Daniel Gordon - Dekalog 1

As we watched Dekalog 1 I searched for interpretation of the story presented as the First Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” I saw that Pavel’s father, the college professor depended entirely on science and technology; especially his computer, which he termed “colleague.” Throughout the film we see his dependence on science and lack of faith in God and anything that he cannot prove by science, especially when contrasted with the unshakeable faith of his sister. His wife, Pavel’s mother has left, and he hasn’t the heart to tell Pavel. Pavel is interested in matters of faith and would like to attend something like a confirmation Sunday school. The Jewish concept of Midrash removes the direct text of the scripture, presenting instead an opportunity for the reader, or in this case the viewer to examine to come to terms with the meaning of the text in a more personally involved way. As I watched Dekalog 1, I noticed the way in which Kieslowski challenges the viewer to question what really constitutes a “god.” Over the past few years my definition of a god has developed to an understanding that anything someone worships can be a god. And by worship, I do not necessarily mean prays to, or sings songs about. One can worship something or someone more fully by pursuing him, her, or it in thoughts and deeds. You worship what you devote yourself to, and that thing becomes your god. Many worship the god of money. For some, fame is the object of worship. Still others have made themselves their own gods. The professor has put his faith in science and mathematics. If he can solve it with an equation or enter it into the computer, then he has faith in it. He gives a scientific answer for all of life’s questions. Pavel asks him what happens at death, and he is clearly talking about a deeper sense than the physical. Yet his father answers, “The heart stops beating.” His faith is in science and this gives him the assurance to let Pavel skate on the pond. And since he has worked out the equation that shows how the pond would support Pavel at four times his weight he does not even consider for what seems to be an hour that it is Pavel who may have fallen through the pond. I am not saying that science and religion are in irreconcilable conflict. In fact, I believe that the God who created me created everything in this universe and the scientific laws that govern it. I do however think there is a point made by this film that human understanding will never comprehend the vastness and the complexity of all God has made. If it did, He would cease to be God, and there would be no need to have faith in Him. The film presents the audience with a character who has put the god of science before God who created the world that science describes. The film does not suggest that it is the father’s fault that Pavel drowns, nor that if he had not had such faith in science and had instead had faith in God the same would not have happened. I do, however, believe that at the end of the film his world would not have been so shaken if his faith had been in God instead of human scientific understandings of the physical world. Instead his god has failed him and he is left with nothing.