Decalogue IX (1989)
While on the surface this part seems very straightforward with how it deals with infidelity and the ninth commandment, there is much more at play here than what we immediately get from the story of a man who can’t emotionally deal with his impotence and his wife infidelity. Kieslowski uses this to go deeper into what constitutes marriage and love - most of all how it is bound by honesty. In the beginning the couple have a very profound conversation on how love is not defined by what is done in the sheets and how they must not let anything be left unspoken. Not surprisingly, both things happen and a lot of the emotional pain that happens to this couple throughout the narrative, stems from the fact that they did left things unsaid. What I like about how Kieslowski deals with these topics, is that we see people make mistakes, have regrets, do hurtful things to the people they love, but their actions are never portrayed with any negative judgement or moral high ground. The viewer simply gets an honest depiction.
Rating: 4