Tim Powitz - Thou Shalt Not Kill

Let me just start off by saying that I think that film is an amazing way to interpret old texts and laws. As you said in your background to the assignment, the Jews, upon returning from the Babylonian diaspora re-interpreted the laws so that would make sense for their current time. Kieslowski is doing the same thing here. Film is the most popular literature of today and it is very useful for visual learners like myself. Now to dive in to the short film itself. We discussed in class how there is not much different between the killing of the taxi driver and the killing of the killer. They both weren't exactly the most charming people, they both put up a fight in their death, they both had reason to live, etc. By the time of their deaths, we sort of feel for both of them which is a little odd especially for the killer. Do we not want what he had coming for him? He learned his lesson, but must he still die? I won't go far into the argument of the death penalty because I'm not an arguing man and wish not to start now. But this brings me to a point I learned in my Hebrew Bible class. The term "Thou shalt not kill" is more accurately phrased "Thou shalt not Murder." If we couldn't kill, then how do we sacrifice to God? How do we eat, for don't we even kill plants when we pluck them? We shall not murder. Now the true question of the death sentence is: Is it murder? I think that Kieslowski's film portrays the killer's death as murder. We see the court system determine the outcome of his life just like he determined the outcome of the taxi driver's life. Who is anybody to determine who lives and who dies except God?