Mark Blasingame - Decalogue(Thou shalt have no other god before me)

Kieslowski's film has many interesting themes. There is much to be interpreted in this highly emotional picture. The two main characters are a father Krzysztof, and his child, Pavel. It is clear from the beginning that the boy and his father have a very close relationship. Much of the bonding they do is through calculations made on their household computer. Krzysztof holds the computer in the highest regards, often talking about it(and to it) as if it were a person. His great admiration for the computer comes through in a lecture he gives to his class. Then when Pavel wants to go skating on a frozen pond Krzysztof uses his computer to make the calculations to determine whether the ice is safe or not. His calculations show that the ice is safe to skate on. The next day, in a gut-wrenching scene, Krzysztof watches as his dead son is pulled from the frozen pond that he was sure was safe for skating. I really enjoyed this film and trying to interpret the symbols to reach the deeper meaning. It is fairly obvious that Krzysztof's God was his computer and calculations. In the end he discovers that unpredictable things can happen, and reason can be defied. A powerful scene was when he sat in the darkness in front of the computer just after his son died. The computer is almost mocking him with its input command, and its not until he goes to the altar until he is really able to grieve. Another thing that really interested me was the homeless man who was the God-like figure. He was always by the fire when Krzysztof would see him, but then when they were pulling his son out of the pond he was nowhere to be found. I'm not really sure what this means. Does it mean it mean that the homeless man fell in the lake with Pavel, maybe even causing this tragedy? Or perhaps his absence means that God did not do this? In the end was what Krzysztof did really a bad thing? He made sure his son was not at risk by calculating the thickness of the ice. He also tested the ice himself to see if it was safe. Maybe one of the statements this film makes is the unpredictability of everyday life.