Psy (1992) User Reviews

Great film about people lost in the new reality

[hebda-joanna · 9/10 · 14 May 2007]

Reading the reviews here, I've seen that only people from countries which have dealt with communism understood the true meaning of this film. It can put off with the amount of blood and dead corpses shown in the movie, but I've seen worse in the American ones. Also we can't find a good character here - all of the policemen are cynical and brutal. Their boss is burning down archives which may contain important things from the old times. But we see the reaction when gangsters shoot to the officers - they're confused, nobody has ever shoot to a policeman in the past. We see the reign of mafia, the first ruthless bosses which America met in the 20s and Poland in the 90s and the officers who found a job there after being fired because they used to serve the wrong people. It shows us how a normal man has no influence on his life during a political transformation and how hard it is to change way of thinking when you were raised in a completely different situation. The film has great witty dialogs and the characters are constructed finely as well. Almost all the roles are played by the best Polish actors and in my opinion it's one of the best Polish movies since the 1989.

Too brutal but then too real

[denis888 · 7/10 · 24 July 2006]

Many people who watched it paid attention only to the blown heads and dead bodies, but this is just the surface of this underrated and very smart film. What is below the cover remains the most important - that terrible transitional period of Poland from Communism to Capitalism was very traumatic for many people. Maybe, because we in Russia witnessed the same tragedy of transition, that is why this film appeals so much to my compatriots. The tragedy of honest policemen is what here is the main theme. They cannot so easily change with the hard times, they are constantly booed and hunted upon, being charged with the idiotic claim that they were the Communist times workers. But the, everybody was! To see the final scene when the hero of Boguslaw Linda is fired from the police on the silly pretext that he was sympathetic with the Soviet regime is so painful. And who are those judges who fired him? Didn't they serve the Soviets too? Watch it again, think harder and you will see the deep inner sense of this film - change is always hard...

You need to be from Poland to understand this film...

[slawekpan · 8/10 · 3 May 2007]

Film "Psy" by Pasikowski is not only an action movie about police officer. It's also about people handling with change from communism to democracy. What is shown in this picture, for a citizen of USA, or Great Britan may be surreal, but it is pretty much what was happening during the transformation of system with security service. If you want to see a good entertainment it's a waste of time to watch this, but if you are from country with communist period in history, you may have a deja vu, of what you were reading in newspapers a few years ago. It is all about corruption, adaptability to changing circumstances, fear, bi-polarized society, and in addition of course friends and women being unreliable. I'm from Poland and I gave an 8.

a good movie about corruption - you do not have to be polish to understand it

[t-rowe · 8 November 2009]

Don't be put of by the daft you have to be polish to understand this movie schitck written by the other posters, it's a movie about corruption, plain and simple, and a very good one too. Also don't be put off by the barmy contention that the polish doesn't translate, there are some lines which are pretty good if you do understand polish but none of them drive the plot, certainly not the best one between Linda and a prostitute.

It's a film that explores the idea of "what next, then..." for the situation after the collapse of communism. Nothing particularly polish about that and there are movies from other ex communist countries that go over similar ground.

It should be shown in more countries because it's good. If you really must see a polish movie about polish stuff that only polish people could get their heads around, then rent yourself Pan Tadeusz.

Good or evil

[ramiel-1 · 10/10 · 20 February 2017]

What you will choose good or evil in the Sea of Darkness ? What is most important in life ? What are the choices and consequences ? There is no white or black, there are shades of gray... What pays off the most: friendship or betrayal ? Does weakness have place to exist in this world ? Who has conscience and who has not ? What is the price to pay to live in this world ? Find out by yourself...

Polish voice

[michalkow112 · 10/10 · 22 March 2009]

For first Franz wasn't a good policeman, he worked in SB (security ), it was special police to protect communism. To understand that movie you have to be Polish, or you have to speak in polish very well, and know Polish history since 1980 to 1992. Psy its movie similar to American action movies, but in my opinion its much more better. Everything what happened in that movie is possible in real life. What I meant, Franz doesn't kill big army. Whats more when i saw L.A. Confidential then I realise how L.A. Confidential are similar to Psy. I meant about characters. Bud White is Franz both of them have rules, and have problems with womens, womens cheat them. Ed Exley is Nowy (new one) they started a job in police and on begin for making mess and trubels forcollegous. I found much more similar parts, and thats are the moste important. Im sorry for my grammar and vocabulary.

A look at Polish fascination with 'made in the USA' action movies.

[swarog · 9/10 · 10 November 2003]

A bleak and graphic action film with some insights into the confusing time of early transition from communism to capitalism in Poland. The director employs an array of wise cracking macho man wilding their guns, thus paying tribute to the 80's American action stars. It's an entertaining, if rather pointless, movie about seasoned cops with communist background trying to make it in the new reality that doesn't seem to be all that different from the past. The central theme pits a young idealistic cop (Cezary Pazura) against an older one (Boguslaw Linda) who breaks all the rules and has a habit of shooting people Rambo style rather than taking them into custody. Eventually they end up friends, but not before spilling hectoliters of blood and exploding some heads. "Psy" was an extremely popular flick in Poland since at the time it came out many people identified with the theme of trying to part with the past and finding oneself in the new world driven by money. Verdict: don't waste your time.

good but not for everybody

[michug-1 · 23 April 2004]

I saw this movie many times and I think that a lot of young polish people did the same. This film is not for everybody. It's almost impossible to translate original polish dialogs into english. For english speaking people is very hard to understand specific sense of humor. No one who have never been in Poland, especially in 90's will understand this movie. It will be only next part of Natural Born Killers and nothing more. In this movie Wladyslaw Pasikowski show us moment of transformation of Polish country after falling of iron curtain in very specific way. By the way, even title translation is a disaster. Polish - Psy (Pies) means in english - Dogs (Dog), and this is what polish people used to say about policeman. [Not Pigs]