This is not a pleasant film to watch, but one that will you be absorbed in. We first see a decaying rat in a stream, then a cat that has just been hanged. This is a depressing and desperate location. The film is also shot at times through a filter, which gives it an even more gloomy feel. A young man wanders around aimlessly. His behaviour is malicious. He scares away some pigeons that an old woman is feeding; he shoves a stone of a bridge smashing a car's window below; he pushes a man over for no reason. This is a troubled man; one who has a dangerous chip on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, a taxi driver is shown cleaning his car. He seems to have a nasty streak in him, too. He drives off leaving two passengers behind. He sounds his horn to scare a man with two dogs. Fatefully, he will soon pick up the aimless young man. The killing of the taxi driver is slow and brutal. The old man struggles for his life. The young man then steals the taxi and inexplicably shows it to a young girl, who lives near the taxi driver. The next scene shows him in court and sentenced to death. The other figure featured in the first third of the film is a recently graduated lawyer, who defends the young killer in court. Now the man is in the gallows, awaiting his execution. The lawyer has one last conversation with the doomed man, and we are told of a sad story that, perhaps, may have prevented him from being in the situation. The execution is shown in detail. Kieslowski doesn't hold back in this film. A film that will stay with you for a while after the credits.
Meanwhile, a taxi driver is shown cleaning his car. He seems to have a nasty streak in him, too. He drives off leaving two passengers behind. He sounds his horn to scare a man with two dogs. Fatefully, he will soon pick up the aimless young man. The killing of the taxi driver is slow and brutal. The old man struggles for his life. The young man then steals the taxi and inexplicably shows it to a young girl, who lives near the taxi driver. The next scene shows him in court and sentenced to death. The other figure featured in the first third of the film is a recently graduated lawyer, who defends the young killer in court. Now the man is in the gallows, awaiting his execution. The lawyer has one last conversation with the doomed man, and we are told of a sad story that, perhaps, may have prevented him from being in the situation. The execution is shown in detail. Kieslowski doesn't hold back in this film. A film that will stay with you for a while after the credits.