Dekalog (1989–1990): Season 1, Episode 5 - Dekalog, piec - full transcript

Law should not imitate nature...

but rather improve it

Law is mankind's idea...

to regulate the interpersonal relations

What we are and how we live
is the effect of law...

which we either observe or infringe

Man is free

His freedom is restricted by another
person's right to freedom

And punishment...

punishment is a revenge,

particularly if it's aimed at
injuring the criminal



...and not at preventing crime

But in whose name does law
take its revenge?

Is it really in the name
of the innocent?

And are the law-maker
really innocent?

Mr. Piotr Balicki

Will you come in, please?

Throwing rage away, Mister?

They might still be of use

Somebody threw this at me

And hit you?

No, did you see anybody
with a rag like this?

Is it a good film?

No, it's boring

What is it about?



Love, but it's boring anyway

Besides, there's no performance
right now, we're making a break

What are you doing?

Plucking the gray hairs out

Do you happen to know where...

the nearest taxi-rank is?

In the Castle Square

A gala concert took place,

organized by
the Ministry of Culture and Art...

In fact...

I've taken so much time answering
not because I don't know want to say

But I've already been asked
this question twice

During my admission exams
to the University, the answer seemed very simple

Four years later, in this building

I was not so confident any more

Hey, Madam!
We've brought supplies

Quick, Beata!

Good morning

Want a portrait like this one?

No

Is this the way to the Castle Square?

Yeah, straight ahead

I suppose that practicing
this profession,

one can correct the errors
made by that huge machinery

...called administration of justice

Or at least one can try
to correct them

I find another thing interesting, too

Most of all perhaps that I will
meet and understand people...

whom I would never meet

if I practiced another profession

Go away!
You scare my pigeons!

Go away, will you!

Cad!

Are you free?

Don't you see I'm washing the car?

Could we perhaps wait here?
It's so cold...

We all ask ourselves...

whether what we're doing
makes any sense

But...

I'm afraid finding the sense is a
more and more difficult task

It's more and more often

...that we doubt the sense of
our actions

And maybe even of our plans, too

I believe it's a decline of criteria
Or worse still, of values

The manageress forgot to charge you
for the soup vegetables

How about a life, Miss Beata?

I say, Mister!

Good afternoon

What can I do for you?

I have here...

Are you perhaps one of the specialists
who drive pegs into the walls?

No

I thought you might be

I have here a photograph...

Could you enlarge it?

But the bends will be visible

Never mind

All right

Excuse me, Madam...

Is it true that you can tell
from a picture...

whether the person is alive or dead?

You've been listening to
some non sense

Acting through the prisoner,

or to be more precise, with the
prisoner to influence others

I mean deterrence or simply
frightening people

It's mentioned among others
in Article 50 of the Penal Code

I don't think I like that irony
in your voice, the general presentation

...is a doubtful justification of
severity of punishment

Not in my opinion only
Besides, it's often unjust...

Want some?

The wife's prepared it for us

There, have some

A glass of tea, please

We don't serve teas here

What do you serve?

Coffee and a cake...

I'll take coffee and a cake then

Which one?

A cream puff

No, not this one...
This one here

From Cain, no punishment...

has ever improved anybody or
deterred him from committing offences

And now, for the news for driver
To begin with, the weather forecast

Road conditions are rather bad

Apart from the south-eastern regions,
occasional showers possible all over the country

Madzio!

It is my pleasure to inform you that
you have passed the examination

From today on, after four years
of study and four years of legal training,

please consider yourself our colleague

Eh, Mister...

Excuse me

Are you perhaps going to
Mokotow district?

NO, the opposite direction

You see, we're in a great hurry

Motokow, please

Where did that fellow want to go?

The opposite direction

Could you wind the window up?

It's cold

Turn left here

It's easier to reach Fogel street
going straight ahead

I prefer it this way

As you wish...

Stop the car, it's over there

You couldn't get through any

I wouldn't even try

Christ...

The glove compartment...

The money...

My wife...

The money...

Give her...

Please...

Let me tell you about a lion
A brave golden lion

He got braver and braver every day

All big lions kept telling him

That a lion should have a lion's heart

The session is closed

Is it all, sir?

It is

Yes, it's me...

I lost... yes, completely...

I don't know, have no idea

Maybe I'll go for a walk

No, don't come

How are you?

Slept well?
Yes...

Well, bye then

Sir!

Jacek!

Excuse me, Your Highness

I know it isn't customary

You're right

It isn't

But I'd like to know,
once it's all over now

Would it help any

...if he had an older

and renowned counsel?

Not at all

The things I said...

Maybe I could have said it
differently...

Your speech was probably
the best speech...

against capital punishment
that I've heard in years

But the sentence had to be
what it was

You made no mistakes,

whether as a lawyer or as a man

The circumstances of our meeting
were rather unpleasant,

but all the same I'm glad
to have met you

Good-bye, sir

This case... could have been tried
by a better judge

All this to happen will be my fault
Is that no consolation to you?

