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Miroslaw Baka, Krzysztof Globisz, Jan Tesarz, Olaf Lubaszenko, Grazyna Szapolowska ... see more see more... , Zbigniew Zapasiewicz , Artur Barcis , Stefania Iwinska , Piotr Machalica , Barbara Dziekan , Aleksander Bednarz , Jerzy Zass , Zdzislaw Tobiasz

This disturbing and violent feature opens with a scene of a dead rat and a lifeless cat hanging by the neck. As the plot unfolds, Yatzek (Miroslaw Baka) is a 20-year-old drifter who murders a testy ta... read more read more...xi driver (Jan Tesarz) in a gut-wrenching scene of excessive violence. Tension continues to build as a newly licensed young attorney (Krzysztof Globisz is chosen to represent Yatzek in court. Much anticipated and well-received at Cannes, the film won the European Film Academy Award for "Best European Film" in 1988. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

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92% liked it

5,363 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

12 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 24 min.

Directed by: Krzysztof Kieslowski

Release Date: March 11, 1988

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DVD Release Date: May 11, 2004

Stats: 255 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (255)

  • axadntpron
    July 4, 2011
    axadntpron
    Grim, uncompromising, opaque: these are the first words that come to mind when viewing Kieslowski's "A Short Film About Killing."
    One of two full length films to emerge from his famous "Decalogue", this film focuses on the dark side of human nature. No attempt is made to balance... read more the scales with any glimmer of hope and Kieslowski is relentless in achieving his goal.
    The film is about 3 polish men and how their fates are intertwined. The murders, one the cause of spontaneous violent desire and the other a calculated act of the state, are both agonizing to watch. The audience is given no heroes to root for or villains to wish ill upon. Instead, Kieslowski wishes to show the senselessness of these acts and that killing perpetuates killing.
    While the films subject matter wades heavily in the macabre, the images themselves are rendered in a way that makes the image very dark and foreboding. There are no brilliant or bright colors here and some of the characters appear to be surrounded by an encroaching circle of darkness. In one of the murder scenes, the screen almost goes to black when killer realizes his victim is actually dead.
  • 76Majikat
    March 25, 2011
    76Majikat
    From a slow starting film to a realisticly, disturbing, impact of a story. This film is created with the intention to demand your attention. It's lack of explation or motive adds to the authentic feeling, it could almost be a fly on the wall documentary.
  • flixsterman
    June 12, 2009
    flixsterman
    Kieslowski's artful and unusual expression of despair.
  • kenstachnik
    September 30, 2008
    kenstachnik
    A really well acted and crafted emotional kick in the twig and berries.
  • kiriyamakazou
    April 16, 2007
    kiriyamakazou
    This time Kieslowski examines murder. Whether it be the killing of an innocent man, or the murder of a guilty man by the state. Kieslowski keeps it smart by not taking sides, and simply presenting both cases as they are.
  • fb1142797643
    March 10, 2010
    fb1142797643
    Even at just 84 minutes, this is quite a powerful film. Originally part of Krzysztof Kieslowski's incredible "Decalogue" series (made for Polish television), this tale of a condemned murderer was slightly extended to reach feature length.

    A confused, nervous youth brutally kills... read more a taxi driver, is caught and sentenced to death. His motive is not well-explained, and the senselessness of the crime is one of the story's most upsetting elements. To add further ambiguity, the cabbie has revealed his own cruel traits and is actually less sympathetic than his killer. Meanwhile, the boy's sensitive lawyer has a crisis of conscience amidst the proceedings.

    What's most striking about Kieslowski's direction is his flawless sense of pace. The tension builds so perfectly, and there's never a shot which seems to last a frame too long or too short. This is all the more remarkable, knowing that the film had to be re-edited after being "finished" at a much shorter length. It's a beautifully made piece. This is not the sort of morality play which will provoke heated debates about capital punishment, but it does exquisitely illustrate the emotional cost of violence.
  • divinetrash
    February 21, 2008
    divinetrash
    The film raises interesting questions regarding death and our right to end one's life as punishment, still I would need to see it again without so many distractions.
  • bigpunholla
    February 20, 2012
    bigpunholla
    Praised almost universally as the best segment in 'The Decalogue'. And while its a good film i couldn't get behind it fully. The process of wanting to kill, killing and then paying for the crime is a fantastic idea no matter how simple it is. The sad part of this film is these ch... read morearacters aren't fully drawn let alone fleshed out, and its even true in its longer run time. So while the events are cold and disturbing i couldn't find an in point. So for most of the events they didn't carry enough emotional kick.
  • placeinthesun455
    September 25, 2011
    placeinthesun455
    here's one of those films that you supposedly have to see to believe. a perspective-altering masterpiece. I fail to make that connection. the intended purpose, as I understood it, is to compare the death penalty with cold-blooded murder. Jacek is a human being like anyone else... read more, and his involvement in his sister's death is very unfortunate, but he's also a seemingly unapologetic murderer who somehow believes he deserves to be buried next to his father in place of his mother. I think it would have been much more effective if he was just a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time--the lone witness to a murder that was wrongly accused and sentenced because no one could prove otherwise. if both victims are innocent, it makes the parallel a lot stronger. Jacek is both guilty and not openly apologetic about it (despite being remorseful overall). it's much harder to be empathetic towards him that way. he's just not a likable character. nor really are the other two mains--the cab driver's a bit of a jerk and the lawyer comes across as an insecure vaguely-motivated idealist. as for the style of filmmaking, it was succinct. not a lot of character development or detail, just a very basic parallel narrative with a beginning, middle, end, and not much else. the violence was graphic and realistic, but not as horrifically shocking as its perhaps made out to be. killing is an ugly reality, but this film is by no means the most compelling argument to that fact.
  • RicC
    March 26, 2011
    RicC
    This is mostly an emotional argument towards this dilemma (Or, at least it's viewed as one). And I feel it's invalid since there are a cornucopia of logical reasons for what Kieslowski is trying to convey. Still, it beats Lars von Trier's overrated version.

View All A Short Film About Killing Reviews

Critic Reviews

Caryn James
August 30, 2004
Caryn James, New York Times

The film forces the audience to confront the most vile aspects of life, without offering enough intellectual substance to justify sitting through such brutality. Full Review

Edward Guthmann
May 29, 2004
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

Kieslowski movingly demonstrates the unexpected connections that strangers make, and ponders the metaphysical forces that not only bind us, but also redeem us. Full Review

Rob Nelson
September 1, 2009
Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

Thou Shalt Not Miss Full Review

Tim Brayton
August 4, 2008
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

One of the ugliest movies ever made, and that's just exactly the way it should be: it takes place in an irredeemably ugly world. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
September 4, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Not for the squeamish. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
September 7, 2004
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Far more effective in its longer version. Full Review

May 29, 2004
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Kieslowski and screenwriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz refuse to stack the deck: There are no cardboard villains here, only flawed, fully imagined human beings. Full Review

Gary Kamiya
May 29, 2004
Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Examiner

One of the most horrific films you're likely to see -- and one of the most oddly didactic. Full Review

Rumsey Taylor
April 19, 2004
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

This is one of a preeminent filmmaker's most vital films. Full Review

Eric Henderson
March 26, 2004
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

Exudes a cosmic foreboding. Full Review

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  • For which film did Polish master Krzysztof Kieslowski win the FIPRESCI and Jury Prizes at Cannes?  Answer »
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