Chronicles of Christmas Eve Night: Kieślowski’s Study of the “Decalogue 3”

Abstract

Polish Director Krzysztof Kieślowski made his mark on the world cinema scene with his 10-part TV series The Ten Commandments, produced by Polish national television. In this study, we will focus on the third installment of the series, “The Ten Commandments,”(The Decalogue) which takes place overnight on Christmas Eve. “The Third Commandment”(Decalogue 3) is a collaboration between co-screenwriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz and Piotr Sobociński, the cinematographer of Kieślowski’s last film, Red. This study explores the significance of Kieślowski’s use of Christmas Eve, Poland’s largest holiday, and his embodiment of the universal human experiences of loneliness and melancholy into the celebration of Christmas. In particular, the chapter on scene analysis focuses on the opening and the temporal and spatial arrangement of dramatic events.