No, you know, sir

It may be irrelevant,

but remember what that boy said,

about winding a rope around his hand
in the coffee bar

in Krakowskie Przedmiescie street

I was...

there

Where?

In that coffee-bar, at that very time

A year ago, that day I passed
my lawyer's examination

Perhaps there was something
I could have done then?

You're too sensitive to practice
the legal profession

It's too late now

You've grown a year older today

The warden will see you presently

How are things doing?

Rather warm, eh?

Good morning?

The curtain doesn't work

Tidy up, will you?

Come in!

Everything's ready, sir

Thank you

Thank you

I expected this

So did I

Yes, sir
You have half an hour time

Half an hour?

All right

Come in!

You wanted me, sir?

Take this gentleman

Hello, counselor

I'm going to see him
He wants to talk to me

An unpleasant duty, that

It is... I say, sir

This is my first time

Let's hope it will be the last one

This isn't perhaps
the best moment, counselor

But we don't see each other
too often, you and me...

I heard you have a son
Congratulations

Thank you

You wanted to see me?

Have you seen my mother?

Yes

Was she crying?

She was

Maybe she wanted you to...?

Tell me something, or...

No

She just cried

Sit down

Would you...

Could you...

see my mother...

once again?

Of course I could

After... you know, afterwards...

I'm asking because...
back there in the court,

when they were putting me into
the prison van...

You called my name
You called, Jacek

Yes, I called you

I wanted...

I'm nearly twenty-one

But tears rose in my eyes...

when you called my name

I said during the trial...

I don't know

I didn't listen too much

Only when I heard
you calling my name

They were against me

All of them, it's the same here

Against what you did

It doesn't make any difference

You wanted me to see your mother?

Yes

I want her to bury me
in father's grave

It's a double grave

Can I be buried in a cemetery?

Yes

A priest visited me here
He said it was possible

Yes

Well, in that case
Father's grave is a double one

Mother was...

to be buried there
It was arranged that way

You see, I'd like her to let me
have that place

Yes, yes sir, Warden

The Warden wants to know
whether you're ready yet?

Not yet...

You were saying...

I don't remember

But you told me it was a triple grave

Yes, that's right

Marysia's buried there and Father
...and the third place is free

They put Marysia there five years age

Yes, she was run over...

by a tractor five years ago

Back in our village...

She was starting the sixth form
of elementary school

This means she was twelve
when she died

The sixth form

That tractor-driver,
he was an acquaintance

We'd been drinking together

We'd had wine and vodka

And then he drove away,
and ran her over

...on a meadow near that forest

There was a meadow there, you know

I've been thinking

Had she been alive, everything
would have been different

I wouldn't have to go away
I'd have stayed in the village

She was my sister

I had three brothers
but only one sister

I was her favourite

And I liked her best, too

Everything could have been different

Perhaps...

Perhaps

Perhaps it would never have happened

Yes

And I wouldn't be here now

The Warden and the prosecutor
want to know if you're ready

Tell the prosecutor I'll
never say I'm ready

You'll never say you're ready?

Never

We bought that grave...

Have you got the sentence?

I've got all the papers

Let's go

Leave your briefcase in my office

This way, please

Take the prisoner out

Yes, sir

The prosecutor requests that
you end the conversation

They give the personal belongings
back afterwards

things a receipt from a photographer's in Krakow

I wanted a photograph enlarged and

...didn't have the time to collect it

Please collect the enlarged picture
and give it back to Mother

What is in that picture?

It's an old picture I had
Made during her first Communion

I stole it from Mother when I was
going away and I always had it with me

It got so bent...

Let's go

I say, sir

I don't want to

Hold him! Get him!

Now, gentlemen...

Open the door!

A medical certificate of death

Your name and Christian name?

Lazar, Jacek

Date of birth?

March 17, 1967

Parent's names?

Jan and...

Luc... Lucja

I'll now read to you the sentence...

in the name of
the Polish People's Republic

...of November 27, 1987

Having examined the case of Jacek Lazar,
accused of having an assault and robbery

...and murder of Waldemar Rykowski
on March 16, 1987 in Warsaw

Provincial Court in Warsaw

...has found the defendant

...guilt of the act as charged

And sentenced him on force of
Articles 148 point 1

...and 44 point 2 of the Penal Code

...to death penalty and deprivation

...of public rights forever

The Supreme Court has maintained
the sentence in force

The Council of State has resigned
it's right to grand pardon

In this connection,
the penalty will be executed

Want a cigarette?

I'd rather have one without filter

The hands

Execute the penalty

Hold him!

All right, pull it now!
Pull it!

Is it O.K. Now?

More! More!

I hate you!

I hate you!