DEAD RINGERS FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Bunbury, S, David Cronenberg Doubles Up, in Cinema Papers however was found unacceptable to Cronenberg due to Sniders attempt to fit too much of the book into the script( Cronenberg wanted Cook, P. and A. Billson, Monthly Film Bulletin (London), Janu as little of the book as possible)and a re-write was commissioned. ry1989 Tabets reservations about the rewritten script killed the project at this Garcia, M, Films in Review(New York), January 1989 time however and in 1982, it seemed as though the film would never Katsahnias, I, and others, "La beaute interieure, " in Cahiers du be made. Two years later, Cronenberg along with producer Mark Cinema(Paris), February 1989 Boyman tried to raise interest in the project once again. But, the Dadoun, R,""L'epouvante interieure ou Qu'est-ce que Ihomme project was to be met less than enthusiastically, with the main a dans le ventre, in Positif( Paris), March 1989 complaint being along the lines of: "Do they have to be gynecol- Ramasse, F, and others, " La chair dans l'ame, in Positif(Paris), gists? Couldn't they be lawyers?"This question signalled to March 1989 Cronenberg the inability of the studio executives to"get it, so the Ross, P, Revue du Cinema(Paris), March 1989. search for financial backing continued with Cronenberg directing The Kay. S,"Double or Nothing, in Cinema Papers(Melbourne), Fly (1986)in the interim. It was eventually Dino De Laurentiis's DEG July 1989 company(the company that had produced The Dead Zone)that took Nguyen, I D. T, "The Projectile Movie Revisited, "in Film Criticism on the project. Unfortunately, the De Laurentiis group went bankrupt (Meadville, Pennsylvania), Spring 1990 shortly after agreeing to produce and Cronenberg Productions was Creed, B, Phallic Panic: Male Hysteria and Dead Ringers, in left to produce the film independently. Screen(London), Summer 1990 Dead Ringers is the tragedy of identical twin gynecologists Breskin, David, David Cronenberg: The Rolling Stone Interview, Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Jeremy Irons). The in Rolling Stone(New York), 6 February 1992. Mantles are wunderkind doctors from Toronto who operate the Winnert, Derek, "Doctor in Double Trouble,in Radio Times famous Mantle fertility clinic where actress Claire Niveau( geneviev London), 30 May 1992. Bujold) comes seeking advice on how she can become pregnant. Special Issue, Post Script(Commerce), voL. 15, no. 2, winter Unfortunately, Claire is diagnosed as"trifurcate"(possession of Spring 1996 three cervixes-a"mutant woman)and incapable of bearing child- Lucas, Tim, and John Charles, in Video Watchdog( Cincinnati), no. ren. That evening. Elliot sleeps with Claire and then, in keeping with 6.1996 the twins'sharing of everything, urges Beverly to take his place the following night. Beverly, however, falls in love with Claire until, upon learning of the deception. Claire ends the ruse by refusing to see either of them. Beverlys descent begins here and he becomes Since his first commercial film Shivers premiered in the early addicted to both alcohol and drugs. Following a reunion with Claire seventies, David Cronenberg has been saddled with the confining Beverly becomes insanely jealous when she leaves for a shoot and tereotype best exemplified in the nickname the"Baron of Blood. mistakenly believes she is having an affair then falls further into his With subsequent films such as Rabid, Scanners, and The Fly Cronenberg drug induced depression. Elliot, who has been out of town pursuing has kept this reputation intact and his films rather foreboding to those his own career, returns to supervise his brother's detoxification but uninitiated to the Cronenberg vision. With three films in the early ultimately gives up when Beverly commissions the creation of 990s(Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, and M. Butterfly) however, gynecological instruments for operating on mutant women and use Cronenberg departed from the conventional science-fiction/horror them on actual patients, consequently destroying the clinics reputa brand of cinema he has been known for. Dead Ringers is Cronenberg's tion and the twins'practice. Elliot, in an effort to restore the perfect first attempt at a conventional, tragic, human drama. The film equilibrium they shared before they met Claire, then tries to synchro- functions in this respect so well that one is left emotionally drained nize their drug taking and keeps Beverly locked up until Claire returns and extremely melancholic after viewing it. In Cronenberg on and he goes to her. a week later, Claire reluctantly allows Beverly to Cronenberg, the director describes the film as follows: " [It] has to do return to his brother who has descended even further than Beverly with that element of being human. It has to do with this ineffable had. The twins now lock themselves up in the clinic and gradually sadness that is an element of human existence regress until Beverly operates on Elliot to"""them and kills The production saga of Dead Ringers began when Cronenberg him. Beverly then calls Claire but cannot speak and returns to the first saw a headline that read something like, " Twin Docs Found clinic and dies silently while lying across Elliot's body Dead in Posh Padand decided that it was a story worth telling. ' It A major concern embedded in Dead Ringers is the notion of too perfect, the director has since said. In 1981, the project control. Cronenberg acknowledges this in the following way in began its gestation when Carol Baum approached Cronenberg with Cronenberg on Cronenberg: " The whole concept of free will resists the vague idea of doing a film about twins. Although they initia the idea of anything determining destiny. Freedom of choice rests on differed on subject matter they eventually settled on the story of the premise of freedom from physical and material restrictions. The Stewart and Cyril Marcus, twin gynecologists who, as the above Mantles are the device Cronenberg uses" to investigate that, not as an headlines stated, were found dead, the perpetrators of a joint suicide. aberration but as cases in point of genetic power. In fact, the twins Cronenberg next read a book loosely based on the twins call have little control over their own lives until the end of the film appropriately enough, Twins, by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland(the Cronenberg consciously constructed their world and lighted it in sucl name of the film would later be changed from Twins to Dead Ringers a way that it resembles an enormous aquarium wherein the twins are prior to release at the request of Cronenberg's old colleague Ivan nothing more than inhabitants who consistently run through Reitman so as not to clash with the arnold Schwarzenegger comedy monotony of a fragile daily existence. The twins'synchronized world vehicle). Baum and Cronenberg then enlisted producer Sylvio Tabet is so fragile in fact that the introduction of Claire as something the and chose Norman Snider to write a script. The script Snider produced twins refuse to share completely decimates them. It is only through
