Roman and Hanka have a loving marriage, but his impotence has led to her having an affair. The unbearable situation drives Roman to extreme measures both physically and mentally, testing their love and his own will to live.
A sociologist nearing middle-aged returns to Poland after several years of giving lectures abroad. The changing economy of the country and business successes of the people around him inspire him to venture out into the deep and unpredictable world of capitalism himself.
After discussions with Schwartz, a producer from the West, screenwriter Stefan comes back to Poland. Everybody reminds him of his previous success: “The Flame”. The tired protagonist goes back to his wife, actress Ewa, who is eagerly awaiting him. Ewa goes to an audition which doesn’t turn out too well. On the next day, Stefan and his collaborators are wondering what to write a scenario about. Meanwhile, Stefan has a tooth ache. He decides to visit a dentist but is scared away by the price he has to pay for the treatment. Stefan still can’t find an idea for a scenario, and Ewa is not being cast. They decide to sell the car, but a man who takes their car out for a test drive doesn’t return. Stefan is changing ideas for the scenario constantly, he can’t make up his mind… at home, a pipe goes off… the wine he keeps in gallons blows up… the milicia (People’s Republic of Poland’s police) comes and general chaos ensues, as they are drowning in water and wine… which gives Stefan an idea…
Inmate Adam leaves prison after two years of imprisonment. He returns to his homeland with the decision to take revenge on his uncle, who handed him over to the authorities. Before that happens, however, he will accidentally get a job on the highway construction site.
Originally made for Polish television, “The Decalogue” focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply personal and universally human. Its ten hour-long films, drawing from the Ten Commandments for thematic inspiration and an overarching structure, grapple deftly with complex moral and existential questions concerning life, death, love, hate, truth, and the passage of time.