Operation Nation (Kryptonim Polska) is a brand-new Polish comedy-drama film that premiered on Netflix. Directed by Piotr Kumik and screenplay by Jakub Ruzyllo and Lukasz Sychowicz, the plot follows a man who gets involved with a radical right extremist group and finds himself at crossroads when he meets a girl with opposing views.
Jerzy Dziegielewski, Pawel Heba, Maciej Sojka and Roman Szczepanik for Orphan Studio produces the film. Starring Maciej Musiałowski as Staszek Sulkowski in the lead role alongside Maciej Musiałowskias Roman, Magdalena Maścianica as Pola Ratajczyk. The movie has a runtime of approximately 90 minutes.
-Operation Nation Review Contains No Spoilers-
For a very long time, creators have been trying to portray the Nazi ideology in a satirical manner in an attempt to display its ridiculousness to the core. From Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator to Taika Watiti’s Jojo Rabbit, creators have made fun of the fuhrer in various ways, all the while including the inhuman acts committed by them. This movie has a similar plot in a modern setting which also includes a forbidden love story, two people separated by ideologies.
Many enigmatic characters are shown throughout, but the most interesting one has to be Roman, played by Borys Szyc. The charismatic leader of the extremist group, abbreviated as RYS or ZMR, gathers a couple of followers and feeds them with nationalist beliefs. The group takes it upon themselves to “heal” the country of deviants and establish White Power in Poland. However, most are neither committed to the cause nor understand the reasoning behind their acts.
The group follows Roman blindly and his commands, no questions asked. It draws a parallel between the character and many leaders present in society who can influence a section of society with their words alone. Nevertheless, he is not a ruthless commander and often displays emotions for his comrades. At times it seems like he himself does not understand the purpose behind his goals and is merely brainwashed to follow such ideas.
Staszek, played by Maciej Musiałowski, on the other hand, is an easygoing man in his early 20s, aimlessly going through life. He does not have any strong political views and does not care much about society either. Without giving it much thought, he joins the group to find a sense of purpose. But he soon realises that he is not cut out for such extreme forms of violence and definitely does not fester irrational hate for any group of people. His character serves as a neutral ground that builds a bridge between both sides.
Pola Ratajczyk (Magdalena Maścianica), a leftist, showcases her hatred for the extremist group openly. She has a strong and formidable presence that does not falter under any circumstance. Often engaging in various protests against hate crimes, she actively fights for the minority and works towards changing the archaic views of the citizens. However, she has a complicated personal life which showcases her vulenarabity that is highly relatable. She forms a connection with Staszek and instantly trusts him. She inherently sees the good in people before forming preconceived notions about them.
Along with humorous bits, the creators manage to indulge in sensitive topics. The plot also manages to make a social commentary on how little attention is paid towards the safety of minorities in society. It hilariously also showcases racism and how it affects the group who are the frontrunners of regaining pure bloodline in their country. Additionally, it brings attention towards how homogenous society has become, and it is impossible to escape or stop the changes happening around us.
Operation Nation: Final Thoughts
The movie is not revolutionary, yet it is memorable and impactful to an extent. Through comedy, it brings up important topics that need much-needed discussion. It creates a caricature of the Nazi followers and how insignificant their reasons are behind the hate they display for certain people. If you want to laugh at stupid people doing stupid things with a pinch of romance, I highly recommend it.
Operation: Nation is now streaming on Netflix. Did you watch the movie yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Funny but you have to be polish to understand