Knife in the Water (1962)
Grade: 65
"Knife in the Water" was the first feature film that Roman Polanski directed, having earlier made a series of shorts. It was also the last film that he would make in Poland, as critical success and government interference led to greener pastures in France and America.
Supposedly the script was written in only three days, by Polanski, Jerzy Skolimowski and Jakub Goldberg. It was a low budget film with only three actors, two of them amateurs whose voices were later dubbed (Polanski himself did the voice of the drifter). With most of the story taking place on a sailboat, only a few sets were used. But Jerzy Lipman's cinematography was very good, as was the script.
The plot has proud, successful sportswriter Andrzej (Leon Niemczyk) spending a weekend sailing with his younger, attractive wife Christine (Jolanta Umecka). Their marriage seems loveless, and Andrzej in need of distraction, so it is little surprise when Andrzej picks up a nameless teenage hitchiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz) and invites him to go sailing with them.
>From the start, Andrzej and the drifter try to impress each other, with the tensions rising and falling through a series of oneupsmanships. Andrzej has the advantages of greater life experience, greater physical size, and the possession of Christine, but he seems to need the respect of the drifter, who isn't disposed to give it readily. Christine tries to be a peacemaker, but the tension between the men eventually turns to violence.
"Knife in the Water" is a moody, interesting character study. However, it is often slow, and the ending is a bit contrived to give Christine and the young man a romantic scene together.
"Knife in the Water" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. The British Academy Awards gave it Best Film (of any source). Polanski later achieved great success in America with "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown", before an encounter with a teenage girl forced him to leave the country.
briankoller@usa.net http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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