Dekalog

The Ten Commandments, exact and uncompromising, literally cast in stone, continues to provide a source of moral conflict in contemporary society. In the ten part collection of films, The Decalogue, Krzysztof Kieślowski examines the dilemma of fundamental sin in the lives of ordinary Warsaw citizens.

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.

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

• Black Mirrormoral dilemmas drawn from everyday life, anthology structure, contemplative tone
• Three Colours: Blueslow contemplative European arthouse drama, moral weight, understated realism
• The Leftoversethical sin and conscience in ordinary urban lives, austere serialized anthology form
• Fargoanthology of self-contained stories, grounded urban realism, existential reflection

Release Date

1989-12-10

Episode runtime

55 min

Rating

8.9 / 10 (119)

What is Dekalog about?

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

What is Dekalog like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dekalog as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Dekalog violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dekalog as mild.

What did critics think of Dekalog?

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

Which shows are like Dekalog?

Shows with a similar feel include Black Mirror, Three Colours: Blue, The Leftovers, and Fargo.

How long is Dekalog?

Dekalog: 1 season, 10 episodes.

Is Dekalog still running?

No, Dekalog has ended.