Decalogue: Four, The (1989)
**** (out of 4)
Michal (Janusz Gajos) and his daughter Anka (Adrianna Biedrzynska) have lived together ever since her mother died but when her father goes away on a trip Anka opens a letter that her mother wrote her before her death. Inside this letter could contain a secret about Michal that might ruin their relationship. The "Honor thy father and mother" is the theme here and once again Kieslowski does a brilliant job at asking some tough questions and making for one incredible drama. I didn't think the previous two films in the series were as strong as the first one but this fourth chapter really hits a grand slam and makes for some highly dramatic scenes. Once again it seems people could view this film in terms of the commandment that's its influenced by or they could just see it as any type of drama. I think this series really depends on how you react to the story and this one here is just downright memorable and at times disturbing. The drama in this film is so incredibly strong that I found myself getting more and more depressed as the movie went along. This in large part is do the the incredible performances by the two leads, which is the one common ground of these first four films. Biedrzynska really comes across with a certain naive nature that is really understandable considering where her character is coming from. I thought Gajos was downright brilliant and unforgettable in the role of the father who gets asked some very tough questions about sexuality and lying. Once again, if you decide to look at this as a religious film, it asks some very tough questions and these questions handle the subject unlike any other film that I've seen. I'm sure a lot of people will be turned off by this film but it's drama at its best.
**** (out of 4)
Michal (Janusz Gajos) and his daughter Anka (Adrianna Biedrzynska) have lived together ever since her mother died but when her father goes away on a trip Anka opens a letter that her mother wrote her before her death. Inside this letter could contain a secret about Michal that might ruin their relationship. The "Honor thy father and mother" is the theme here and once again Kieslowski does a brilliant job at asking some tough questions and making for one incredible drama. I didn't think the previous two films in the series were as strong as the first one but this fourth chapter really hits a grand slam and makes for some highly dramatic scenes. Once again it seems people could view this film in terms of the commandment that's its influenced by or they could just see it as any type of drama. I think this series really depends on how you react to the story and this one here is just downright memorable and at times disturbing. The drama in this film is so incredibly strong that I found myself getting more and more depressed as the movie went along. This in large part is do the the incredible performances by the two leads, which is the one common ground of these first four films. Biedrzynska really comes across with a certain naive nature that is really understandable considering where her character is coming from. I thought Gajos was downright brilliant and unforgettable in the role of the father who gets asked some very tough questions about sexuality and lying. Once again, if you decide to look at this as a religious film, it asks some very tough questions and these questions handle the subject unlike any other film that I've seen. I'm sure a lot of people will be turned off by this film but it's drama at its best.