Chip Coats Decalogue


Midrash is defined as an interpretive act that seeks answers to religious questions through meaning in the Torah. The visual medium of film works as midrash by interpreting old religious teachings through a modern lens which allows the viewer to relate to the teachings of old. In Dekalog: One, the first two commandments of the ten commandments are explored. The first and second commandments: "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me" and "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image."  is explained through midrash when the father allows his son to have too much faith in the power of the computer. Krzysztof introduces his son to  personal computing and the problem solving potential a computer possesses. This is done by showing his son a physics problem. This physics problem along with other examples provided by Krzysztof spark Pavel’s fascination with the power of the computer. Pavel is given his own computer and he begins writing a code to see what his mother dreams about. Obviously, the computer cannot answer the question but Pawel has faith that his father’s computer is all knowing and will provide him with an answer. 
The idolization of his father’s computer is ultimately what ends up causing Pavel to meet his demise. Pavel places data into his father’s computer to calculate whether or not a patch of ice will be able to hold his body weight. What Pawel has done is violate the 1st and 2nd commandments by looking to the computer as a god and believing that the computer is all knowing. Pavel wanted to skate on the ice and based on what the computer stated, Pavel believed he would be fine. Data can be imperfect and imperfect data often leads to false conclusions.  

Kryzstof uses visual cues to illustrate certain points in the film. The first notable visual would be the dead dog Pavel and his father see while they are walking. The sight of this dog prompts Pawel to ask his father about life. His father coldly states that life is the ending of all vital functions and offers no explanation of an afterlife to his son. After discovering that his son has fallen through the ice Kryztof heads to a church and breaks a Madonna statue which appears to be crying. Kryztof in tears, attempts to anoint himself with holy water but it is frozen. The crying statue implies that a higher being may also feel the pain of Kryztof’s loss but his destruction of the statue seems to negate this in the eyes of god when the holy water is frozen. The film tries to integrate the religious code into Kryztof’s life and his pain at the end of the film magnifies a hope that there is something beyond death. 

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