The fourth commandment is loosely adapted by Kryzsztof Kieslowski into a compelling tale about a secret that has been kept for a long time. In the hands of another man, the material would have probably been a disaster, but Mr. Kieslowski, a man with a great insight, makes an amazing job in keeping real and credible.
The theme is "Honor thy father and mother". Anka, a student of dramatic art, who lives with her widower father, Michal, in the same apartment block, as the rest of the people that surface in "The Decalogue" lives a normal life. Michal, the father, who is going abroad for a short trip, remembers at the airport he has forgotten to pay a bill and asks Anka to do it for him as soon as she gets back home.
When Anka, arrives home, she discovers an envelope in a drawer of her father's desk marked "To be opened after my death". The message triggers great curiosity on her, as she wants to know what could be such a secret her father wants to tell her from the beyond. The discovery of not being Michal's real daughter hits her like a ton of bricks. She can't imagine how could this man, who up to a few hours ago she thought was her father, could suddenly change the picture.
Michal is surprised to find Anka at the airport at his return. She is frantic because of what she perceives as a deception. Anka doesn't take into consideration, for one moment, the enormous sacrifice Michal has gone through raising her without the help of a mother to guide Anka as she grows and matures. For a moment Anka's reaction acquires a shade of incest, because one can see it's possible she has loved Michal in a different way.
By way of explanation, Michal, tells Anka, he was going to reveal the secret when Anka was a young girl, but for some reason, he thought it was the wrong moment. The second time he had tried to tell her the truth, he ended up keeping it within himself. As far as he knows, Anka is his daughter and that's all there is to it. His fatherly love has never ceased.
Adrianna Biedrzniski, and Janusz Gajos are wonderful as Anka and Michal. Under Kieslowski's guidance these two actors bring to life characters that find themselves facing a crisis that has the potential of separating them forever. One feels for Michal, but it's easy to see how betrayed Anka must feel upon learning the truth.
The theme is "Honor thy father and mother". Anka, a student of dramatic art, who lives with her widower father, Michal, in the same apartment block, as the rest of the people that surface in "The Decalogue" lives a normal life. Michal, the father, who is going abroad for a short trip, remembers at the airport he has forgotten to pay a bill and asks Anka to do it for him as soon as she gets back home.
When Anka, arrives home, she discovers an envelope in a drawer of her father's desk marked "To be opened after my death". The message triggers great curiosity on her, as she wants to know what could be such a secret her father wants to tell her from the beyond. The discovery of not being Michal's real daughter hits her like a ton of bricks. She can't imagine how could this man, who up to a few hours ago she thought was her father, could suddenly change the picture.
Michal is surprised to find Anka at the airport at his return. She is frantic because of what she perceives as a deception. Anka doesn't take into consideration, for one moment, the enormous sacrifice Michal has gone through raising her without the help of a mother to guide Anka as she grows and matures. For a moment Anka's reaction acquires a shade of incest, because one can see it's possible she has loved Michal in a different way.
By way of explanation, Michal, tells Anka, he was going to reveal the secret when Anka was a young girl, but for some reason, he thought it was the wrong moment. The second time he had tried to tell her the truth, he ended up keeping it within himself. As far as he knows, Anka is his daughter and that's all there is to it. His fatherly love has never ceased.
Adrianna Biedrzniski, and Janusz Gajos are wonderful as Anka and Michal. Under Kieslowski's guidance these two actors bring to life characters that find themselves facing a crisis that has the potential of separating them forever. One feels for Michal, but it's easy to see how betrayed Anka must feel upon learning the truth.