Decalogue I

"I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other God but me."

1989 0h 53m PL

🙌

8.1

BANGER

★8.1TMDB · 274

DramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Krzysztof, a semantics professor and computer hobbyist, is raising his young son, Paweł, to look to science for answers, while Irena, Paweł’s aunt, lives a life rooted in faith. Over the course of one day, both adults are forced to question their belief systems.

“I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other God but me.”

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Cast

Henryk Baranowski
Krzysztof
Wojciech Klata
Paweł
Maja Komorowska
Irena
Artur Barciś
Man in the Sheepskin
Agnieszka Brustman
Chess Player
Maciej Borniński
Jacek's Father
Magdalena Mikołajczak
Journalist
Maria Gładkowska
English Teacher

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Krzysztof Kieślowski
Writers: Krzysztof Piesiewicz, Krzysztof Kieślowski
Languages: Polish
Countries: Germany, Poland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 53-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Germany, Poland.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "The Decalogue" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, shot by Wiesław Zdort. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Zbigniew Preisner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ewa Smal shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Henryk Baranowski and Wojciech Klata and Maja Komorowska carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Krzysztof Kieślowski directs. Wiesław Zdort behind the camera. Zbigniew Preisner scores. Ewa Smal cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany, Poland. Dialogue in Polish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 53-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Germany, Poland.
4Part of the "The Decalogue" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, shot by Wiesław Zdort. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Zbigniew Preisner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Ewa Smal shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Henryk Baranowski and Wojciech Klata and Maja Komorowska carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other God but me.".
10IMDB entry: tt0094982 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Wiesław Zdort
Original score: Zbigniew Preisner
Editing: Ewa Smal
Production design: Halina Dobrowolska
Costume design: Hanna Ćwikło
Makeup / hair: Jolanta Pruszynska
Runtime: 53 min · 0h 53m
Status: Released
Original language: PL
IMDB: Decalogue I (1989)

Part of

The Decalogue

The Decalogue Collection is a profound and thought-provoking anthology of ten one-hour films, each inspired by one of the Ten Commandments. Created by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski, this cinematic masterpiece explores complex moral and ethical dilemmas faced by the residents of a housing complex in late 20th-century Poland. The series originally aired on Polish television in 1989 and has since been recognized as one of the greatest achievements in world cinema. Each film in the collection stands on its own as a powerful exploration of human nature and the struggles that arise when faced with challenging life choices. The Decalogue Collection is an essential viewing experience for anyone interested in understanding the depths of human experience, as it delves into themes such as love, faith, guilt, and redemption.