Operation Hyacinth

جيد🌹

It's like a 40's American thriller with a French film ending. By which I mean, the film just stops. Not that I mind that. A tidy ending isn't always needed. I think I missed all the details that explain the central mystery. But I got the gist. That's enough. Based on true facts of persecution of gays in Poland 1985-87. But the movie has a noir 40s look. Switch out the cars and some of the set decorations and it could have been then. Maybe that's the intent of the look. It's a well made and good looking film. It's moody and sad.

At the first sigh, a film about Polish pink files under Comunist regime. In essence, just an inspired portrait of a dictatorship. Admirable work of Tomasz Zietek, precise and sublle exploration of a dark universe, good game of apparences, mix of justice spirit and love . A well crafted film about idealism and truth, proposing not exactly, not only, a requisitorium against homophobia but a beautiful work about live in truth.

This film seemed to me to be a rather sick heterosexual fantasy of violence with little connection with reality. It was also very difficult to work out what was going on. Why did we have that (as usual, offensive) bit of heterosex at the beginning ? It seems that every film now has to include sex and violence (usually with guns). I cruised in toilets in countries where homosexuality was illegal, and where there were occasional police raids. I cruised in East Berlin in 1986, which turned out to be a better experience than any I had in West Berlin. Heterosexuals seem to be taking ownership of queerness as American cinema has taken over the whole world. I have met over 100 queers and none of them had had problems with the police. There have been stories of police acting as agents-provocateurs in 'cottages', and certainly this did occur. The main problem for queers (especially those who looked vulnerable) was drunken or homophobic or otherwise-disturbed youths and young men in twos or threes - or, occasionally, gangs. I think that there is some tiny bit of truth in the fascist "Cold Winter Theory" as evidenced in the thousands of films that have issued and are still issuing from European (American, Australian etc) film makers whose films almost all contain enacted sex, violence and (slightly less often) firearms. This supposedly LGBTQ-supporting film had all of them...appealing not to LGBTQ people but to thrill-seeking heterosexual 'normals'. This film seemed to me to be a cynical exploitation/exaggeration of situations that occurred on either side of the Iron Curtain. In my country (Ireland) 'homosexual acts' weren't legalised until 1987, and public toilets, such as 'mushrooms', 'cottages', 'tasses', etc were much used by men seeking partners, pals, friends for life - or instant relief. From 1966 to 1996 I never once encountered a policeman, except once or twice IN UNIFORM as a warning in Belfast's Botanic Gardens.

It's an eye opener for those of us who know little about what was happening behind the Iron Curtain, particularly in communist Poland circa 1985-1987. It's against the background of the operation targeting queer people (as in LGBTQ+) that the story of Robert Mrozowska is told. He is fighting an entrenched system that clearly doesn't look kindly to lone rangers or no-nonsense detectives. His grim determination is admirable, and actor Tomasz Zistek effortlessly breathes life into it. As he finds out more about the murders, he also finds more about himself. But is going down this path worth it? Tomasz and Hubert Milkowski deliver great, subtle performances as Robert and Arek, respectively. The script is taut and gripping, and you are immersed in the twists of the story. Director Piotr Domalewski succeeds in creating a story that is haunting; the viewer can't shake off the sense of realism that imbues this film.

Excellent casting. Some of the plot connections are a bit elusive, but the message of political and police abuse is very clear. The film certainly underscores the cultural oppression of Poland. Hopefully the honesty that this film brings to bear will help to change cultural attitudes. Very worth viewing.

As an lgbt+ person living in a post-soviet country, watching this movie made me feel a range of various emotions as here things are pretty much the same as shown in the movie. As for the film itself, It's an unexpected blend of a noir police drama with a beautiful story of self-discovery. It leaves you bitter at the end, but worth every bit of emotion you feel on the way. Great cinematography.

!980's Poland. The cracks in the repressive system are showing everywhere. This is a time when Solidarity, the trade union becomes a force to reckon with. The era of ideals has long gone, nobody believes in the Communist "paradise", least of all communists themselves. All that's left is naked repression. And they certainly knew how to repress. Among many other monstrous ideas was to make list of known homosexuals and force them into collaboration. "Operation Hyacinth" is an impeccably done film-noir. The set-up might be quite familiar, lone wolf policeman fighting for justice, but this drab, gray world of the Iron Curtain Poland is starting to shift and change giving a glimpse of things to come. Long path from Communism to ultra-catholic right-wing nationalism might seem like a colossal waste of time, but the bare fact of this movie being made, shows that better things are coming. The old repression didn't win in the end, the new one will fail too. Sooner or later.

Poland is usually against lgbt so it was skeptical about this movie even though is fact based. Now I wish to be able to watch it again for the first time. I hope more movies like this appear in poland because they make me finally proud of film making there. And make me feel represented. This might be a big step for polish netflix so please dont waste it! Even my not so accepting parents loved it. And finally 1980s' warsaw shown beautifully and accurately. Another film representing in the same awesome way I can think of is "Suicide Room" which was also really good. So go for it and please poland dont mess it up!

Really nice movie! What are you waiting for watching that. Drama based on real facts. 10 stars ;) spoken in polish, native language, as it need to be to better representes the cultura.