A tight thriller about an increasingly mentally ill Polish army officer and the effects of his paranoia on his family. A central plot McGuffin about corruption in commercial use of a military facility is never fully explored; the Captain believes he has found proof but loses his job at around the same time and begins his spiral of suspicion and frightening persecution theories.
This lack of resolution becomes a theme. A priest might or might not have led the Captain to a certain view; other officers might be conspiring to force him out if his job; his wife might be cheating, his daughter slipping into delinquency; we primarily (but not exclusively) see things through the Captain's eyes.
Pacing is a weakness. The descent from normal life into social isolation and paranoid behaviour happens quickly, but the middle third feels too slow as a result, before a rushed ending. There is a strong theme of First Brigade military identity, with songs and drunken parties, but no development of the Army idea - the presence of a model yacht could imply a marine ethic, a firing range is mentioned, but the Captain's job is not defined and the only reference to operational activity is a mention of "those reports", the laziest meme in cinema at the moment.
I have seen a few Polish films recently and this stands out as the most professional and mature. It avoids passing judgment, and all main characters are portrayed in sympathetic ways. We find ourselves caught up in the plight of the wife and the children, even feeling a little concern for the Captain in spite of his nasty world view. Indeed, we have little way of knowing that this view predates his illness other than a comment the older son made to his teacher. A sensitively handled and insightful film about serious illness.
