The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments found in the book of "Exodus" in the Bible has always fascinated critical thinkers and creative artists alike. In this paper I am going to evaluate the first two commandments as explained by William Barclay in his handouts and then show how the Polish filmmaker Krystof Kieslowski examined them in his film, Dekalouge 1. I shall begin by drawing parallels between the Moses story and Kieslowski's in order to point out the motivations that are found necessary in both instances for the giving of the commandments to mankind. In addition, I will speculate on how the commandments exemplify mankind's self-limitation and self-discipline and establish a foundation for a new beginning. Next, I shall focus on God's definition and man's connection to God. Here I will examine the former from Ten Theories of Human Nature by David Haberman and Barclay's handouts. From the film I will define the character of the man in the sheepskin coat in his efforts to define God to the little boy, Pavel. The father's relationship with his son will be discussed via the ideas of death and mourning he tries to explain to Pavel and how the death of his own son makes him change these ideas and arrive at certain painful truths associated with dea
God should not be studied as an isolated idea and as Haberman puts it "[...] belief in Him is supposed to affect how we conceive of ourselves and how we ought to live." (72) God inhibits more of a philosophical sense in relation to mankind than a religious sense. God is considered the creator or source of everything that exists and is refereed to in terms of perfect characteristics: infinitude, immutability, eternity, goodness, knowledge, and power. Also, most religions traditionally attribute to God certain human characteristics that can be understood either literally or figuratively such as will, love, anger, and forgiveness. The filmmaker Kieslowski defines God in secular terms. He does not point out one specific religious affiliation but rather defines God in a universal sense. God is more of a feeling and morality than a religious ruler. His definition of God is vastly different than the definition of the Old Testament God. Kieslowski's God is kind and teaches selflessness. There is meaning in mankind's imperfection however. The main purpose and function of the Ten Commandments is to exemplify that that God has a permanent relationship with mankind and that even though he is God, he still has an immense human significance. His simple design is to teach man morality and ethics and eventually, through the process of self-limitation and self-discipline, man will learn. In the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments found in the book of "Exodus" from the Bible, the Jewish people who have been enslaved by the Egyptians, yearn for a time when they will be liberated by God and become a nation of their own. They begin on a pilgrimage led by Moses and after much trial and tribulation take refuge on Mount Saini. Moses, exhausted and weary from the voyage, travels to the top of the mountain to pray and meditate. When he leaves, the idea of God disappears with him. Without a leader, the Jewish people have no guidance and no self-limitation and soon enough, chaos breaks out. Their faith and confidence in God fizzles and the majority of the people denounce Moses and God. The unruly mob gets together and creates a new God out of a golden calf. This is not a representation of Jehovah however, but rather a replacement for a God long gone. As God is looking down on all the pandemonium, he becomes furious and a once kind and peaceful God is transformed into that of one seeking vengeance. Moses feels betrayed by this angry God and tells Him that he can not end mankind every time they make a mistake. He begs God to give him something tangible for his people to follow and learn in their mistake making. What propagates is the birth of the Ten Commandments; Laws that calmed disorder and made nationhood possible. These rules were given by God to Moses to create an attitude and discipline in an ethical and moral way and even though there is a historical reason for them, they create a timeless value system. The Ten Commandments direct a human to the things he or she should or should not do. As Barclay states in the first chapter of his text, "[The Ten Commandments] contain the basic laws of human conduct in society [...]" (1) The Ten Commandments serve two purposes. First, as an individual action, they force each person to find their own moral center. And second, as a social aim, they take a disorganized group of people and form them into an organized community. One other very powerful element in the film is the computer. The father's mistake is the total belief in the computer. Once he relies on it as a necessity for his own life, the computer becomes an idol for him and Pavel, and it can do nothing wrong. The computer plays a vital role in the function and day-to-day life of Pavel and his father. One morning, Pavel shows his father how he programmed the basic functions of their house to be performed by the computer. Functions like turning on a water faucet and locking the deadbolt on a door can all be performed now by typing a simple key.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2702
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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