What happens in a country that has suddenly changed its political system? When all the old values, which for decades were brought up more than one generation, replaced by others, collapsed – money and power. When much is suddenly allowed and the law will serve not those on whose side the truth is, but who can pay more. When law enforcement officers trade weapons for drugs and turn a prison into a hotbed for terrorism. When ...
According to the film, it all happened to Bulgaria. But it is worth remembering what happened in our country in those dashing 90s and it is easy enough to believe that what was shown on the screen may well be true. Spetsnaz and police are now only formally owned by the same agency, and the internationally wanted killer easily finds refuge in Sofia thanks to his connections in high-profile circles. The head of the prison has her errands, and when, tired of this, tried to betray her and free herself from the yoke hanging around her neck, she did not stand on ceremony. I have never met anyone or anything.
Can there be justice where everything has long been sold, bought and sold? Or can it? Once the law does not come to the rescue, which has long ceased to be observed and it remained only on paper, it remains to take matters into their own hands. Even if you have to sacrifice one of your own, sending him as a prisoner directly to the hornet nest, which turned out to be the county prison.
There, behind bars, their orders. They won’t get on ceremony just because your passport says you’re a foreigner. And when they suspect that you are not who you say you are, then you can only feel sorry for yourself and even the hope that someone will come to the rescue becomes more and more ghostly.
Lies and venality - and no nobility, even from those who were positioned as a positive character. To knock out the necessary testimony, you can resort to any kind of torture and the question arises - so is there at least one positive person in the film? And then the answer is no. Unless the old man is a prisoner – but would he have been able to live so many years behind bars if he had not learned to survive in this dirty world, adapting to those who are stronger and more influential than him?
Again, the answer is no. And he will be asked – is there a happy ending in this film? Yes, revenge is done, but did it bring relief? It's a European film - and unlike its overseas counterparts with similar plots, it doesn't aim to give relief in the end and faith in a cloudless future - quite the opposite. That it'll only get worse. These criminals will be replaced by others, even more cunning, influential and ruthless, and special forces, deprived of funding, may well be disbanded.
Is it really that bad? And for the first time, the answer is yes. The characters of the film live in the past and the present, they do not think about the future, because they understand that today they managed to defeat the enemy, but it may happen that tomorrow they will be in his place and will take bribes and turn a blind eye to the drug trade – only to survive, since now the law means nothing to them.