Knife in the Water (1962)

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

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Jakub Goldberg (scenario), Roman Polanski (scenario)

Stars:

Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka, Zygmunt Malanowicz

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Leon Niemczyk	...	Andrzej
Jolanta Umecka	...	Krystyna
Zygmunt Malanowicz	...	Young Man

Storyline

Well off Andrzej and Krystyna's marriage is at a stage where familiarity breeds contempt, that contempt which is outwardly shown only behind closed doors and only when an incident of some sort sets off one or the other. While driving through the countryside on a Sunday on their way to the lake to embark on an overnight sailing excursion, they almost run over a young male hitchhiker. Despite the antagonism between Andrzej and the hitchhiker, Andrzej offers him a ride as far as the marina. By the time they reach the lake, their antagonism has dissipated enough that Andrzej asks if he would like to join them on their sailing trip. The hitchhiker accepts despite knowing nothing about sailing. As the sailing trip progresses, the antagonism between the two men begins to increase again, fueled on both sides as each strives to be the alpha male. Andrzej needs to show his superiority, while the hitchhiker needs to show that his young age and inexperience, not only with sailing but with life in...

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | woman in bikini | female nudity | sailing | hitchhiker | 

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Taglines:

Acclaimed by All

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Release Date:

28 October 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Knife in the Water

Filming Locations:

Poland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zespol Filmowy "Kamera"

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Forms part of a loose trilogy of films based around a psychological ménage-à-trois with Cul-De-Sac (1966) and Death and the Maiden (1994). All three films feature a couple whose lives are turned upside down by an outside character.

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Goofs

Although the Peugeot 403 is seen in the first scenes and the last distant shot at the end, the car the couple get in to and drive away from the pier on their return from the trip is the elusive Mercedes 190 talked about as replaced in the trivia.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Andrzej: [sees the boy for the first time] Hitching at this hour.

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Connections

Referenced in El Empantanado: The Muddy (2016)

User Reviews

Eye of the Beholder

This early work of Polanski's shows us that he has always had a great eye with the camera and he shows us that he's not afraid to use it. He frequently breaks way from the traditional film shots as he frames the shots in unique and interesting ways.

The story is simple and yet he is able to brew some dark energy even with an amateurish cast. The psychological conflict that continues to grow until we have storm on the set and a storm in the film is somewhat simple in it's symbolism but unlike many director's today he is looking at the story on multiple levels.

All in all this still has the feel of a really good student film. It reminds my somewhat of Scorese's "Whose That Knocking at My Door". I'd have to say that it's overrated in most aspects but I find it a tasty morsel of things to come.