A Short Film About Killing (1988)

A Short Film About Killing (1988)
Krótki film o zabijaniu (original title)
84 min


Country: Poland
Language: Polish


Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Writers: Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Stars: Miroslaw Baka, Krzysztof Globisz and Jan Tesarz

A Short Film About Killing (Polish: Krótki film o zabijaniu) is a 1988 film directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and starring Miroslaw Baka, Krzysztof Globisz, and Jan Tesarz. Written by Krzysztof Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, the film was expanded from Decalogue V of the Polish television series The Decalogue. Set in Warsaw, Poland, the film compares the senseless, violent murder of an individual to the cold, calculated execution by the state. A Short Film About Killing won both the Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival,[2] as well as the European Film Award for Best Film.It is one of the 11 films that have been selected for preservation by National Film Archive of India.


The film shows a very bleak Poland at the dying end of the Communist era. This is greatly enhanced by the strong use of colour filters. The print appears to have an effect similar to sepia tone or bleach bypass - although it is a colour picture, the photography combined with grey locations provides an effect similar to monochrome.
Krótki film o zabijaniu was released in the same year that the death penalty was suspended in Poland. In 1988 the country carried out just a single execution, with 6 condemned prisoners being hanged in 1987. The portrayal of the execution method and procedure is mostly accurate, however in reality the date of executions were a surprise to the prisoner - the condemned man would simply be led into a room to discover it was the execution chamber. After the early years of Communist repression, executions were quite rare and invariably for murder; from 1969 a total of 183 men were hanged and no women. A major inaccuracy in the film is the extremely short time between the crime, trial and execution - the film implies mere months. (Wikipedia)


Awards and nominations
1988 Cannes Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Won
1988 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Won
1988 Cannes Film Festival Nomination for the Palme d'Or (Krzysztof Kieślowski)
1988 European Film Award for Best Film (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Won
1988 Polish Film Festival Golden Lion Award (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Won
1990 Bodil Award for Best European Film (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Won
1990 French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Award for Best Foreign Film (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Won
1990 Robert Festival Award for Best Foreign Film (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Won


Cannes 1988: Won: FIPRESCI Prize: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Polish Film Festival 1988: Won: Golden Lion: Krzysztof Kieslowski (More Awards)

Rating: 83% (Rotten Tomatoes Critics)