Nóz w wodzie (1962)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Jakub Goldberg (writer)
Roman Polanski (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

28 October 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

On their way to a sailing trip, an aging husband and wife invite along an emphatic young hitchhiker out of sheer patronization.

Plot Keywords:

Sail | Knife | Sailing | Hitchhiker | Radio

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Leon Niemczyk	...	Andrzej
Jolanta Umecka	...	Krystyna
Zygmunt Malanowicz	...	Young Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Ciepielewska	...	Krystyna (voice) (uncredited)
Roman Polanski	...	Young Boy (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jakub Goldberg		writer
Roman Polanski		writer
Jerzy Skolimowski		dialogue
Jerzy Skolimowski		screenplay

Produced by
Stanislaw Zylewicz	....	producer

Original Music by
Krzysztof Komeda		(as Krzysztof T. Komeda)

Cinematography by
Jerzy Lipman

Film Editing by
Halina Prugar-Ketling		(as Halina Prugar)

Production Design by
Boleslaw Kamykowski

Makeup Department
Zdzislaw Papierz	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Josef Krakowski	....	production manager
Jerzy Laskowski	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jakub Goldberg	....	assistant director
Andrzej Kostenko	....	assistant director
Maria Pietrzak	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jerzy Bossak	....	artistic director

Sound Department
Halina Paszkowska	....	sound
Jerzy Szawlowski	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Andrzej Gronau	....	camera operator
Julian Magda	....	assistant camera
Józef Nasiadka	....	assistant camera
Jerzy Szurowski	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Maria Karpowicz	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bernt Rosengren	....	musician: saxophone

Other crew
Jerzy Stefan Stawinski	....	literary director (as Jerzy Stawinski)

Production Companies

• Zespol Filmowy "Kamera"

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Suomi-Filmi (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (USA) (VHS)
• Kanawha (1963) (USA) (subtitled)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• RKV (Argentina) (video)

Also Known As:

Knife in the Water (USA)
Nóż w wodzie (Poland)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (2004) | UK:PG (video rating) (1992)

Filming Locations:

Gizycko, Poland

Company:

Zespol Filmowy "Kamera"

Trivia:

The first scene in the film shows Andrzej and Krystyna driving a car. As shooting from the platform in front of the car was not yet available, the crew was tied to the car, standing on its mask. To get the proper light effects, they held a blanket with a small hole for the camera. Leon Niemczyk (Andrzej) was really driving this car quite fast (this was crucial to this scene), but he couldn't see anything. He drove the car using the tops of the trees to imagine where the road is.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the young boy is trying to stabilize the Christine by hanging off its side, you can see the railing of the camera boat in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'El Chicko' - der Verdacht (1995)

The games people play

Polanski's first feature, on paper, sounds like nothing more than a run-of-the-mill claustrophobic thriller set on a boat - a couple takes a loner on board, you figure out the rest. 'Dead Calm', 'The Deep', etc etc etc.

Instead, 'Knife In The Water' is an agonisingly tense look at male posturing & ego, the husband & hitch-hiker constantly challenging each other in every possible way - sailing prowess, games of fiddlesticks, knife throwing & just generally strutting about. There's almost never a single moment where the two aren't trying to trump each other, & one gets the impression that it's not even to impress the girl, so much as themselves. As the film progresses, the tension mounts & tempers fray.

In a Hollywood film, this would build up to a dramatic climax of violence & catharsis, accompanied with thunder & lightning. Polanski doesn't let us off the hook that easily - things get rough, but the games continue, right until the very end of the film.

Shot in black & white, with a cast of three, & virtually one small location, 'Knife In The Water' puts bigger films to shame. No stars, no pyrotechnics, no special effects, probably very little budget, & it's completely riveting from start to finish.

It was nominated for the Best Foreign Film at the Oscars - the first feature of a young Polish film student - & rightly so.

A brilliant start to a brilliant career.