Dlug

Forget special effects. Forget complicated story lines with killers looming in the dark while desperate Nicolle Kidmans scream their minds away in front of the cameras. Forget your run-of-the mill Hollywood film made and remade a hundred times. See 'The Debt' instead. This little and unfortunately unknown Polish film doesn't need any of the above artifacts to impress you: only the true story it was based on, a hand-held camera, and a couple of strong performances. The rest makes itself. And what you get is mind-numbing. The film might well contain the most believable murder scene I have ever seen depicted on screen outside of war contexts. Realism is so stark it makes you feel you're part of the storyline itself. You watch this film unfold and you might as well be watching your own life, God-forbid should you ever end up in a situation like that of the characters'. Highly recommended!

Remarkable movie with a transcendent (and frightening) content: How far a normal and reasonable person could go when facing a critical situation.

One of the positive features of the movie is it's low budget, so the director can focus on deliver us a raw, shocking and realistic movie.

The point here is something which we are not willing to face, but as the matter of fact, it happened to a couple of regular guys.

As you can imagine, the approach of this movie is quite philosophical and psychological. A good chance to looking at ourselves in the mirror as human beings.

8/10

This movie is amazing. I have never heard of it before I accidentally ran into it at the video store and I am very glad I picked it up. Although the story is fairly simple, the way it is portrayed is amazing. The dialogue of the characters, their actions, the scenery. Everything sets the mood of a very emotional film. By the end you start to feel like you are one of the characters and picturing what you would do in this situation.

The plot is basically a few start-up polish businessmen become mixed up with the mob and end up owing a debt to them. After the friends refuse to pay it, the mob starts to threaten them and their families.

Based on true events, the movie shows the dilemma faced by law-abiding people confronted by ruthless, petty criminals. The Police is simply not interested - there is not enough evidence to get a conviction, so why bother. In the meantime, the victims and their families are being gradually destroyed as the criminals are trying to force them to re-pay an imaginary debt. This movie will make you think - how would you react - what would you do differently to avoid the final tragedy. Excellent acting, strong plot, high quality DVD with excellent English subtitles - well worth watching.

Krzysztof Krauze's "Dług" ("The Debt" in English) is an intense movie in and of itself, focusing on a pair of men whose involvement with a gangster has some VERY unpleasant consequences. But even more unnerving is that it's based on a true story (read about Sławomir Sikora and Artur Bryliński). It sounds as though the movie is also an allusion to Poland's rapid transition to a market economy in the 1990s, which was essentially a shock doctrine. But moreover, anyone could make the mistake that these men make in an attempt to get rich.

I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it's a good cautionary tale about moneymaking schemes that spin out of control. If your aim is simply to get rich, expect some bad things to happen. The Gordon Gekko types may idolize greed, but what's it done for the rest of us?