DEAD RINGERS FILMS, 4th EDITION 300 Bunbury, S., ‘‘David Cronenberg Doubles Up,’’ in Cinema Papers (Melbourne), January 1989. Cook, P., and A. Billson, Monthly Film Bulletin (London), January 1989. Garcia, M., Films in Review (New York), January 1989. Katsahnias, I., and others, ‘‘La beauté intérieure,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), February 1989. Dadoun, R., ‘‘L’épouvante intérieure ou Qu’est-ce que l’homme a dans le ventre,’’ in Positif (Paris), March 1989. Ramasse, F., and others, ‘‘La chair dans l’âme,’’ in Positif (Paris), March 1989. Ross, P., Revue du Cinéma (Paris), March 1989. Kay. S., ‘‘Double or Nothing,’’ in Cinema Papers (Melbourne), July 1989. Nguyen, D. T., ‘‘The Projectile Movie Revisited,’’ in Film Criticism (Meadville, Pennsylvania), Spring 1990. Creed, B., ‘‘Phallic Panic: Male Hysteria and Dead Ringers,’’ in Screen (London), Summer 1990. Breskin, David, ‘‘David Cronenberg: The Rolling Stone Interview,’’ in Rolling Stone (New York), 6 February 1992. Winnert, Derek, ‘‘Doctor in Double Trouble,’’ in Radio Times (London), 30 May 1992. ‘‘Special Issue,’’ Post Script (Commerce), vol. 15, no. 2, WinterSpring 1996. Lucas, Tim, and John Charles, in Video Watchdog (Cincinnati), no. 36, 1996. *** Since his first commercial film Shivers premiered in the early seventies, David Cronenberg has been saddled with the confining stereotype best exemplified in the nickname the ‘‘Baron of Blood.’’ With subsequent films such as Rabid, Scanners, and The Fly Cronenberg has kept this reputation intact and his films rather foreboding to those uninitiated to the Cronenberg vision. With three films in the early 1990s (Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, and M. Butterfly) however, Cronenberg departed from the conventional science-fiction/horror brand of cinema he has been known for. Dead Ringers is Cronenberg’s first attempt at a conventional, tragic, human drama. The film functions in this respect so well that one is left emotionally drained and extremely melancholic after viewing it. In Cronenberg on Cronenberg, the director describes the film as follows: ‘‘[It] has to do with that element of being human. It has to do with this ineffable sadness that is an element of human existence.’’ The production saga of Dead Ringers began when Cronenberg first saw a headline that read something like, ‘‘Twin Docs Found Dead in Posh Pad’’ and decided that it was a story worth telling. ‘‘It was too perfect,’’ the director has since said. In 1981, the project began its gestation when Carol Baum approached Cronenberg with the vague idea of doing a film about twins. Although they initially differed on subject matter they eventually settled on the story of Stewart and Cyril Marcus, twin gynecologists who, as the above headlines stated, were found dead, the perpetrators of a joint suicide. Cronenberg next read a book loosely based on the twins called, appropriately enough, Twins, by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland (the name of the film would later be changed from Twins to Dead Ringers prior to release at the request of Cronenberg’s old colleague Ivan Reitman so as not to clash with the Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy vehicle). Baum and Cronenberg then enlisted producer Sylvio Tabet and chose Norman Snider to write a script. The script Snider produced however was found unacceptable to Cronenberg due to Snider’s attempt to fit too much of the book into the script (Cronenberg wanted as little of the book as possible) and a re-write was commissioned. Tabet’s reservations about the rewritten script killed the project at this time however and, in 1982, it seemed as though the film would never be made. Two years later, Cronenberg along with producer Mark Boyman tried to raise interest in the project once again. But, the project was to be met less than enthusiastically, with the main complaint being along the lines of: ‘‘Do they have to be gynecologists? Couldn’t they be lawyers?’’ This question signalled to Cronenberg the inability of the studio executives to ‘‘get it,’’ so the search for financial backing continued with Cronenberg directing The Fly (1986) in the interim. It was eventually Dino De Laurentiis’s DEG company (the company that had produced The Dead Zone) that took on the project. Unfortunately, the De Laurentiis group went bankrupt shortly after agreeing to produce and Cronenberg Productions was left to produce the film independently. Dead Ringers is the tragedy of identical twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Jeremy Irons). The Mantles are wunderkind doctors from Toronto who operate the famous Mantle fertility clinic where actress Claire Niveau (Geneviève Bujold) comes seeking advice on how she can become pregnant. Unfortunately, Claire is diagnosed as ‘‘trifurcate’’ (possession of three cervixes—a ‘‘mutant’’ woman) and incapable of bearing children. That evening, Elliot sleeps with Claire and then, in keeping with the twins’ sharing of everything, urges Beverly to take his place the following night. Beverly, however, falls in love with Claire until, upon learning of the deception, Claire ends the ruse by refusing to see either of them. Beverly’s descent begins here and he becomes addicted to both alcohol and drugs. Following a reunion with Claire, Beverly becomes insanely jealous when she leaves for a shoot and mistakenly believes she is having an affair then falls further into his drug induced depression. Elliot, who has been out of town pursuing his own career, returns to supervise his brother’s detoxification but ultimately gives up when Beverly commissions the creation of gynecological instruments for operating on mutant women and uses them on actual patients, consequently destroying the clinic’s reputation and the twins’ practice. Elliot, in an effort to restore the perfect equilibrium they shared before they met Claire, then tries to synchronize their drug taking and keeps Beverly locked up until Claire returns and he goes to her. A week later, Claire reluctantly allows Beverly to return to his brother who has descended even further than Beverly had. The twins now lock themselves up in the clinic and gradually regress until Beverly operates on Elliot to ‘‘separate’’ them and kills him. Beverly then calls Claire but cannot speak and returns to the clinic and dies silently while lying across Elliot’s body. A major concern embedded in Dead Ringers is the notion of control. Cronenberg acknowledges this in the following way in Cronenberg on Cronenberg: ‘‘The whole concept of free will resists the idea of anything determining destiny. Freedom of choice rests on the premise of freedom from physical and material restrictions.’’ The Mantles are the device Cronenberg uses ‘‘to investigate that, not as an aberration but as cases in point of genetic power.’’ In fact, the twins have little control over their own lives until the end of the film. Cronenberg consciously constructed their world and lighted it in such a way that it resembles an enormous aquarium wherein the twins are nothing more than inhabitants who consistently run through the monotony of a fragile daily existence. The twins’ synchronized world is so fragile in fact that the introduction of Claire as something the twins refuse to share completely decimates them. It is only through
FILMS. 4th EDItION THE DEER HUNTER death that the twins assert their free will and attain the control they THE DEER HUNTER have lacked throughout the film. Therefore, suicide becomes the only instance in the twins' life in which they exert complete control over the outcome and sever the bizarre biological link to destiny USA,1978 Although Dead Ringers is a classic story of control, problems with analyzing it as such arise when categorizing that control. The determi- Director: Michael Cimino ation of who is controlling who is an endless conundrum within the film. For example, the twins control Claire(who functions as a sort of Production: EMI Films; Panavision, Technicolor, Dolby Stereo tanding her body in ways she cannot( Cronenberg's purely narrative running time: 183 minutes. Released November 1978 construction of mutant women and instruments for operating on them is indicative of this control). At the same time, however, Claire wields Producers: Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino, John control over the twins by using the same device in the guise of her Peverall; production consultant: Joan Carelli; screenplay: Deric xuality. It is Claire who, through her control of Beverly, dictates the Washburn; story: Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle. demise of the twins. The omnipresent nature of control in the film is Quinn K. Redeker; assistant directors: Charles Okun, Mike grillo ultimately its tragedy-you cant escape control. This tragedy erupts photography: Vilmos Zsigmond; editor: Peter Zinner; sound edi from the concept that biology is destiny. Cronenberg succeeds in tors: Teri E Dorman, James Fritch: art directors: Ron Hobbs. Kim questioning this theory while at the same time subscribing to it by Swados: costumes: Eric Seelig: special make-up: Dick Smith, suggesting that the concept of free will is the destroyer of destiny. Daniel Striepeke; music: Stanley Myers; main title theme per That is, while the brothers profession as gynecologists allows them formed by: John Williams; military adviser: Richard Dioguardi to control biology to a certain degree, it is death that ultimatel Vietnamese adviser: Eleanor dawson umph, although they still maintain a certain amount of control Beginning with Dead Ringers, Cronenberg has made films which Cast: Robert De Niro(Michael Vronsky); John Cazale(Stan, "Stosh") seem to suggest that he has abandoned his hybrid-horror child and John Savage (Steven): Christopher Walken(Nikanor Chevotarevich, opted a more cerebral and suspenseful and less sci-fi narrative known as Nick) Me George Dzundza (oh style. The maturity with which these films address the Cronenbergian Chuck Aspegren(Axel): Shirley Stoler(Steven's Mother): Rutanya concerns of biological control of destiny and usurpation of that Alda(Angela); Pierre Segui(Julien); Mady Kaplan(Axel's Girl) control illustrates that the new Cronenberg film is indeed grounded Amy Wright(Bridesmaid ) Mary Ann Haenel(Stan's Gir); Richard more in the realm of dramatic tragedy and less in either science fiction Kuss(Linda's Father); Joe Grifasi(Bandleader); Joe Strand (Bingo Caller): Helen Tomko(Helen); Paul D'Amato(Sergeant): Denni Watlington(Cab Driver); Charlene Darrow(Redhead); Jane-Colette -Michael J. Tyrkus Disko( Girl Checker); Michael Wollett(Stock Boy); Robert Beard, Joe Dzizmba(World War Veterans): Father Stephen Kopestonsky (Priest); John F. Buchmelter Ill(Bar Patron); Frank Devore(Bar- man); Tom Becker(Doctor): Lynn Kongkham(Nurse); Nongnuj DEADLY IS THE FEMALE Timruang(Bar Girl); Po Pao Pee( Chinese Referee); Dale Burroughs See GUN CraZY (Embassy Guard): Parris Hicks (Sergeant): Samui Muang-Intata Chinese Bodyguard); Sapox Colisium( Chinese Man): Vitoon winwitoon(N..A Officer): Somsak Sengvilia(V C. Referee): Charan Nusvanon( Chinese Boss); Hillary Brown(Herself), Choir of DEATH BY HANGING Theodosius Cathedral. Cleveland Ohio See KoshllKel Awards: Oscars for Best picture Actor(Walken), Best Editing, and Best Sound, 1979. British Acad- cmy of Film and Television Award for Best Cinematography DEATH IN VENICE (Zsigmond), 1979. See MOrte A venezia DEATH OF A CYCLIST See MUErte dE UN ciclista Books. Adair, Gilbert, Vietnam on Film: From The Green Berets'to Apocalypse Now, " New York, 1981; revised edition, as Holly. DECALOGUE wood's Vietnam London. 1989 See deKalog Smurthwaite, Nick, The Meryl Streep Story, London, 1984
