# Dekalog (1989)

> Ten self-contained Warsaw tales each test one of the Ten Commandments against the private moral dilemmas of ordinary citizens.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/38985

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Network: TVP1
- Cast: Wojciech Klata, Maja Komorowska, Agnieszka Brustman, Maciej Borniński, Magdalena Mikołajczak, Maria Gładkowska, Anna Smal-Romanska, Ewa Kania
- TMDB rating: 8.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092337/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild

## What critics say

Acclaimed as a rigorous, morally probing anthology of ten standalone chamber pieces that treat the Ten Commandments as lived ethical dilemmas in Warsaw.

## Synopsis

Dekalog (1989-1990) is a Polish television anthology drama created by Krzysztof Kieślowski for TVP1, a ten-episode miniseries built from ten self-contained stories set in Warsaw. Each episode takes one of the Ten Commandments and follows ordinary residents of a single apartment block as they face a private moral crisis, from a father's obsession with a computer and a chess player's rivalry to a woman's secret pursuit of a stranger. Rather than a continuing plot, the series is driven by quiet confrontations in flats, stairwells and cold streets, where characters weigh faith, guilt and desire against the pressures of daily life. The tone is austere, contemplative and humane, with long observational takes and a bleak, wintry palette that lets silences carry weight. Its atmosphere is intimate and philosophical, asking viewers to consider how commandments carved in stone translate into messy decisions made by neighbors. Fans of Three Colours: Blue, Black Mirror and The Leftovers will find resonance in its anthology structure and its serious engagement with conscience and consequence. Because each episode stands alone, the series can be approached one installment at a time, though its cumulative force builds across the full run.

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