Operation Hyacinth [Hiacynt] ***½ (2021, Tomasz Ziętek, Hubert Miłkowski, Marek Kalita) – Classic Movie Review 12,501

The disturbing and revealing 2021 Polish thriller film Operation Hyacinth [Hiacynt] stars Tomasz Ziętek as an earnest young policeman assigned a case of a serial murderer targeting homosexuals in Warsaw. 

Director Piotr Domalewski’s disturbing and revealing 2021 Polish thriller film Operation Hyacinth [Hiacynt] is written by Marcin Ciastoń, and stars Tomasz Ziętek, Hubert Miłkowski and Marek Kalita.

The horrifying story is based on the Operation Hyacinth, a Polish communist secret police operation to create a national database of Polish homosexuals and those in touch with them in 1985–87. In 1980s Poland, hyacint was a derogatory term, similar to the English pansy, used to refer to homosexual men.

Tomasz Ziętek stars as Robert Mrozowski, an earnest young man in his mid-twenties and new to the police force. His father Edward (Marek Kalita) has a senior position in the force and is keen for his son to follow in his footsteps. Robert’s police buddy Wojtek (Tomasz Schuchardt) has been working for the Citizens’ Militia (MO) for some time, and they are assigned a case of a serial murderer targeting homosexuals in Warsaw after an influential gay man has been found dead in a cruising park.

They decide to round up the usual suspects, and target a public toilet where gays are cruising. While Wojtek waits in the car to start the raid and arrests, Robert goes in and attracts the eye of nice young German-language student Arek (Hubert Miłkowski). In the ensuing chaos, they escape together, and Robert later uses Arek to infiltrate the local gay scene for his undercover investigation.

Despite being engaged to marry Halinka (Adrianna Chlebicka), who works in the police evidence department, Robert discovers his own gay desires, beginning a relationship with Arek. He also discovers a lot of evidence and won’t let go of his investigation, even when the case is firmly closed after the police have forced a confession out of one innocent suspect, who is promptly killed in jail. His father Edward warns him off the case.

Operation Hyacinth tells a very good, important story, and is an excellent thriller film. It is quite tense and exciting in places, and always moody and disturbing, with a lot of vital information and LGBT+ history successfully conveyed and treated in a thriller entertainment format. There is plenty here to get angry about.

Ziętek is understandably dour and downbeat as Robert, but he wins over sympathy after a while with his earnestness and his voice of truth and reason in a sea of lies and deception, even though of course Robert is seen as the character of lies and deception.

Needless to say, we are not really ever on the side of the police or the straight folks, who are seen either as devious and violent, or as prejudiced, on a very high level, with rampant homophobia everywhere.

The shabby period setting is well done and convincing, and the locations are well chosen, adding a further layer of interest to the film.

In 1980s Poland, hyacint was a derogatory term, similar to the English pansy, used to refer to homosexual men..

Marcin Ciastoń drew inspiration for the screenplay from Operation Hyacinth, targeting the Polish gay community and gathering material to extort men and enforce their cooperation. Operation Hyacinth saw a significant number of gays imprisoned, arrested and persecuted. It was launched on the pretext of tackling the AIDS epidemic and prostitution.

It was released on 13 October 2021.

The production company is ShipsBoy, and it is distributed by Netflix.

The cast are Tomasz Ziętek as Robert Mrozowski, Hubert Miłkowski as Arek, Marek Kalita as Edward Mrozowski, Adrianna Chlebicka as Halinka, Tomasz Schuchardt as Wojtek, Sebastian Stankiewicz as Maciek, Jacek Poniedziałek as Dignitary, Piotr Trojan as Kamil, Agnieszka Suchora as Ewa Mrozowska, Tomasz Włosok as Tadek, Mirosław Zbrojewicz as Commander, Andrzej Klak as Agent with a scar, Adam Cywka as Professor Mettler, and Jakub Wieczorek as Sleuth.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,501

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