FILMS, 4 THE DEER HUNTER th EDITION 301 death that the twins assert their free will and attain the control they have lacked throughout the film. Therefore, suicide becomes the only instance in the twins’ life in which they exert complete control over the outcome and sever the bizarre biological link to destiny. Although Dead Ringers is a classic story of control, problems with analyzing it as such arise when categorizing that control. The determination of who is controlling who is an endless conundrum within the film. For example, the twins control Claire (who functions as a sort of symbolic representation of women) through gynecology by understanding her body in ways she cannot (Cronenberg’s purely narrative construction of mutant women and instruments for operating on them is indicative of this control). At the same time, however, Claire wields control over the twins by using the same device in the guise of her sexuality. It is Claire who, through her control of Beverly, dictates the demise of the twins. The omnipresent nature of control in the film is ultimately its tragedy—you can’t escape control. This tragedy erupts from the concept that biology is destiny. Cronenberg succeeds in questioning this theory while at the same time subscribing to it by suggesting that the concept of free will is the destroyer of destiny. That is, while the brothers’ profession as gynecologists allows them to control biology to a certain degree, it is death that ultimately triumphs, although they still maintain a certain amount of control over that. Beginning with Dead Ringers, Cronenberg has made films which seem to suggest that he has abandoned his hybrid-horror child and adopted a more cerebral and suspenseful and less sci-fi narrative style. The maturity with which these films address the Cronenbergian concerns of biological control of destiny and usurpation of that control illustrates that the new Cronenberg film is indeed grounded more in the realm of dramatic tragedy and less in either science fiction or horror. —Michael J. Tyrkus DEADLY IS THE FEMALE See GUN CRAZY DEATH BY HANGING See KOSHIKEI DEATH IN VENICE See MORTE A VENEZIA DEATH OF A CYCLIST See MUERTE DE UN CICLISTA DECALOGUE See DEKALOG THE DEER HUNTER USA, 1978 Director: Michael Cimino Production: EMI Films; Panavision, Technicolor, Dolby Stereo; running time: 183 minutes. Released November 1978. Producers: Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino, John Peverall; production consultant: Joan Carelli; screenplay: Deric Washburn; story: Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker; assistant directors: Charles Okun, Mike Grillo; photography: Vilmos Zsigmond; editor: Peter Zinner; sound editors: Teri E. Dorman, James Fritch; art directors: Ron Hobbs, Kim Swados; costumes: Eric Seelig; special make-up: Dick Smith, Daniel Striepeke; music: Stanley Myers; main title theme performed by: John Williams; military adviser: Richard Dioguardi; Vietnamese adviser: Eleanor Dawson. Cast: Robert De Niro (Michael Vronsky); John Cazale (Stan, ‘‘Stosh’’); John Savage (Steven); Christopher Walken (Nikanor Chevotarevich, known as Nick); Meryl Streep (Linda); George Dzundza (John); Chuck Aspegren (Axel); Shirley Stoler (Steven’s Mother); Rutanya Alda (Angela); Pierre Segui (Julien); Mady Kaplan (Axel’s Girl); Amy Wright (Bridesmaid); Mary Ann Haenel (Stan’s Girl); Richard Kuss (Linda’s Father); Joe Grifasi (Bandleader); Joe Strand (Bingo Caller); Helen Tomko (Helen); Paul D’Amato (Sergeant); Dennis Watlington (Cab Driver); Charlene Darrow (Redhead); Jane-Colette Disko (Girl Checker); Michael Wollett (Stock Boy); Robert Beard, Joe Dzizmba (World War Veterans); Father Stephen Kopestonsky (Priest); John F. Buchmelter III (Bar Patron); Frank Devore (Barman); Tom Becker (Doctor); Lynn Kongkham (Nurse); Nongnuj Timruang (Bar Girl); Po Pao Pee (Chinese Referee); Dale Burroughs (Embassy Guard); Parris Hicks (Sergeant); Samui Muang-Intata (Chinese Bodyguard); Sapox Colisium (Chinese Man); Vitoon Winwitoon (N.V.A. Officer); Somsak Sengvilia (V.C. Referee); Charan Nusvanon (Chinese Boss); Hillary Brown (Herself), Choir of St. Theodosius Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio. Awards: Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Walken), Best Editing, and Best Sound, 1979. British Academy of Film and Television Award for Best Cinematography (Zsigmond), 1979. Publications Books: Adair, Gilbert, Vietnam on Film: From ‘‘The Green Berets’’ to ‘‘Apocalypse Now,” New York, 1981; revised edition, as Hollywood’s Vietnam, London, 1989. Smurthwaite, Nick, The Meryl Streep Story, London, 1984
THE DEER HUNTER FILMS. 4 EDITIoN The deer hunter Maychick, Diana, Meryl Streep, New York, 1984 Fox, Terry Curtis, in Film Comment(New York), March-April 1979 Bliss, Michael. Martin Scorsese& Michael Cimino. Lanham. 1985 Pym, John, "A Bullet in the Head: Vietnam Remembered, in Sight Cameron-Wilson, James, The Cinema of Robert De Niro,Lon- and Sound (London), Spring 1979 don,1986. Auster, AL, and Leonard Quart, Hollywood and Vietnam: The McKay, Keith, Robert De Niro: The Hero Behind the Masks, New Triumph of the Will, in Cineaste(New York), Spring Positif(Paris), April 1979 Wood, Robin, Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan, New York, 1986 Kinder, Marsha, and others, in Film Quarterly(Berkeley ) Sum- mer 1979 Articles. Mineo, T,""Una falsa storia Vietnamita per rimuovere la colpa Journal of Popular FiIm and Television(Washing 9 ton, D.C), vol. Carducci, M., ""Stalking the deer Hunter: An Interview with Michael Cimino, in Millimeter(New York), March 1978 Franz, R. C, "Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter: The Lies Henderson, Scott, "Behind the Scenes of The Deer Hunter, in Arent Over, in Jump Cut( Chicago), October 1980. American Cinematographer(Los Angeles), October 1978 Krohn. B. "'Entretien avec Michael Cimino. in Cahiers du cinema Variety(New York), 29 November 1978 (Paris), June 1982. Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury, Maryland), vol 7, no 4, 1979 Koper, B," Can Movies Kill? in American Film (Washington, Combs, Richard, in Monthly Film Bulletin(London), March 1979 D. C ) July-August 1982. Gow, Gordon, in Films and Filming(London), March 1979 Burke, F,""In Defense of The Deer Hunter: The Knee Jerk Is Quicker Listener(London), 8 March 1979. Than the Eye, in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Mary Pilger, John, in New Statesman(London), 16 March 1979 land), January 1983
THE DEER HUNTER FILMS, 4th EDITION 302 The Deer Hunter Maychick, Diana, Meryl Streep, New York, 1984. Bliss, Michael, Martin Scorsese & Michael Cimino, Lanham, 1985. Cameron-Wilson, James, The Cinema of Robert De Niro, London, 1986. McKay, Keith, Robert De Niro: The Hero Behind the Masks, New York, 1986. Wood, Robin, Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan, New York, 1986. Articles: Carducci, M., ‘‘Stalking the Deer Hunter: An Interview with Michael Cimino,’’ in Millimeter (New York), March 1978. Henderson, Scott, ‘‘Behind the Scenes of The Deer Hunter,’’ in American Cinematographer (Los Angeles), October 1978. Variety (New York), 29 November 1978. Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), vol. 7, no. 4, 1979. Combs, Richard, in Monthly Film Bulletin (London), March 1979. Gow, Gordon, in Films and Filming (London), March 1979. Listener (London), 8 March 1979. Pilger, John, in New Statesman (London), 16 March 1979. Fox, Terry Curtis, in Film Comment (New York), March-April 1979. Pym, John, ‘‘A Bullet in the Head: Vietnam Remembered,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), Spring 1979. Auster, Al, and Leonard Quart, ‘‘Hollywood and Vietnam: The Triumph of the Will,’’ in Cineaste (New York), Spring 1979. Positif (Paris), April 1979. Kinder, Marsha, and others, in Film Quarterly (Berkeley), Summer 1979. Mineo, T., ‘‘Una falsa storia Vietnamita per rimuovere la colpa americana,’’ in Cinema Nuova (Bari), August 1979. Journal of Popular Film and Television (Washington, D.C.), vol. 7, no. 4, 1980. Franz, R. C., ‘‘Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter: The Lies Aren’t Over,’’ in Jump Cut (Chicago), October 1980. Krohn, B., ‘‘Entretien avec Michael Cimino,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), June 1982. Koper, B., ‘‘Can Movies Kill?’’ in American Film (Washington, D.C.), July-August 1982. Burke, F., ‘‘In Defense of The Deer Hunter: The Knee Jerk Is Quicker Than the Eye,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), January 1983
FILMS. 4th EDItION DEKALOG francis, D,"The Regeneration of America: Uses of Landscape in attitudes. Mike is cool, laconic, self-contained yet capable of self The Deer Hunter, in Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury, Mary- destructive wildness. Nick is less sure of himself, cor land), January 1983. others and well-liked, but obviously a follower, not a lead etent with Stevie is De Marinis, G, in Cineforum(Bergamo), January-February 1983. the weakest of the trio, a man satisfied with a marriage of convenience Wander, P, " The Aesthetics of Fascism, " "in Journal of Communica- to a woman considered to be a tramp and an opportunist, a man unsure tion(Philadelphia), Spring 1983 of what he wants from life and who seems content to shape his life Greene, N,""Coppola, Cimino: The Operatics of History, in Film after Mike's and Nick,'s In the New Hollywood style, the narrative is Quarterly(Berkeley), Winter 1984-5. made to appear undirected, a random and"realistic' examination of Vietnam Issue"of Wide Angle(Athens, Ohio), vol 7, no 4, 1985. working-class ethnic life, although it is in fact a careful character Salminen, K, ""Poliittenen ooppera vieraantuneesta sankarista, in study. Classic Hollywood expository modes are often subverted here Filmihullu(helsinki), no. 7-8, 1988 (withheld establishing shots or no introductions for new characters, urke, F, ""Reading Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter: Interpreta- for example), while the acting is archly naturalist in the method tion as Melting Pot, in Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury, tradition(broken sentences, overlapping dialogue, an emphasis on Maryland), no 3, 1992 inner, unspoken struggle and, inevitably, male emotion). Nery, Robert, How to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too, in An excessive, "realistic representation marks the difference Filmnews, December-January 1992-1993 between The Deer Hunter and the classic Hollywood film. But the Morice, Jacques, in Cahiers du Cinema(Paris), Hors-serie, 1993 masculine values advanced, tested, and endorsed in the film,s oper Man, G, ""Marginality and Centrality: The Myth of Asia in 1970 ing sequences are thoroughly traditional. Vietnam is viewed by the Hollywood, in East-West Film Jounal (Honolulu), no. 1, 1994. trio of friends as yet another test, yet another opportunity to do the Suarez, E, "" Deliverance: Dickey's Original Screen Play, in South- right thing and be a man. The film takes no political stand on the issue ern Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 2-3, 1995 of the war. In fact, like the more recent Platoon, it depoliticize the Worsley, Wallace, ""Worsley's Year of Deliverance, in DGA (Los war, turning it into a morality play where positive and negative Angeles), vol. 12, no. 2, May-June 1997 qualities of the American character act out a deadly, self-destructive drama. In both films, the real enemy is forgotten: the war becomes a struggle between different masculine styles and philosophies. Mike learns the dangers of the code he had lived by: he survives. Nick lives When it was first released, The Deer Hunter was widely praised as out the logical and psychological consequences of that code; he dies, the first American film to concern itself with the aftermath, social and in effect, a suicide. The treatment of maleness, however, is hopelessly psychological, of the Vietnam War. Because of this film, in fact, compromised compromised. Stevie lacks courage and competence; he becomes lollywood discovered that audiences were eager for cinematic a pitiful paraplegic, married to a woman who doesn't love him. while treatments of the subject and a number of films dealing with Vietnam the hero may renounce his""to assert himself, he remair were produced in the early 1980s. hero, at least in large part, because of his willingness to risk life and The Deer Hunter, however, is not a war film in the ordinary sense: limb, to be fearless and graceful under pressure. This contradiction, at although central episodes treat developments in the late stages of the the same time, is likely what made the films narrative so attractive to Vietnam conflict, the main emphasis is on the experiences shared by a mass audience, one willing to accept a"" maleness only as a group of young men growing up in a small Pennsylvania industrial a renunciation of power, not as an alternative to it. town. Like many of the so-called"buddy films"of the 1970s, The Historically, The Deer Hunter is important as the last successful Deer Hunter is a male melodrama that treats the difficulties, discontents, realist epic produced by the artistically minded directors of the and triumphs of the growth into manhood, including but not domi- Hollywood Renaissance. Cimino's subsequent efforts in this form nated by going to war. It also connects directly to the"artistic have met with little success. The Deer Hunter. however. was able to trendiness of the loosely coordinated movement on the part of certain achieve an outstanding and surprising success because of its carefully directors in the late 1960s and early 1970s(including Francis Ford calculated combination of traditional Hollywood melodrama with Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese)to create a"new a style and themes borrowed, to a large degree, from the art cinema. wave" American film and to redefine the creative/commercial posi- tion of the director (who was to become me an auteur in the -R. Barton palmer continental sense). Like Coppola with The Godfatheror Kubrick with A Clockwork Orange, Cimino dominated the production of The Deer Hunter, stamping it with his own developing style and thematic obsessions: it was intended to be an intensely"personal"film, and DEKALOG both commercial and artistic at the same time The Deer Hunter opens with a long and richly detailed examina- tion of the young men whose lives are dominated by dangerous and eclogue) grueling manual labor in the steel mills and the release of drinking and carousing. Mike(Robert De Niro), Nick( Christopher Walken), and Poland. 