"Since Cain, no punishment has proved an adequate remedy."
A biblical quote and case scenario. Piotr, a fresh law graduate, answers this to his university chancellors when he makes a stand arguing about the Penal Code.
He then got involved with a case of a loner, Jacek who killed a taxi driver. Jacek then was found guilty and was sentenced to death.
Kieslowski is making a bold statement here that murder is murder. It does not matter who did it and for whatever reason. May it for an act of revenge or so-called justice.
And to argue on the background of Jacek's behavior and his motivation to kill is likely because of his suburban origin and what happened to his beloved sister. It was not told how she died but the background of the film is late-Communist Poland. She is probably one of the post-war casualties - poverty and depression. Jacek's father most probably is the casualty of the conflict. That might have eventually driven Jacek out to the city where he can escape the misery and sadness. But unconsciously unaware of himself channeling his rage upon it.
Yet when the crime was committed by him, the guilty one is himself alone but the condition and the system which causes the act remains unpunished.
Cleverly shown on screen by Kieslowski that both the taxi driver and Jacek is killed by the rope. Whilst God's punishment upon Cain after the murder of Abel is his exile from Eden. A biblical parallel is cleverly drawn to depict the depth and weight of the question.
Also the screenplay of how the girl who the taxi driver flirted with is finally the nail on the coffin for Jacek when he drives to her with the taxi he stolen.
The seams in between scenes are also having relevance in many places. For example, when Jacek is looking at street arts the scene switches to Piotr in a mirror with a classical frame, like an expensive painting. Another instance is when Piotr and Jacek were unknowingly sitting in the same cafe, Jacek declining a palm reading from a street reader for donation. The scene switched to Piotr's wife offering a palm reading on him, which the street reader running across the background.
Kieslowski also uses a dark vignette in all of the frames to give it a hellish and apocalyptical look, equal to the issue being brought forward. Piotr has only his side face lit, generic of a villain because he is working with the system. Jacek is being lit evenly with his surroundings and can be seen gazing into nothing. He is the bi-product of the system and also an actual victim.
As Piotr said when asked about the Penal Code, which punishes the convicts just to instill fear upon the people, "...it is a questionable argument used to justify a cruel punishment, often unfair."
For him questioning the system, you can see his face being fully lit till the very end, even though he lost the case, it affects him deeply and perhaps it is his motivation to do more for the change. We can only remain hopeful as the light is flaring like a rising star, albeit thru leafless autumn trees.
This is the extended fifth episode from the infamous Dekalog, but it is my introduction to it.