Osa Archivum Catalog

Pigs

Summary: The most famous Polish action film, a “cult movie” of the early 1990s. Although it was inspired by American police and gangster films, Pigs tells a thoroughly Polish story. Former secret police officer Franz Maurer and some of his colleagues become police officers as communism collapses in Poland. Others, like his best friend Olo, join forces with the Soviet and East German ex-secret police officers who are fighting for control over the emerging drug market. A struggle for money and influence eventually turns into a personal row between the former friends as Franc finds out that Olo is sleeping with his young mistress. The film was received with extremely mixed feelings by the Polish audience. For some, Franz Maurer became the personification of the Polish “macho”. Others were shocked by the way the film crushed the early euphoria for transition and the classical iconography of the Solidarity movement. Many were appalled by a scene where the officers chant an protest song about the death of an anti-communist fighter while carrying a drunk colleague. Indeed, the death of morality is the main message of this film. Even a young policemen who joins the former secret police officers and denounces them, is too weak to oppose the escalation of violence, and the increase of criminal activity at the beginning of the 90’s.

Item Type	Current Location	Call Number	Status	Shelving Location	Public Note
DVD-ROM	OSA Film Library	FL Record 0679	Available	-	-
Digital film	OSA Film Library	FL Record 0679 (HU_OSA_00002406.mp4)	Available		Access Copy, MP4 format