1988 n Savage)are just about to depart for military training, having volunteered to go to Vietnam together. Stevie, before he Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski leaves, is to get married to Angela, a local girl pregnant by another al hunting trip in the nearby mountains with three others. This time:10 films 53-57 minutes each. Released 1989. Decalogue 5 and of life is dominated by a concern with masculine styles and Decalogue 6 released theatrically in 1989 as A Short Film About
FILMS, 4 DEKALOG th EDITION 303 Francis, D., ‘‘The Regeneration of America: Uses of Landscape in The Deer Hunter,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), January 1983. De Marinis, G., in Cineforum (Bergamo), January-February 1983. Wander, P., ‘‘The Aesthetics of Fascism,’’ in Journal of Communication (Philadelphia), Spring 1983. Greene, N., ‘‘Coppola, Cimino: The Operatics of History,’’ in Film Quarterly (Berkeley), Winter 1984–5. ‘‘Vietnam Issue’’ of Wide Angle (Athens, Ohio), vol. 7, no. 4, 1985. Salminen, K., ‘‘Poliittenen ooppera vieraantuneesta sankarista,’’ in Filmihullu (Helsinki), no. 7–8, 1988. Burke, F., ‘‘Reading Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter: Interpretation as Melting Pot,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), no. 3, 1992. Nery, Robert, ‘‘How to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too,’’ in Filmnews, December-January 1992–1993. Morice, Jacques, in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), Hors-série, 1993. Man, G., ‘‘Marginality and Centrality: The Myth of Asia in 1970s Hollywood,’’ in East-West Film Journal (Honolulu), no. 1, 1994. Suarez, E., ‘‘Deliverance: Dickey’s Original Screen Play,’’ in Southern Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 2–3, 1995. Worsley, Wallace, ‘‘Worsley’s Year of Deliverance,’’ in DGA (Los Angeles), vol. 12, no. 2, May-June 1997. *** When it was first released, The Deer Hunter was widely praised as the first American film to concern itself with the aftermath, social and psychological, of the Vietnam War. Because of this film, in fact, Hollywood discovered that audiences were eager for cinematic treatments of the subject and a number of films dealing with Vietnam were produced in the early 1980s. The Deer Hunter, however, is not a war film in the ordinary sense: although central episodes treat developments in the late stages of the Vietnam conflict, the main emphasis is on the experiences shared by a group of young men growing up in a small Pennsylvania industrial town. Like many of the so-called ‘‘buddy films’’ of the 1970s, The Deer Hunter is a male melodrama that treats the difficulties, discontents, and triumphs of the growth into manhood, including but not dominated by going to war. It also connects directly to the ‘‘artistic’’ trendiness of the loosely coordinated movement on the part of certain directors in the late 1960s and early 1970s (including Francis Ford Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese) to create a ‘‘new wave’’ American film and to redefine the creative/commercial position of the director (who was to become more of an auteur in the continental sense). Like Coppola with The Godfather or Kubrick with A Clockwork Orange, Cimino dominated the production of The Deer Hunter, stamping it with his own developing style and thematic obsessions: it was intended to be an intensely ‘‘personal’’ film, and both commercial and artistic at the same time. The Deer Hunter opens with a long and richly detailed examination of the young men whose lives are dominated by dangerous and grueling manual labor in the steel mills and the release of drinking and carousing. Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Stevie (John Savage) are just about to depart for military training, having volunteered to go to Vietnam together. Stevie, before he leaves, is to get married to Angela, a local girl pregnant by another man, and Mike and Nick are planning to leave that same night for their annual hunting trip in the nearby mountains with three others. This slice of life is dominated by a concern with masculine styles and attitudes. Mike is cool, laconic, self-contained yet capable of selfdestructive wildness. Nick is less sure of himself, competent with others and well-liked, but obviously a follower, not a leader. Stevie is the weakest of the trio, a man satisfied with a marriage of convenience to a woman considered to be a tramp and an opportunist, a man unsure of what he wants from life and who seems content to shape his life after Mike’s and Nick’s. In the New Hollywood style, the narrative is made to appear undirected, a random and ‘‘realistic’’ examination of working-class ethnic life, although it is in fact a careful character study. Classic Hollywood expository modes are often subverted here (withheld establishing shots or no introductions for new characters, for example), while the acting is archly naturalist in the method tradition (broken sentences, overlapping dialogue, an emphasis on inner, unspoken struggle and, inevitably, male emotion). An excessive, ‘‘realistic’’ representation marks the difference between The Deer Hunter and the classic Hollywood film. But the masculine values advanced, tested, and endorsed in the film’s opening sequences are thoroughly traditional. Vietnam is viewed by the trio of friends as yet another test, yet another opportunity to do the right thing and be a man. The film takes no political stand on the issue of the war. In fact, like the more recent Platoon, it depoliticizes the war, turning it into a morality play where positive and negative qualities of the American character act out a deadly, self-destructive drama. In both films, the real enemy is forgotten: the war becomes a struggle between different masculine styles and philosophies. Mike learns the dangers of the code he had lived by; he survives. Nick lives out the logical and psychological consequences of that code; he dies, in effect, a suicide. The treatment of maleness, however, is hopelessly compromised. Stevie lacks courage