The Decalogue (Complete Set)

The films include both English and Korean options for the subtitles but the extra features are mostly in Korean. The English subtitles suffer from typographic errors and major spelling/syntax errors that suggest the lack of an qualified English-speaking person reviewing the titling. The titles also flash by in some sequences, offering no chance for even fast readers to complete the sentence before it is replaced. Thankfully, the titles are formated to be easily read over any image background.

The prints used in transfering the film to DVD are marred by dust, scratches and cue marks (for reel changes) that detract from the overall image quality. The sound track is converted to Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo.

However, the ~1 hour documentary "I'm So-So..." is excellent (except the subtitles) and provides insight into Kieslowski's life, sensibilities and humour. This was noted to be only available on "import" versions of the DVD set.

The boxed set of the films (5 DVDs plus the DVD documentary) are nicely packaged. It is unfortunate that the booklet remains accessible only to those lucky enough to read Korean. If I had been aware of this caveat at the time of purchase, I would have selected an alternate issue of the set.


On Polish TV!   January 20, 2002
A. Rohlev (Los Alamos, NM USA)
31 out of 36 found this review helpful

This is truly a great set of films, a great work in this form of art. I could go on, but would just be repeating what most people on this page as well as the New York Times, Chicago Sun Times (Ebert), Newsday, and a host of other reviews have stated with much more eloquence than I can muster. Five stars, no question. If there were six, it would get six.

But here's something that few have mentioned: This set of films was MADE FOR and SHOWN on Polish television. Polish TV! Good Morning! We get "Friends", they get "The Decalogue". Wait a minute, weren't we the open society that promoted free speech, creativity and genius? And weren't they the totalitarian state that censored the creative and spoon fed the party line to the public? Watch TV here for ten hours (the length of "The Decalogue") and tell me what we're getting spoon fed. Sewage, to put it nicely.

Ok, in all fairness, "The Decalogue" is a gem - a big diamond, and it's probably as rare on their TV as it would be on ours. And on occasion we get some gems too, mostly on PBS. But here's the difference, they had the strength to show this series on TV. Can you honestly see ABC, NBC, CBS, or FOX airing this series, or, if it existed, the American equivalent of this series? I bet that if "The Decalogue" was shown to the programming directors of the Big Four (assuming they haven't already seen it), they would probably be in agreement that it's great art. I also bet that none of them would have the guts to air it in 10 uninterrupted one hour segments on their network. Too strong, might offend someone, not PC, not enough commercial time, blah, blah, blah....bottom line: it wouldn't air. Maybe PBS would do it, maybe. About 20 years ago a local station in Colorado aired "The Deer Hunter" (also a great movie), completely unedited, with only one commercial break. So it can happen, it's possible. It would be good if one of the networks found the strength to air this series, it deserves to be seen on a much broader scale. It might even spoil our appetite for sewage - worse things could happen.


Some of Kieslowski's best   April 21, 2000
Jeff Barrus (Washington, D.C.)
30 out of 30 found this review helpful

I waited for years to get a chance to see Kieslowski's Decalogue, and am so pleased to have finally got the two DVD set from Amazon. What can I say -- this is a masterpiece. Over 500 minutes of some of the most subtle, perceptive film making in the history of cinema. Kieslowski's films get at the heart of what makes people tick, and the Decalogue is perhaps his finest work, surpassing even the essential Three Colors: Red, White and Blue. If you have a DVD player and are a fan of Kieslowski's work, then you *must* own this. The transfer is excellent and perfectly captures the nuances of the cinematography. You will not be disappointed.


Pure emotion, pure films   May 16, 2000
John-Boy (New York City)
30 out of 37 found this review helpful

Many years ago, I lived the artist's life in Paris: bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner, cheap wine, Flaubert, and the neighborhood cinematheque. This tiny theater on the rue Champillon showed 2 episodes of the Decalogue every day at noon. After seeing one of these screenings, I made it a point to see the rest of the films. I didn't stop after I'd been through the cycle once. I got friends, neighbors, and acquaintances to go with me. No one was able to make it through the cycle without acknowledging that this Polish director, whoever he was (there were no credits on these prints) was a genuine genius. Not merely a filmmaking genius as the word is thrown about today, but a true master -- a person of unique talent who knew how to capture a moment of pure emotion on film in such a strangely precise way that even the most cursory of moments seemed emotionally dramatic.

Years pass. I watch Kieslowski become an international celebrity. But I don't go out of my way to see the Decalogue again; I'm too afraid that my vision of the films is too wrapped up with the youthful memories of my bohemian days. Finally, the DVDs are released, and I can't resist anymore: I get them the day they come out. Nothing about the films has aged. They are still truly great, moving, and masterful. Each of them is a small masterpiece -- but as a series, the films are cumulatively astounding.

There's no question that these are among the greatest films ever made. As far as movies go, these transcend the category. They're marvelous and they have to be on any serious movie buff's list.


The Mystery of Life at 24 Frames Per Second   May 22, 2000
Noel O'Shea (Limerick Ireland)
30 out of 31 found this review helpful

The only other Kieslowski film I had seen before "The Decalogue" was "Three Colours: Red", and that astounded me (here was a film that seemed to capture what it is to live in this strange strange world with utter precision and glowing artistry). But "The Decalogue" is something else entirely... I've just watched the first two films in the series, and the depth of emotion and feeling captured and revealed by Kieslowki's camera is overwhelming. I don't have children, yet I get the feeling of what it is like to be a father and suffer great loss from watching the first of the series (I have a suspicion that all of the films will instil profound emotions in me - I'm preparing to watch the next three tonight and then the remaining five tomorrow - it might be the most important marathon I'll ever run...). If you like your cinema to teach you about the depth of everyday living then Kieslowski's "Decalogue" will have you weeping with new-found wisdom.