User reviews

I remember meeting some Polish guys in London by chance in the very early 70s. I was astonished and asked them how they had got out. They laughed and told me that Poland had liberal policies for allowing tourists to the West. I think that chance meeting closed my eyes to the true horror of the Stalinist state that Poland really was and which is portrayed unflinchingly in the film.

Suspects get beaten up, arrested wrongfully, forced to confess. But lets not go to far overboard on this. It was happening in France, the US, the UK too. As in the film, public lavatories were raided by cops in the UK as well. Lives were ruined.

Robert, the son of a Secret Service colonel, has a sense of morality and open mindedness. When he and his colleague are tasked with finding the murderer of a prominent closeted gay man, he thinks naively that they will be properly investigating. He should have realised that by he and his partner being given the case instead of the murder squad that there were plots within plots.

Unsatisfied by the culmination of the case, he strikes out on his own to find a web of corruption that extends right to the top. During this personal inquiry, he discovers himself and his true desires.

Desperate danger arrives for him and the new friends he has made and he makes his personal, political, moral and professional choice during an award ceremony for having "solved" the original murder. In the final scene, we are left hoping against hope that he can keep the promise that he made to Arek.

The period details of this film were perfect. I loved the music being played in the bars and formal dinners, so incredibly old-fashioned compared to the West. The clothes and the filming locations were perfect. A true-to-life detail was that everyone smoked. Virtually every scene had people lighting up.

Tension was held through the whole of the running time of one hour and fifty minutes. There wasn't a minute I was tempted to look at my watch or phone. I highly recommend this film.

And a fly on the wall look at how lbgtq+ where treated as criminals in communist republic of poland, it hasnt nescesarrily changed so much but it tells the harsh climate back then.

Props and production design are very good, filmographically its from the best of polish traditions, and the story and plot is extremely different from hollywoods.

So take a deep dive into the groin of polandish homophobia, its dark, wellacted and pretty groundbreaking silver screen art from east of the old iron curtain. Grumpy old man recommends.

It's still in the news today how badly the LGBT community can be treated in Poland, and this fact is echoed in this thriller set during the latter years of communist rule in that country (1985-7) when, apparently, a campaign was set up against the community by the authorities. Those looking for a straight forward thriller will be disappointed, as although those elements are there, and are grittily and realistically done, it seems to me that the film is a lot more to do with identity, freedom, and of course sexuality, focusing as it does on the central character, a young policeman sent by his prejudiced superiors to investigate the murder of a known gay. The end result is a drama on many levels which some might feel is heavy handed, but which I found quite absorbing.

This is a really tight fact-based drama based on a true chapter from the ignominious past of communist Poland. Beautifully photographed and set in a bleak Warsaw winter. Good performances all around and a compelling narrative make this stand above gay persecution tropes that often accompany similarly themed motion pictures.

Glad to be just a newborn during that period of time (1985-1987) from what I saw on this movie.

It is successful in painting bleak and grimy days of communist Poland and it is respectful to every party involved, even the police/militia lol.

Good job to everyone involved. IMO this is better than other similarly themed Netflix original movies: Dance of 41, Dear Ex and I Am Jonas.

At the first sigh, a film about Polish pink files under Comunist regime. In essence, just an inspired portrait of a dictatorship. Admirable work of Tomasz Zietek, precise and sublle exploration of a dark universe, good game of apparences, mix of justice spirit and love .

A well crafted film about idealism and truth, proposing not exactly, not only, a requisitorium against homophobia but a beautiful work about live in truth.

This ain't your feel-good Gay movie. This is one of our stories about our tough history. It's about a society who is locked in homophobia, to the point of seeking out the queers to criminalize them. It's well-done drama, based on the the Hyacinth Operation in Communist Poland in the 80s, rooting out queers to rat on other queers, etc.

There are some lighter parts, such as a glimpse of a clandestine queer party full of silly antics. And you do get to experience the some of queer "family" support through horrendous times. And a little bit of sex.

Definitely worth a watch. It's part of our history. (Unfortunately, it's also part of our present, given Poland's continued institutionalized homophobia).

Please watch it. It's entertaining. And it's important!

Polish film directed by Piotr Domalewski, starring Tomasz Zietek (Robert) and Hubert Mikowski (Arek).

