In post-communist Poland, former secret police agent Franz Maurer works as a regular cop pursuing a major drug ring. As he and his old comrades lose their privileges and face public scorn in the new reality, Franz realizes that some of his former colleagues are now on the opposite side of the law.
Acting
Linda's thousand-yard stare could stop a tank.
Direction
Pasikowski shoots Poland like a corpse still warm.
Writing
Dialogue so sharp you'll check for blood.
Director
Władysław Pasikowski
Bogusław Linda
Franz Maurer
Marek Kondrat
"Olo" Żwirski
Cezary Pazura
Waldemar Morawiec "Newbie"
Janusz Gajos
Major Gross
Agnieszka Jaskółka
Angela Wenz
Olaf Lubaszenko
Krzyś "Kid"
Marek Frąckowiak
SB Officer Kazek
Tadeusz Szymków
SB Officer Jerzyk
Tomasz Dedek
SB Officer Wawro
Ryszard Fischbach
SB Officer "Old Man"
Witold Bieliński
"Student"
Jerzy Bończak
Roman Bluszcz "Chemist"
Jan Machulski
Major SB Walenda
Edward Linde-Lubaszenko
Captain SB Stopczyk
Aleksander Bednarz
Major Stanisław Bień
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released months after real-life communist collapse, it captured Poland's identity crisis so precisely that audiences debated if it was exploitative or essential.
Bogusław Linda improvised the final scene's ambiguous expression; Pasikowski kept three takes and chose the one even Linda couldn't explain.
PL
