A film that’s full of tension directed by a war cinema expert Jerzy Passendorf who gained acclaim as the creator of the TV series “Janosik”.
An interesting role of Tadeusz Łomnicki, playing a former soldier, who must come to terms with his past and the choices he made, not being fully aware of what price he’d have to pay for them.
The Bieszczady Mountains after the end of World War II. Poles still fight with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Lieutenant Mosur receives a strictly confidential order: he must pretend the Ukrainian warlord “Bloody Vasyl” to reach the commander of the Ukrainian troops and kill him. The mission is successful, however to prove his loyalty Mosur has to take part in brutal UPA actions. When, after many years, he returns to the Bieszczady Mountains as an engineer, he is recognized by the locals and arrested. The situation is made even worse by the fact that the only person that could prove his innocence is already dead…
Despite the simple plot the film does not offer any unambiguous assessments or a happy-end. The war story serves as a pretext to ponder on moral and ethical issues. Does the end justify the means? How much can you sacrifice for a better cause? An open ending allows viewers to find their own answers.
Excerpt from the movie
