PDA

View Full Version : A Short Film About Killing

Pike Bishop
19-12-2001, 15:08
Does anyone know where I can buy the DVD of this, indeed is it actually released on DVD?
Seen it twice on TV and just remember it as THE most powerful, disturbing, shocking and sad films I have ever seen. No exception.
Michael Brooke
19-12-2001, 15:10
It's not out on DVD anywhere as far as I know, though the shorter version (<I>Dekalog 5</I>) is on an out of print R0 disc from Facets/Image, and is due for an R2 release from Artificial Eye in February.
martinb
19-12-2001, 15:24
Spoilers of a kind i suppose:





i believe this film changed the law on capital punishment in poland, is that right?
strange thing for me is that the acts perpetrated by the young man were so brutal and callous that i wasn't shocked by him being executed, though the way the way the execution is handled is in itself shocking. It's been a while since i have seen it so i may see it differently now but at the time i thought he deserved to die.
Pike Bishop
19-12-2001, 15:27
I think the message of the film which came over so powerfully to me, was that the young man did commit an horrific crime which makes me wince every time I see it (that scene in particular must be one of the most disturbing in film history), but no matter how bad the crime is, to take a life for a life is even worse. I thought he didn't deserve to die which made the films ending all the more heartbreaking.
Michael Brooke
19-12-2001, 15:59
<B>Spoilers of a kind i suppose: </B>

Then again, it's not the kind of film where spoilers matter too much - what gives it its horrible fascination is that you can see just about everything coming a mile off!

<B>i believe this film changed the law on capital punishment in poland, is that right? </B>

Sort of. The TV version just happened to be screened in Poland at a time when the issue was being debated anyway, and clearly did a lot to fuel public opinion. As a result, it was suspended and then abolished altogether when the new government took over in 1989. It certainly had some impact, but Kieslowski tended to play down the "it changed the law" claims!

<B>strange thing for me is that the acts perpetrated by the young man were so brutal and callous that i wasn't shocked by him being executed, though the way the way the execution is handled is in itself shocking. It's been a while since i have seen it so i may see it differently now but at the time i thought he deserved to die.</B>

This is one of the reasons that it's such a truly great film - it's not remotely manipulative in any way, and neither does it resort to contrived narrative cop-outs (for instance, the <I>10 Rillington Place/Let Him Have It</I> device of an innocent man being sent to the gallows, which provides plenty of drama but doesn't actually tackle the issue of capital punishment itself).

You say "I thought he deserved to die" - but look at it from a different point of view: does the Polish state have the right to kill him? Are we, as taxpayers, happy that we are effectively sponsoring murder? The reason why both killings are shown in such graphic detail is that Kieslowski is emphasising that there's no moral difference - and in many ways the hanging is more shocking because of the lengths the state goes to justify what is ultimately unjustifiable.

One of the really inspired touches, I thought, was that the defence counsel's anti-hanging speech was only referred to in passing: we never get to hear it, even though we're told that it's the finest and most persuasive speech the judge has ever heard. You can imagine the Hollywood version - the speech would go on for half an hour with violins well to the fore, but by <U>not</U> showing us any argument pro or anti capital punishment, Kieslowski forces us to confront the moral implications of the act itself.
Earl Jolly Brown
12-12-2002, 17:11
It is available on Korean DVD with English subtitles and an anamorphic transfer (window-boxed 1.66:1). The image is rather soft without much tonal-range and occasionally the sides of the screen (one side at a time) seem to be masked and far darker than they should be. This is the only format on which I've seen the film so if it's a (strange) aesthetic choice by Kiewslowski then please correct and mock me.

Stunning film though, I just meant to check the DVD played ok (then file it away with my unwatched stuff) but I couldn't turn it off..
Noel M
13-12-2002, 07:38
The style and colour of the film would indeed be an aesthetic styling by Kieslowski. The film was shot on a very low budget and on 16mm, so that would explain the general softness. There is heavy use of filters to reduce tones. The overall effect is to create a state of oppressive intensity, which is exactly the desired intent. The film is a masterpiece.

