Not surprisingly, in a
large group of films set in Warsaw, there is a film, Dekalog 8, that is centred
squarely upon events from the war and different experiences and attitudes towards
it. It is the quietest of the films, the most contemplative, and the most
introspective. There are, essentially, only two main characters.
Elzbieta now lives in
America, but is re-visiting Warsaw to ask an elderly ethics professor, Zofia,
questions pertaining to her childhood, in regards to when she was a little
girl, in February, 1943. She listens to stories about ethics in the professor’s
lecture hall. The first dilemma posed by one of the students is the situation
faced by the doctor in Dekalog 2. In a nice touch, after hearing the story, the
professor says “I know how this story ends…Warsaw is a small city.” It makes it
seem that the little, largely disconnected community portrayed in Dekalog is
real.
The second moral
dilemma is posed by Elzbieta. It will be, of course, circumstances involving
herself as a little girl, and somehow Zofia will be involved. As a little six
year old girl, it seems, Elzbieta was hiding in a cellar outside the Warsaw
ghetto with Catholic occupants and was forced to seek a new hideout with her
custodian.
She was taken to the home of the would-be foster parents on the
proviso she had been christened, but at the last minute, the Catholic couple
changed their mind, saying that, as good Catholics, they could not commit the
sin of lying. In this instance, the child was turned away to face an almost
certain death. Elzbieta was placed in
grave danger many years ago for reasons she still cannot fathom. It becomes
readily apparent, watching the effect of the story upon Zofia, that Zofia was
in the party that rejected Elzbieta. Elzbieta is therefore forcing her to
examine her conscience, and at the same time seek answers. It is to Zofia’s
immense relief that the former little girl is still alive.
For the rest of their
evening together, and the next day (Zofia insists Elzbieta stays the night with
her), Zofia will cling to her, desperate to feel loving and supportive of the
woman who was once a child that she let down. When Elzbieta explores the
buildings in which the events of 1943 took place, we can see it is still an
eerie place at night, with lots of shadows and poor lighting, and people living
precarious lives. She leaves Zofia by the car for quite some time, and Zofia
feels compelled to try and locate her, beginning to feel terrified that she may
lose Elzbieta in these surrounds for a second time.
Later, in Zofia’s flat,
Zofia kneads Elzbieta shoulders and apologizes. She admits she sent her to a
seemingly certain death. She tells Elzbieta “…nothing is more important than
the life of a child.” In other words, her position has altered. She has become
less morally rigid in her thinking, and thankfully for the both of them it is
not too late. She is shaking as she says it. She is full of sad regrets, and
her decision has haunted her whole life. At these times Kieslowski films Zofia
in Bergmanesque close-up. It accentuates her benevolent features. Zofia has
been involved in great service to the community since. She also has her reasons
for acting the way she did.
Elzbieta has one more
mission in my mind. Zofia knows the whereabouts of the people who were going to
shelter her from the Gestapo. She takes her there the next morning. Elzbieta
thanks a man who helped save her many years ago- he is a dressmaker now-
however he has no interest in talking about the war. This part of her story
will remain unresolved. The war has complicated people’s lives immeasurably. The
film ends with the dressmaker looking at the two figures on the pavement
outside his window. It would make a great study one day: the use of windows in
the films of Krzysztof Kieslowski.
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