Knife in the Water (Nóz w wodzie)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Written by Jakub Goldberg, Roman Polanski, and Jerzy Skolimowski
1962/Poland
Zespol Filmowy “Kamera”
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box]Krystyna: You’re just like him… only half his age, and twice as dumb.[/box]
Polanski proves himself to be a very talented beginner.
From the outset Andrzej and Kristina seem to have a rocky relationship. He is decades older than she is and, more importantly, is a complete jerk. When a young hitchhiker tries to catch a ride by standing in the middle of the road, Andrzej brakes at the last possible second. (The young hitchhiker is never named in the film and will be referred to here as the Young Man. His dialogue was post-dubbed by Polanski.)
Then to prove a some kind of point to Kristina, he gives the Young Man a lift. The couple are going as far as the nearby marina, where they plan a day’s sailing on their boat. Andrzej invites the Young Man to join them, apparently to torture both him and Kristina.
Andrzej then begins a sort of Alpha Male competition with the Young Man. He belatedly finds out the Young Man can more than hold his own …
There is an underlying theme of class struggle going on here as it would be a rare couple in 1962 Poland who would privately own both a Mercedes and a boat. On the other hand, the Young Man is almost as obnoxious as Andrzej.
It’s an interesting watch that amounts to less than what it promises. The shooting, on the other hand, is brilliant – the kind where almost every frame makes a beautiful still. Polanski does fall victim to self-conscious artiness at times here. He would improve.
Knife in the Water was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign-Language Film.
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