Ryan Lynch - Decalogue 1+5

         The Decalogue film series by Polish filmmaker Krzyzstof Kieslowski is a form of midrash for the ten commandments.  The first short film works as a parable for the commandment "you shall have no god other than me.".  It follows the story of Pavel, a young kid who questions many things, and doesn't just take things as they are, instead he investigates to figure out the truth.  This leads him to have many questions about death to which his secular father isn't able to answer to full satisfaction.  The crux of the story follows the father's struggle with faith as it is clear that he also used to be a man of faith.  When Pavel is killed by falling through the ice, even though the ice was supposed to be thick enough, the father returns to the church looking for answers.  This shows the point of the commandment how he could not trust science and measurements, and should have followed god, but also how in times of great distress people will turn to religion for comfort and peace.

     The story of the fifth film focuses on "thou shalt not kill"  It depicts the story of a young man who brutally murders a cab driver for no apparent reason, and is then caught , found guilty of murder and given capital punishment by the police.  This story tries to show the difference, or lack there of, between the two killings.  The hanging was done out of vengeance for the first killing, and therefore it could be argued that it in fact was worse due to the motive.  It also makes it clear the premeditation for both murders, further proving the similarity between the two killings.  The film also humanizes the killer in order to show that there is more harm being done here, and it is not as simple or as clean as it may look.  The film really makes you question your beliefs on the matter of capital punishment.

My question relates the second film dealing with capital punishment.  If we can no longer justify capital punishment within our society, then how do we justify killings in war, and the killing of animals?

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