An alternate reality in which communism has never really caught on in
Eastern Europe, and after experimenting with the system, Poland has
returned to being a monarchy - though the monarchs are now more decadent
than ever before. At the same time, China has set out to conquer all of
Europe and spread its Communism everywhere. In these uncertain times,
Zypcio (Michal Lewandowski) has set out to study Western literature, but
all his lofty goals add up to naught once he has made the acquaintance of
Princess Irina (Katarzyna Gniewkowska), who collects young men like others
collect stamps, and before long, the two of them start a relationship, but
while he falls in love with her, she cruelly plays with him and his
jealousy. On his deathbed, Zypcio's father (Cezary Pazura) leaves his
brewery and family fortune not to him but the workers' co-op, leaving
Zypcio penniless and with no other option than to join the army and serve
the all-powerful Commander (Cezary Pazura again), who doesn't only rule
the country in these uncertain times but has also taken it upon himself to
train (and humiliate) all his soldiers personally. With Zypcio having
joined the army and rising through the ranks, he has become interesting to
the Princess once again, as she and others are opposed to the Commander's
leadership and want to take control of the country - and Zypcio is
supposed to be their head spy. Zypcio turns her down, since he has since
fallen in love with another woman, Persy (Weronika Marczuk-Pazura) - who
in turn has turned him down time and again -, but somehow he is unable to
escape the Princess's clutches, and when an open battle breaks out between the
Princess's people and the army, he finds himself between the fronts. The
commander defeats the Princess and company though and welcomes Zypcio back
into the army with open arms. Finally, the Chinese have reached Poland,
and the Commander has to realize that he could only lose a battle with the
invaders - yet he has everybody shot who suggests surrender ... only to
ultimately surrender, thus securing the survival of his soldiers and the
Polish nation. The Chinese leader (Arkadiusz Jakubik) invites the
commander and his men, among them Zypcio, for breakfast, expresses his
admiration for the Commander, but in the next sentence sentences him to
death - but allows him to shag his secretary Persy (the woman who has
turned down Zypcio time and again) one last time, before he hands a
sword to Zypcio to behead the Commander, after which Zypcio, who has
throughout the film always denied and even lost his sexual identity, rapes
Persy ... A mad, self-consciously perverted socio-political
satire that doesn't show much respect towards anything and doesn't shy
away from broad and offensive humour every now and again either -
especially a particularly politically incorrect depiction of a Chinese man
by a non-Oriental easily comes to mind. But as mad and enjoyably lacking
in respect this film has set out to be, it's by no means perfect: There is
simply way too much dialogue in this two-hour film while the images don't
always mirror the topics the film touches (e.g. for a film in
which sex is constantly mentioned, there is surprisingly little
nudity), which makes the film a tad tiresome at times. But even despite
that, on the whole, Insatiability is still a wild enough ride to enjoy,
even if it seems to fail to live up to its promises.
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