The plot takes place in 1985, in Warsaw, Poland, at the time of communism in the country, when there was a hunt for homosexuals by the police, registering them, chasing them, and using a lot of violence against them. This operation really existed and was called Jacinto (Hilacynt of the original title), as homosexuals were jokingly called at that time in Poland.

Robert is a rising police officer in the police, with his father as his direct boss. Not satisfied with the conclusion of an investigation into the murder of a rich gay man, carried out in an ethical, moral and legal manner, Robert decides to investigate on his own and discover a connection between pimps, hustlers and politicians, resulting in a series of murders and suicides. In this investigation, he meets Arek, who becomes his informant and key to unlocking the killer's identity. There's still an interesting plot twist with Robert.

The script does not delve into the issue of male prostitution, with powerful people involved, focusing more on Robert and his relationships with his family, with co-workers, including his father-in-chief, his girlfriend, also a policewoman, with himself and with the prostitution ring that he discovered. As the film goes on, Robert begins to turn more towards himself, asking, internally, several questions.

This is an entertaining drama , but also somewhat confusing due to the way it is edited and scripted. The ending leaves viewers hanging and having to form their own conclusions. Had the story been better told and the character development been more detailed, it could get a higher rating. Overall, good for what it tries to show, just not excellent at telling a good story in a coherent manner!

Wow, just wow. This movie was everything I expected and so much more. Amazing. It is a must watch. Had me so invested, will be watching it again. Good job Netflix on this one.

I really had no idea what to expect going into my viewing of Operation Hyacinth but I was very pleasantly surprised. To start with the pacing, direction, and cinematography were all quite effective and contributed considerably in the films favor. Then there are the performances, most of which were very strong and delivered what was needed. I did find the script a bit lacking at times though. I don't need things spelled out for me but there were a few scenes that were just begging for some dialogue that never came. A relatively small shortcoming considering all the good stuff delivered here in Hyacinth.

Summary

What appeared to be a Polish version of Cruising at the beginning is definitely not. It is a successful neo noir, controversial due to its subject matter for a Polish fiction, which recounts a police investigation into a period during which thousands of homosexuals and heterosexuals related to them were persecuted, mistreated, booked and sometimes compulsively detained. This is another of those films that strongly recreates that oppressive period climate, but also everyday "behind the iron curtain".

Review:

During the 1980s, while the Polish police and secret service carried out Operation or Action Jacinto, the young detective Robert (Tomasz Zietek, with an air of Polish Alain Delon) faces the investigation, as an undercover agent, of a murder in the underground gay community in Warsaw. Despite the rapid "solving" of the case under pressure from the SB (Polish intelligence and secret police, in which his own father is a colonel), Robert insists on carrying out the investigation and will do so for more than one reason.

What appeared to be a Polish version of Cruising at the beginning, is definitely not. Piotr Domalewski's film is a neo noir in which Robert's research poses challenges to the system that are later enhanced by more personal ones that are added. It is controversial for a Polish fiction to relate a police investigation referring to a period during which thousands of homosexuals were registered in a compulsive way from raids in a framework of denunciation so expensive to Stalinism and police brutality and that gave rise to all kinds of extortion. In other words, Operation Jacinto appears as the background of the investigation and not as the plot axis of the film. Perhaps for this reason, his denunciation is more powerful since he paints a whole period painting.

This is another of those films that strongly recreates that period climate "behind the iron curtain." The staging uses a photograph and a successful eighties soundtrack and the police and personal intrigues of the detective (although they contain some predictable elements) are very well concocted and carried out, supported by the acting solvency to which we are accustomed to Polish fictions.

!980's Poland. The cracks in the repressive system are showing everywhere. This is a time when Solidarity, the trade union becomes a force to reckon with. The era of ideals has long gone, nobody believes in the Communist "paradise", least of all communists themselves. All that's left is naked repression. And they certainly knew how to repress. Among many other monstrous ideas was to make list of known homosexuals and force them into collaboration. "Operation Hyacinth" is an impeccably done film-noir. The set-up might be quite familiar, lone wolf policeman fighting for justice, but this drab, gray world of the Iron Curtain Poland is starting to shift and change giving a glimpse of things to come. Long path from Communism to ultra-catholic right-wing nationalism might seem like a colossal waste of time, but the bare fact of this movie being made, shows that better things are coming. The old repression didn't win in the end, the new one will fail too. Sooner or later.