Any idea where we could get copies of the and 'A Short Film About Love' online, Earl? A quick search to my usual Korean suppliers didn't turn up anything.
kerbcrawler
13-12-2002, 10:30
Doesn't the murder scene in the movie version hold the record for being the longest single murder scene committed to celluloid? Now that I'm writing this it sounds like a daft record to hold but thought I'd ask anyway.
Pike Bishop
13-12-2002, 10:57
Could be, although I reckon the murder of Dan Hedaya in Blood Simple is longer
Earl Jolly Brown
13-12-2002, 20:21
Both 'Short Films...' are on sale at this link - but this etailer has a pretty bad reputation. It's up to you if you want to risk twenty quid or your credit card details.

http://www.koreandvds.com/search_result.html?msearch=director&stitle=Krzysztof%20Kieslowki
Goblin
13-12-2002, 21:00
Originally posted by Michael Brooke
<B>Spoilers of a kind i suppose: </B>
You say "I thought he deserved to die" - but look at it from a different point of view: does the Polish state have the right to kill him? Are we, as taxpayers, happy that we are effectively sponsoring murder?

an Eye for an Eye IMO ... Id happily sponsor it over here ;)

anyway whats this about? How did they execute him and what did he do??
Pike Bishop
05-08-2003, 15:16
Sorry to drag this thread up from the depths but if anyone is interested Play.com have this classic film on preorder for release on the 25th of August. No extras to speak of but then I guess this is a film that really doesn't need extras.
angel_eyes
05-08-2003, 17:35
Originally posted by Pike Bishop
Sorry to drag this thread up from the depths but if anyone is interested Play.com have this classic film on preorder for release on the 25th of August. No extras to speak of but then I guess this is a film that really doesn't need extras.

Unfortunately it's fullscreen 4:3 and sound is mono, but is available slightly cheaper from Splash (11.99 with the discount code)
Gary Couzens
05-08-2003, 17:57
<i>A Short Film About Killing</i> has always been in mono, and I think it was shot hardmatted into 1.66:1. (As was <i>Dekalog 6</i>, the other one intended to be expanded into a cinema feature - <I>A Short Film About Love</i>. All the other <i>Dekalog</i> episodes are 4:3.)

I've seen <i>Dekalog</i> both on BBC2 in 1990 and more recently on the out-of-print Facets/Image DVD, and <i>5</i> and <i>6</i> were matted both times. So I wouldn't be at all surprised if Artificial Eye's DVDs of <i>Killing</i> and <i>Love</i> were both non-anamorphic 1.66:1.
tips4tnt
06-08-2003, 18:43
Nobody gonna link to DVD Times' own R3 review then? ;)

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=1169&story=3948

If it's of any use, I got my copy from http://www.dvdasian.com along with "Short Film About Love". When they arrived, the "Love" disc had come loose in the post and was badly scratched. DVD Asian replaced it very quickly and also sent me another DVD for free :thumbs:
Noel M
07-08-2003, 07:04
Artificial Eye have obtained the rights to the MK2 releases of 'A Short Film About Love' and 'A Short Film About Killing'. This is the same source for the Korean releases of Love (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=1174&story=3956) and Killing (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=1169&story=3948), which were anamorphic and brilliant quality. The AE releases will have an additional benefit of NOT being converted from PAL to NTSC. Should be good.
Pike Bishop
07-08-2003, 08:23
Originally posted by Noel M
Artificial Eye have obtained the rights to the MK2 releases of 'A Short Film About Love' and 'A Short Film About Killing'. This is the same source for the Korean releases of Love (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=1174&story=3956) and Killing (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=1169&story=3948), which were anamorphic and brilliant quality. The AE releases will have an additional benefit of NOT being converted from PAL to NTSC. Should be good.

Are these the ones being released this month?
Noel M
07-08-2003, 08:44
Yes, but according to Bensonsworld, the release date has been put back to 29 September.
Gary Couzens
08-08-2003, 17:49
There's an advert on the back of the new NFT brochure which says 29 September as well.

According to the same ad, extras are as follows:

<i>A Short Film About Killing</i> - short film <i>A Night Porter's Point of View</i>, interviews with Slawomir Idziak (cinematographer), Agnieszka Holland, Annette Insdorff (Kieslowski collaborators)

<i>A Short Film About Love</i> - short film <i>Tramway</i>, interviews with Grazyna Szapolowska (actress) Annette Insdorff, Emmanuel Finkel (Kieslowski collaborators)
RichDB10
08-08-2003, 19:15
Originally posted by Gary Couzens
There's an advert on the back of the new NFT brochure which says 29 September as well.

According to the same ad, extras are as follows:

<i>A Short Film About Killing</i> - short film <i>A Night Porter's Point of View</i>, interviews with Slawomir Idziak (cinematographer), Agnieszka Holland, Annette Insdorff (Kieslowski collaborators)

<i>A Short Film About Love</i> - short film <i>Tramway</i>, interviews with Grazyna Szapolowska (actress) Annette Insdorff, Emmanuel Finkel (Kieslowski collaborators)

Great stuff...had been meaning to pick up the French MK2 releases and it's good to know that the UK versions seem to have all the extra features...the added bonus of english subtitles will make it a bit easier as well :)