Psy (1992)

Za chleb i wolność, i nową Polskę Janek Wiśniewski padł

About two months ago, I have written a joint review on «Man of Marble» and «Man of Iron» and richteur gave some valuable insights in his commentaries. After that, I have decided to read his blog and I was impressed by his review of Psy. Because of that, I have decided to watch this example of the Polish cinema of the 1990s.

Former officers of the SB (Polish secret police), including Franciszek Maurer (Franz), are trying to become police officers in the post-socialistic Poland. They are destroying incriminating evidence, they are reevaluated by the Special Comission. Some, including Franz, are lucky and they join the Criminal Police; some are not so lucky and they join the criminals.

The last verse of the famous poem Ballada o Janku Wiśniewskim (by Krzysztof Dowgiałło) includes such verse: « Za chleb i wolność, i nową Polskę Janek Wiśniewski padł».In 1989, Poland was new, the Poles got the freedom (or at least the illusion of freedom), but the bread became scarce. In the same time, the Polish directors got the chance to shoot film on the forbidden themes.

The Director portrayed the birth of new Poland and he had chosen the most despicable characters – ex-SB officers. The former elite are thrown into the Criminal Police, where they are treated as third-class people. Despite that, the history teaches us that most of the times soldiers are punished, but they masters are spared. The masters are spared because they are able to destroy documents or cut a deal with new masters.

The Director depicts ex-SB officers as ordinary people. Among them there are good and bad, brave and weak. Most of them, along with the Poles, are trying to make ends meet, but the former government taught them the only thing – to kill. The new Poland declares that they don’t need the professional killers, but the other side is ready to employ their talents.

«Psy» shows the general disappointment in the new ruling class. The film shows the beginning of corruption, the morphing of politicians and criminals. When Franz begins to harass seriously criminals, he is quickly dismissed from the police because of his past.

The new Poland is not suited for «Man of Marble» or «Man of Iron», the new Poland suited for unscrupulous murderers and thieves. And in 1989, Ballada o Janku Wiśniewskim is sang by the drunken ex-SB officers, because nobody cares about the fallen heroes.

The Polish cinema have again pleasantly surprised me. Władysław Pasikowski took the form of the American action film and included a very fresh and clever drama. The Russians would also understand this film.

I highly recommend it, it is better than  most of the so-called «Russian noir» of the 1990s.