Decalogue: Three, The (1989)
*** (out of 4)
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy", is what taxi driver Janusz (Daniel Olbrycheski) is trying to do but a woman (Maria Pakulnis) from his past shows up asking him to help look for her missing husband. I've read that certain episodes jump to different commandments and that's certainly true here as the overall message seems to aim more at adultery and lying. As with the previous two installments, this one here is flawless in terms of acting and the directing is top-notch as well. Once again I think the biggest key for the viewer is how well he can connect to the story and overall I thought this one was better than the second but fell quite short of the first. What I liked most about this third chapter is, once again, the way the director and screenwriter make it so fresh compared to other films that dealt with religion. This film doesn't ask simple question and it never gives us any simple answers about what's going on. One thing different here is that the film really has a strange and surreal nature to it that I'd compare to Scorsese's After Hours. With the red Christmas lights flashing throughout the film, the empty streets and the secrets between the two characters, this segment really struck me more along the lines of a mystery. You could also say the film is about regret and sorrow but then again I guess some could see it as overlooking more important issues in terms of religion. I think the most amazing thing about the series so far is how terrific the performances have been in each of them. That holds true here as Olbrycheski really does a marvelous job in his role and the same is true for Pakulnis. Both of them work extremely well together and they really do come off as former lovers.