فیلمنامه چاپ ۱۳۸۰ سریال تلویزیونی «ده فرمان» به کارگردانی کریشتوف کیشلوفسکی در سال ۱۹۸۹ به نمایش درآمد. کارگردان فیلمنامهٔ این مجموعه را با مشارکت کشیشتف پیسیویچ نوشت. این مجموعه ۱۰ قسمت یک ساعته با الهام از ده فرمان موسی دارد. داستانهای مجموعه دینی نیستند و در لهستان معاصر کیشلوفسکی میگذرند.
Krzysztof Kieślowski was an influential Academy Award-nominated Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for The Double Life of Veronique and his film cycles The Decalogue and Three Colors (Trois couleurs).
the films in this series are so meaningful and thought provoking that I have decided to dedicate a note to at least a couple of the episodes. In the past few days, I had the chance to watch episodes 9 and 10.
The series has 10 parts, dedicated to the Ten Commandments. Or better said based on them.
To begin with, I must state that I am not religious. I am trying to find the Absolute Truth…
- God, The Holy Grail or have some epiphany or a miracle that would wake me up, perhaps in the manner of Jules from Pulp Fiction
Decalogue, episode 9 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife”
In this part of the narrative, roman is the hero and he is married to Hanka, the spouse that he loves very much. Alas, at the start of the film he finds out that he is impotent and shares this with Hanka, adding that she should take a lover. Which she does, but in spite of his agreement, Roman finds that he cannot bear the jealousy and knowing about their intimacy. Furthermore, he goes on to the place where they have their affair and waits on the steps, listening in on their conversation on the phone.
He contemplates suicide, while cycling near a bridge and when his wife invites the lover for a meeting, Roman is in the apartment. Fortunately for him, Hanka is breaking up and tells the younger man that they will not see each other from then on.
As the wife departs for a ski resort, having mended their differences and talked about their love, there are some clouds. Roman is suspicious again and confirms what John Milton wrote in Paradise Lost about the ways in which the mind works:
- “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven...”
Decalogue, episode 10 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods"
This last installment begins near the stage of a rock concert, on which Artur is performing with his band. Jerzy is his older brother and he is approaching the stage to try and get his sibling to stop his performance.
Their father has died and they go to his apartment, where they find little of interest, at first glance, in spite of the alarm system. There are also bars at the windows and they are puzzled by the precaution that is not justified by the apparent lack of valuables.
They find a collection of stamps and Jerzy takes three with Zeppelins for his son who loves airplanes, but without much zest. But when Artur takes the stamps to the union of stamp collectors, they find that they have a fortune on their hands. One stamp can buy a Fiat, another one is enough for an apartment and the whole is estimated at millions of zloty.
Nevertheless, the president of this Collectors’ Union emphasizes that their father had dedicated his whole life to these unique stamps. And somehow the sons get addicted and start on the path wherein one of them is ready to give an organ for a valuable piece of paper.
The message sent by this commandment is similar to the rule that Positive Psychology established and which says:
- Do not compare yourself with others
- In some works it is: if you do, compare with those who have much less- perhaps the refugees from Syria…