amy- Decalogue #2

Our film writers seem to be obsessed with the destruction and mess that affairs have on marriage. Strangely enough, when Kieslowski approaches the topic of infidelity, he does not use the commandment “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” This shows something of Kieslowski’s character. He is unwilling to give the viewers a carbon-copied viewpoint of the Ten Commandments. Instead, he uses the insane complexity and ruin that goes along with adultery to further the concept of not taking the Lord’s name in vain. The meaning behind the plot-line of Decalogue Two, for me, is one of the most difficult to wrap my head around. I can understand how the ethicality of the doctor swearing an oath applies to the second commandment, but I have a hard time understanding what exactly Kieslowski is trying to say. Most of the time, it seems he is trying to question how such clear-cut rules can apply to the complex situations of the modern-day man. I wonder at the effectiveness of such ponderings. As a whole, the Ten Commandments are the way to show what is right and what is wrong. There is no doubt in my mind that the God of the Bible, if He is who He says He is, is a just God. This means that He will judge each moral decision according to the circumstance. If God knows the heart, then He will know what the true intentions behind each man.
I enjoy really do enjoy seeing the struggle within Kieslowski’s own mind through his films, because it allows me to draw out what I believe concerning his topics. The Second Commandment was one of the most impacting in the films concerning the question of “doing the right thing” while also obeying the Ten Commandments.