A Short Film About Love (1988)

An innocent virgin spies on his frontal neighbor and falls in love with her, thus starts using tricks on her which he hopes will lead to them meeting.

Director:

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Writers:

Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz

Stars:

Grazyna Szapolowska, Olaf Lubaszenko, Stefania Iwinska

9 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Grazyna Szapolowska	...	Magda
Olaf Lubaszenko	...	Tomek
Stefania Iwinska	...	Godmother
Piotr Machalica	...	Roman
Artur Barcis	...	Young Man
Hanna Chojnacka	...	Miroslawa (as M. Chojnacka)
Stanislaw Gawlik	...	Postman (as S. Gawlik)
Tomasz Gradowski	...	(as T. Gradowski)
Rafal Imbro	...	(as R. Imbro)
Jan Piechocinski	...	(as J. Piechocinski)
Krzysztof Koperski	...	Gasman in Magda's Apartment (as K. Koperski)
Jaroslawa Michalewska	...	Post-Office Clerk (as J. Michalewska)
Malgorzata Rozniatowska	...	Angry Postmaster (as M. Rozniatowska)
Emilia Ziólkowska	...	Old Woman at Post-Office (as E. Ziólkowska)

Storyline

19-year-old Tomek whiles away his lonely life by spying on his opposite neighbour Magda through binoculars. She's an artist in her mid-thirties, and appears to have everything - not least a constant stream of men at her beck and call. But when the two finally meet, they discover that they have a lot more in common than appeared at first sight...

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Plot Keywords:

poland | 1980s | orphan | restaurant | loneliness | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish Portuguese

Release Date:

4 August 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Short Film About Love

Filming Locations:

Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zespol Filmowy "Tor"

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The ending is different from the TV version. It was rewritten at the suggestion of lead actress Grazyna Szapolowska who wanted the film to have a "fairytale ending".

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Goofs

When Tomek goes out onto the roof above Magda's flat, his black eye and split lip are gone. They reappear when he goes back into the building.

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Connections

Edited into Dekalog: Dekalog, szesc (1989)

User Reviews

Human Love at Its Utmost, the Best Film in Dekalog

I invite viewers of this film to compare it with the short version (Dekalog 6) and the script. All three differ from one another. They have different endings and lead to different interpretations.

In this film, the feature length version, Kieslowski portrays human love poetically, authentically, and powerfully. I consider Tomek as a lover by the form of incarnation. He takes into different forms (post worker, milkman, voyeur) in order to show his love towards Magda. It is important to notice that Tomek sheds his blood when Magda has sex with others. There is a scene in which Magda spills a bottle of milk and cries. Tomek sees her from his telescope. Only he is present for Magda. Overall, Tomek's love is both sacrificial and redemptive.

After Tomek's hospitalization, Magda dresses more conservatively. She does not engage in sexual affairs with any man. In this sense, Tomek's love redeems the lustful Magda. The commandment (Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery) functions in the background. We normally perceive a voyeur as being adulterous. But in Tomek's situation, he peeps into Magda not as an adulterous voyeur. He loves Magda by peeping her as an incarnate. He expresses sacrificial, and redemptive love in a humane and authentic manner.