This film seemed to me to be a rather sick heterosexual fantasy of violence with little connection with reality. It was also very difficult to work out what was going on. Why did we have that (as usual, offensive) bit of heterosex at the beginning ? It seems that every film now has to include sex and violence (usually with guns).

I cruised in toilets in countries where homosexuality was illegal, and where there were occasional police raids. I cruised in East Berlin in 1986, which turned out to be a better experience than any I had in West Berlin.

Heterosexuals seem to be taking ownership of queerness as American cinema has taken over the whole world. I have met over 100 queers and none of them had had problems with the police.

There have been stories of police acting as agents-provocateurs in 'cottages', and certainly this did occur.

The main problem for queers (especially those who looked vulnerable) was drunken or homophobic or otherwise-disturbed youths and young men in twos or threes - or, occasionally, gangs.

I think that there is some tiny bit of truth in the fascist "Cold Winter Theory" as evidenced in the thousands of films that have issued and are still issuing from European (American, Australian etc) film makers whose films almost all contain enacted sex, violence and (slightly less often) firearms. This supposedly LGBTQ-supporting film had all of them...appealing not to LGBTQ people but to thrill-seeking heterosexual 'normals'.

This film seemed to me to be a cynical exploitation/exaggeration of situations that occurred on either side of the Iron Curtain. In my country (Ireland) 'homosexual acts' weren't legalised until 1987, and public toilets, such as 'mushrooms', 'cottages', 'tasses', etc were much used by men seeking partners, pals, friends for life - or instant relief. From 1966 to 1996 I never once encountered a policeman, except once or twice IN UNIFORM as a warning in Belfast's Botanic Gardens.

Poland is usually against lgbt so it was skeptical about this movie even though is fact based. Now I wish to be able to watch it again for the first time. I hope more movies like this appear in poland because they make me finally proud of film making there. And make me feel represented. This might be a big step for polish netflix so please dont waste it! Even my not so accepting parents loved it. And finally 1980s' warsaw shown beautifully and accurately. Another film representing in the same awesome way I can think of is "Suicide Room" which was also really good. So go for it and please poland dont mess it up!

Excellent casting. Some of the plot connections are a bit elusive, but the message of political and police abuse is very clear. The film certainly underscores the cultural oppression of Poland. Hopefully the honesty that this film brings to bear will help to change cultural attitudes.

Very worth viewing.

It's an eye opener for those of us who know little about what was happening behind the Iron Curtain, particularly in communist Poland circa 1985-1987. It's against the background of the operation targeting queer people (as in LGBTQ+) that the story of Robert Mrozowska is told. He is fighting an entrenched system that clearly doesn't look kindly to lone rangers or no-nonsense detectives. His grim determination is admirable, and actor Tomasz Zistek effortlessly breathes life into it. As he finds out more about the murders, he also finds more about himself. But is going down this path worth it?

Tomasz and Hubert Milkowski deliver great, subtle performances as Robert and Arek, respectively.

The script is taut and gripping, and you are immersed in the twists of the story. Director Piotr Domalewski succeeds in creating a story that is haunting; the viewer can't shake off the sense of realism that imbues this film.

Really nice movie! What are you waiting for watching that. Drama based on real facts. 10 stars ;) spoken in polish, native language, as it need to be to better representes the cultura.

I honestly did not expect such a high-quality film. The performances of the actors are the key strength of Operation Hyacinth. Unfortunately, the narrative lacks depth, despite the film serving as a powerful snapshot of a historical period for the gay community in countries like Poland under the communist regime, as well as in more conservative nations like Italy, where even after the sexual revolution of the 1970s, gay individuals remained on secret police lists and faced homophobia during investigations.

The film shines a light on the everyday lives of queer people from diverse backgrounds, challenging common stereotypes. While the acting largely sustains the film, the storytelling could have been more refined. Additionally, despite being one of the better-dubbed foreign films, some terminology in the dialogues feels censored or out of place. For example, a policeman in 1980s Poland would certainly not use a term like "queer".

That said, Operation Hyacinth effectively reveals how, despite cultural and social revolutions, the reality for LGBTQ+ individuals in many countries remains hidden beneath a façade of "normality" dictated by social conventions.