Directed by: Władysław Pasikowski
Starring: Bogusław Linda, Karolina Gruszka, Ireneusz Czop, Dobromir Dymecki
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Historical accuracy is often just a bonus in action films. The same holds true for Polish spy thrillers set against the backdrop of the Cold War. Ten years after Jack Strong, Władysław Pasikowski returns with Zamach na papieża (Operation Pope), a liberal reimagining of the failed 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.
Written by Pasikowski himself and loosely inspired by real events, the film introduces a fictional protagonist: Konstanty “Bruno” Brusicki, a Polish sniper portrayed by Bogusław Linda, the director’s long-time favourite. At the Kremlin’s request, Bruno reluctantly steps in as the would-be assassin of the pontiff. His health is failing, his days are numbered, and he cannot leave Poland—yet he agrees to the mission when promised a chance to see his pregnant daughter living across the Iron Curtain in Germany.
Bruno’s final weeks unfold in a remote mountain cabin, where he seeks solace with Bianka (Karolina Gruszka), an old acquaintance and prostitute for hire. This intimate subplot adds depth to a character torn between resignation and resolve, making his journey as much about redemption as espionage. At over seventy, Linda proves he’s still one of the most high-octane actors in Polish cinema, embodying a character with a dark, troubled past and ready to face his own reckoning.
The scenes where Bruno practices long-range shooting under the sun in a rugged, rocky landscape rank among the most visually striking moments in Pasikowski’s entire filmography. That said, Operation Pope is classic Pasikowski through and through: sharp-tongued dialogue peppered with profanity, a dose of Melvillian existentialism, female characters who exist only in relation to their male counterparts, and a soundtrack punctuated melodramatically with saccharine saxophones. In its final act, Bruno harms and kills far too many, and the film teeters on the edge of comic-book territory.
Like every other Pasikowski film, it’s a take-it-or-leave-it proposition—but the viewer can’t always take it. Operation Pope was screened in theaters in the UK and Ireland, and when watched while crunching popcorn, it works decidedly better.
Film Reviewed by Giuseppe Sedia
Published by Kino Mania on December 4, 2025