and competence; he becomes a pitiful paraplegic, married to a woman who doesn’t love him. While the hero may renounce his ‘‘right’’ to assert himself, he remains a hero, at least in large part, because of his willingness to risk life and limb, to be fearless and graceful under pressure. This contradiction, at the same time, is likely what made the film’s narrative so attractive to a mass audience, one willing to accept a ‘‘softened’’ maleness only as a renunciation of power, not as an alternative to it. Historically, The Deer Hunter is important as the last successful realist epic produced by the artistically minded directors of the Hollywood Renaissance. Cimino’s subsequent efforts in this form have met with little success. The Deer Hunter, however, was able to achieve an outstanding and surprising success because of its carefully calculated combination of traditional Hollywood melodrama with a style and themes borrowed, to a large degree, from the art cinema. —R. Barton Palmer DEKALOG (Decalogue) Poland, 1988 Director: Krzysztof Kieślowski Production: Polish Television, TOR Studios; colour, 35mm; running time: 10 films 53–57 minutes each. Released 1989. Decalogue 5 and Decalogue 6 released theatrically in 1989 as A Short Film About
DEKALOG FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Killing and A Short Film About Love. Filmed on location in War- Tarantino, Michael, The Cave, in Artforum(New York),Decem- ber 1990 Charbonneau, A, 24 Images(Montreal), Summer 1991 Producer: Ryszard Chutkowski; screenplay: Krzysztof Kieslowski, Elia, M,""Lart du risque calcule, in Sequences(Montreal), Sep- Krzysztof Piesiewicz: photography: Wieslaw Zdort(Decalogue 1), tember 1991 Edward Klosinski( 2), Piotr Sobocinski(3, 9), Krzysztof Pakulski(4), Klinger, M, ""Strazce brany, in Film a Doba(Prague), Sum- Slawomir Idziak (5), witold Adamek(6), Dariusz Kuc (7), Anrzej mer 1992 Jaroszewicz 8), Jacek Blawut (10); editor: Ewa Smal; sound Holden, Stephen, Chance, Fate and the Bible, in New York Times Malgorzata Jaworska(1, 2, 4, 5), Nikodem Wolk-Laniewski(3, 6, 7, (New York), 8 March 1996. 9, 10), Wieslawa Demblinska ( 8); production designer: Halina Falkowska, J, " Krzysztof Kieslowski's Decalogue Series: The Prob- Dobrowolska; music: Zbigniew Preisner lem of Protagonists and Their Self-transcendence. in Car Journal of Film Studies(Ottawa), no 2, 1997 Cast: 1: Henryk Baranowski(Krzysztof, Wojciech Klata(Pawel Perlmutter. R.*Testament to the Father: Kieslowski's The deca Maja Komorowska (Irena). 2: Krystyna Janda( Dorota), Alexander logue, in Film Criticism(Meadville), no 2, 1997/1998 Bardini(Consultant), Olgierd Lukaszewicz (Anrzej). 3: Daniel Olbrychski(Janusz), Maria Pakulnis(Ewa). 4: Adrianna Biedrzynska (Anka), Janusz Gajos(Michal). 5: Miroslaw Baka (Jacek), Krzysztof Globisz(Piotr). 6: Grazyna Szapolowska(Magda), Olaf Lubaszenko Krzysztof Kieslowski, who died in Warsaw at the age of 54 while Tomek). 7: Anna Polony(Ewa), Maja Barelkowska( Majka). 8: this essay was being prepared for publication, was the last great Maria Koscialkowska(Zofia), Teresa Marczewska(Elzbieta). 9: Ewa director to have emerged from Communist Poland. His Decalogue, Blaszczyk(Hanka), Piotr Machalica(Roman). 10: Jerzy Stuhr (ery), made for Polish television in 1988-89, was, perhaps, the last master- Zbigniew Zamachowski(Arthur) piecefrom what used to be" Eastern Europe. " A product of Kieslowski's odd preoccupation with cycles(Eric Rohmer is the only other major director, similarly obsessed, who comes to mind), Deca Publications logue is not a film, but a compendium of 10 hour-long films, based presumably, on the Ten Commandments. The premise demands Scrit moralizing. The result is far from it. The actual meaning of each film is not in how a dictum is illustrated. and not even in a twist that each Kieslowski, Krzysztof, and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, The Decalogue story(all of them set in the present-day Poland) gives an old maxim, London. 1991 but in how the material transcends the dogma into a sphere of Kieslowski, Krzysztof, and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, Dekalog, in Iskusstvo existential mystery. Kino(Moscow), March-December 1993. There are artists who are late bloomers, who must try out various timbres before they find their own voice. It took Antonioni over ten ears and a dozen films, both fiction and documentary, to make ll Books Grido, his first truly'Antonionianfilm. It took Kieslowski over ten years and two dozen films, both fiction and documentary, to make Michalek, Boleslaw, and Frank Turaj, The Modern Cinema of Poland, Decalogue, which marks both the climax of a long search and Kieslowski, Krzysztof, Kieslowski on Kieslowski, London, 1993 a dramatic shift in direction and quality. That the seed was there is clear in the 1981 feature Blind Chance. which sketches out three Garbowski, Christopher, Krzysztof Kieslowski's Decalogue Series possible futures for a man who, like a tabula rasa, is open to either The Problem of the Protagonists and Their Self-Transcendance one. The film shows how the filmmaker sensed what was soon to Boulder. 1996 become his territory in art, but didnt yet have the formal means to Coates, Paul, editor, Lucid Dreams: The Films of Krzysztof kieslowski, make that territory his own. That Decalogue changed Kieslowski's life is evident in the way that all his following films-The Double life Insdorf, Annette, Double Lives, Second Chances: The Cinema of f veronique, Blue, White and Red-stem from Decalogue, develop- Krzysztof Kieslowski, New York, 1999. ing the earlier works motifs and sharpening its filmic finesse. From Decalogue on, Kieslowski focused exclusively on the Articles. invisible and how it can be He himself could show it with an incomparable grace: the mysterious links that tie us all together; the Variety(New York), 27 September 1989 signs and omens that nature, uselessly, sends our way; the doom, Baron, A.-M, Cinema(Paris ). November 1989 materialized in things and machines; the sadness of the pond and the Ciment, M, and others, Positif(Paris), December 1989 clouds. In this world, an ink-spill prophesies trouble, and when Rigney, F., Film Criticism(Meadville, Pennsylvania), Spring 1990 somebody dies, holy water freezes in the church. This kind of cinema Magny, J, and A de baecque, " Les regles du hasard, in Cahiers du dangerously balances between the profound and the pretentious. But nema(Paris), March 1990 if Kieslowski slipped into pretentiousness in the occasionally ponder Tobin, Y, and others, Positif( Paris), May 1990. ous Blue, Decalogue has a luminosity of milk, left(in Decalogue 1) Cavendish, Phil,"Kieslowski's Decalogue, in Sight and Sound out in the cold overnight and turned into white ice. Its light breaks the ondon). Summer 1990. glass of the gratuitous bottle. Insdorf, Annette, The Decalogue: Re-Examining Gods Commands Decalogue's world-the world of a grim Warsaw housing devel in New York Times(New York), 28 October 1990 opment where all the stories originate-is not a collection of entities
