Strawman

2023 [POLISH]

Drama / History

1
IMDb Rating 6.1/10 10 231 231

obsession despair spy

Plot summary

Budny, a secret service officer, secretly surveils Bishop Karol Wojtyla for 20 years. An unreciprocated bond forms between Budny and the unaware Wojtyla, leading to an obsessive, pathological relationship from Budny's perspective.

Director

Robert Glinski Photo
Robert Glinski

Top cast

Radoslaw Krzyzowski Photo
Radoslaw Krzyzowski as TW 'Alfa'
Mateusz Wieclawek Photo
Mateusz Wieclawek as Bronek Budny
Slawomir Rokita Photo
Slawomir Rokita as Drunk
Maciej Mikolajczyk Photo
Maciej Mikolajczyk as Karol Wojtyla
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
1.01 GB
1280*854
Polish 2.0
NR
Subtitles de   us   es   fr   it   pl   pt  
25 fps
1 hr 52 min
Seeds ...
2.06 GB
1620*1080
Polish 5.1
NR
Subtitles de   us   es   fr   it   pl   pt  
25 fps
1 hr 52 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by pawelapenczek 7 / 10

Police state as its finest

The movie tells a seemingly simple story of a secret policeman assigned to a task of invigilation of the future Pope John Paul II. The story is entirely focused on secret police, the protagonist and his superior. There is very little about people of the church, we see them from the distance, we are not even told what do they do. More time is devoted to a cabaret where people who chose to live outside of the framework of surrounding workers paradise. We are also shown, in a rather dispassionate manner how the state crushes people in order to force them to collaborate. As the movie is shot in black and white, it all adds up to a claustrophobic atmosphere. There does not seem to be any way out.The movie does excellent depicting atmosphere in an oppressive communist state. However, we should keep in mind that by 1960s Polish police state was not particularly brutal, people were not murdered, they were rarely physically abused. As it turns out, there are more "civilized" methods to force people into obedience and break their personalities. For those lucky enough never to experience life in a police state or those who may imagine all political systems are equally oppressive, Strawman can supply plenty of material for thought.
Reviewed by lesley_65 7 / 10

Exquisitely Photographed and Absorbing

This movie is superb but chilling. Set in 1950s Poland when the Communist Party was attempting to eradicate religious practise, the story centres around a young man who is tasked with firstly surveilling and then defaming key Catholic clergy. We watch him transform from an idealistic, ambitious youth into an obsessive zealot. It's fascinating and quite shocking to witness not only the lengths he'll go to to achieve his goals, but also his resulting moral decline. Equally shocking is the effect he has on others. I don't know whether the movie depicts true events but the inclusion of what looks like some actual historical footage from that time certainly adds to the authenticity - and to the impact. Well written and exquisitely photographed it held my attention throughout. Highly recommended particularly for those interested in historical dramas.
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