The bulk of this segment is taken up by a group chess match in which Krzysztof and Pawel participate. A young woman is playing about a dozen players at a time, Pawel declares at one point that she has already defeated six. They are seated in a circle, the young woman walks in the center…

It seems hard to believe now, but most of the things we take for granted in our technology were envisioned long before they became practical. For example, Pawel shows his aunt tricks that his computer can do. He’s rigged up his system to control all of his house’s levers and nobs via radio control, so…

The characters in “The Dekalog” have unique perspectives on religious faith. Believers tend to be non-dogmatic and disbelievers speak the language of doubt, not certainty. Pawel, having just come face to face with a dead dog, wants to engage his father in a conversation about life, death and meaning. Krystzstof does not disappoint. Pawel asks…

This is my I Ching reading today. As much as I would love to embrace it, doing so would be immodest, which would nullify all that follows: POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE Those who are steadfastly balanced, humble, and in harmony with the Sage inherit everything under the sun. This is a time of great power…

I first watched The Dekalog probably 15-20 years ago, I do not remember exactly. I had heard about it in reverent terms for years and probably watched it on DVD via a mail rental service, maybe Netflix, but more likely Facets. Even though I was a great admirer of Kieslowski’s Three Colors trilogy and “The…

Yesterday, I rewatched two episodes of Kieslowski’s Polish TV miniseries “The Dekalog,” probably for the first time in more than a decade. Originally, I planned to write solely about Episode 9, the one that introduces the fictional composer Van den Budenmeyer. But after rewatching episodes 1 and 9, it became apparent to me that I…