DEKALOG FILMS, 4th EDITION 304 Killing and A Short Film About Love. Filmed on location in Warsaw, 1988. Producer: Ryszard Chutkowski; screenplay: Krzysztof Kieślowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz; photography: Wieslaw Zdort (Decalogue 1), Edward Klosinski (2), Piotr Sobocinski (3, 9), Krzysztof Pakulski (4), Slawomir Idziak (5), Witold Adamek (6), Dariusz Kuc (7), Anrzej Jaroszewicz (8), Jacek Blawut (10); editor: Ewa Smal; sound: Malgorzata Jaworska (1, 2, 4, 5), Nikodem Wolk-Laniewski (3, 6, 7, 9, 10), Wieslawa Demblinska (8); production designer: Halina Dobrowolska; music: Zbigniew Preisner. Cast: 1: Henryk Baranowski (Krzysztof), Wojciech Klata (Pawel), Maja Komorowska (Irena). 2: Krystyna Janda (Dorota), Alexander Bardini (Consultant), Olgierd Lukaszewicz (Anrzej). 3: Daniel Olbrychski (Janusz), Maria Pakulnis (Ewa). 4: Adrianna Biedrzynska (Anka), Janusz Gajos (Michal). 5: Miroslaw Baka (Jacek), Krzysztof Globisz (Piotr). 6: Grazyna Szapolowska (Magda), Olaf Lubaszenko (Tomek). 7: Anna Polony (Ewa), Maja Barelkowska (Majka). 8: Maria Koscialkowska (Zofia), Teresa Marczewska (Elzbieta). 9: Ewa Blaszczyk (Hanka), Piotr Machalica (Roman). 10: Jerzy Stuhr (Jerzy), Zbigniew Zamachowski (Arthur). Publications Script: Kieślowski, Krzysztof, and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, The Decalogue, London, 1991. Kieślowski, Krzysztof, and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, Dekalog, in Iskusstvo Kino (Moscow), March-December 1993. Books: Michalek, Boleslaw, and Frank Turaj, The Modern Cinema of Poland, Bloomington, 1988. Kieślowski, Krzysztof, Kieślowski on Kieślowski, London, 1993. Garbowski, Christopher, Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Decalogue Series: The Problem of the Protagonists and Their Self-Transcendance, Boulder, 1996. Coates, Paul, editor, Lucid Dreams: The Films of Krzysztof Kieślowski, Wiltshire, 1999. Insdorf, Annette, Double Lives, Second Chances: The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieślowski, New York, 1999. Articles: Variety (New York), 27 September 1989. Baron, A.-M., Cinéma (Paris), November 1989. Ciment, M., and others, Positif (Paris), December 1989. Rigney, F.J., Film Criticism (Meadville, Pennsylvania), Spring 1990. Magny, J., and A. de Baecque, ‘‘Les régles du hasard,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), March 1990. Tobin, Y., and others, Positif (Paris), May 1990. Cavendish, Phil, ‘‘Kieślowski’s Decalogue,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), Summer 1990. Insdorf, Annette, ‘‘The Decalogue: Re-Examining God’s Commands,’’ in New York Times (New York), 28 October 1990. Tarantino, Michael, ‘‘The Cave,’’ in Artforum (New York), December 1990. Charbonneau, A., 24 Images (Montreal), Summer 1991. Elia, M., ‘‘L’art du risque calculé,’’ in Séquences (Montreal), September 1991. Klinger, M., ‘‘Strazce brany,’’ in Film a Doba (Prague), Summer 1992. Holden, Stephen, ‘‘Chance, Fate and the Bible,’’ in New York Times (New York), 8 March 1996. Falkowska, J., ‘‘Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Decalogue Series: The Problem of Protagonists and Their Self-transcendence,’’ in Canadian Journal of Film Studies (Ottawa), no. 2, 1997. Perlmutter, R., ‘‘Testament to the Father: Kieślowski’s The Decalogue,’’ in Film Criticism (Meadville), no. 2, 1997/1998. *** Krzysztof Kieślowski, who died in Warsaw at the age of 54 while this essay was being prepared for publication, was the last great director to have emerged from Communist Poland. His Decalogue, made for Polish television in 1988–89, was, perhaps, the last masterpiece from what used to be ‘‘Eastern Europe.’’ A product of Kieślowski’s odd preoccupation with cycles (Eric Rohmer is the only other major director, similarly obsessed, who comes to mind), Decalogue is not a film, but a compendium of 10 hour-long films, based, presumably, on the Ten Commandments. The premise demands moralizing. The result is far from it. The actual meaning of each film is not in how a dictum is illustrated, and not even in a twist that each story (all of them set in the present-day Poland) gives an old maxim, but in how the material transcends the dogma into a sphere of existential mystery. There are artists who are late bloomers, who must try out various timbres before they find their own voice. It took Antonioni over ten years and a dozen films, both fiction and documentary, to make Il Grido, his first truly ‘‘Antonionian’’ film. It took Kieślowski over ten years and two dozen films, both fiction and documentary, to make Decalogue, which marks both the climax of a long search and a dramatic shift in direction and quality. That the seed was there is clear in the 1981 feature Blind Chance, which sketches out three possible futures for a man who, like a tabula rasa, is open to either one. The film shows how the filmmaker sensed what was soon to become his territory in art, but didn’t yet have the formal means to make that territory his own. That Decalogue changed Kieślowski’s life is evident in the way that all his following films—The Double Life of Veronique, Blue, White and Red—stem from Decalogue, developing the earlier work’s motifs and sharpening its filmic finesse. From Decalogue on, Kieślowski focused exclusively on the invisible and how it can be seen. He himself could show it with an incomparable grace: the mysterious links that tie us all together; the signs and omens that nature, uselessly, sends our way; the doom, materialized in things and machines; the sadness of the pond and the clouds. In this world, an ink-spill prophesies trouble, and when somebody dies, holy water freezes in the church. This kind of cinema dangerously balances between the profound and the pretentious. But if Kieślowski slipped into pretentiousness in the occasionally ponderous Blue, Decalogue has a luminosity of milk, left (in Decalogue 1) out in the cold overnight and turned into white ice. Its light breaks the glass of the gratuitous bottle. Decalogue’s world—the world of a grim Warsaw housing development where all the stories originate—is not a collection of entities