Dekalog 9

So much of the Dekalog circles around the issues of death and sex. The first episode is about the death of Pawel. Episode two features two possible deaths and the sexual relationship that occupies space between them. In episode three, Ewa contrives to relive an affair while letting chance decide

As a prelude to the recap, I want to express my alignment with Romek in the previous episodes, even though I know he has brought unnecessary pain to himself and his partner. To recall why the action played out like it did, remember that his doctor/friend suggested that he

Romek gets out of a cab. We are expecting him to arrive home without his car, but he’s not leaving the cab at his apartment complex, he’s being dropped off in front of his mother-in-law’s apartment. He looks up and sees a light on. So, Romek understands

There is a vitality in surveillance, a sense of power from attaining information that was not yours, whether it was hidden or not. Romek, who has literally been robbed of his masculine power, is seeking a way to restore his authority. Finding the physics notebook, and then the phone number,

I’ve underrated this episode in the past, and I now think this segment ranks as peak Kieslowski. He’s displaying some of his keenest psychological insights through the strange story of Romek and Hansa. Having lost the ability to use sex as the balance in their relationship, both of

Romek: You should find someone else if you haven’t already. Hansa: No, I haven’t … some things are better left unsaid. These two lines, and the space between them, define episode 9. There’s a fascinating dynamic that has been established, where the marriage has basically been opened up,