for Miroslaw, but it’s also hard not to admire Piotr for his idealism and belief in his client. There’s no question that Miroslaw was well served by him.