GREAT ARTISTS: KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI

Undoubtedly one of the greatest artists, not just of the 20th century, but of history, is the late great Polish Writer-Director Krzysztof Kieslowski. Part of the reason I personally admire him was his world view. He said:

"I bear a grudge, or am bitter towards the life which surrounded me and will surround me, and which is the way it is, where everything is wretched, where there's no truth, only illusion."

That pretty much sums up my view of the world.

Anyway, most people in the west know him for his films Trois Coulers: Blue, Bialy, Rouge (Three Colours: Blue, White and Red) and La Double Vie de Veronique (The Double Life of Veronique), all of which are modern masterpieces.

However undoubtedly his masterwork was Dekalog (The Decalogue). Produced for Polish television in 1988, the series consists of 10 films of about one hour in length loosely based on the ten commandments. Now while this may sound like some evangelical Christian work, Dekalog focuses on the human relationships and actions, and not on the spiritual aspect of the ten commandments. Unfortunately Dekalogg is not available in Australia, but it can be purchased on DVD in the US and UK. I recommend the UK version as the subtitle translation is better.

Undoubtedly the highlight is Piec Dekalog (Thou Shall not Kill). This was expanded into a feature film Krotki Film O Zabijaniu (A short Film about Killing), which thankfully has recently been released on DVD in Australia. It shows the brutal murder of a taxi driver by a young man, his trial, and then the brutal execution of the young man by the state for his crimes. The movie draws a parallel between the two deaths by showing both deaths in excruciating detail. It's message is simple but powerful: the killing of anybody is a crime, regardless of whether it is done by an individual, a political group or by the state.

The impact of the film was so dramatic in Poland that the government of the day introduced a five-year moratorium on capital punishment as a result. At a time when we are flooded with big the world for the better.

Other great films of this master are Przypadek (Blind Chance), Bez Konca (No End) and Amator (Camera Buff).

Krzysztof Kieslowski. Writer. Director. Visionary. Artist.