Knife in the Water (film)
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| Knife in the Water | |
|---|---|
 original polish movie poster |
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| Directed by | Roman Polanski |
| Produced by | Stanislaw Zylewicz |
| Written by | Jerzy Skolimowski Roman Polanski Jakub Goldberg |
| Starring | Leon Niemczyk Jolanta Umecka Zygmunt Malanowicz Roman Polanski (voice) |
| Release date(s) | March 9, 1962 |
| Running time | 94 min |
| Language | Polish |
| IMDb profile | |
Nóż w wodzie (Knife in the Water) is a 1962 film directed by Roman Polański. Knife in the Water is a three-character drama that mainly deals with rivalry and sexual tension.
The film begins as Andrzej and Krystyna are driving to a lake to go sailing when they come upon a young man hitchhiking in the middle of the road. After nearly hitting him, Andrzej sarcastically invites the young man to pick his seat and to take a nap while they continue driving. When they arrive at the docks, instead of leaving the young man behind, Andrzej invites him to sail with them for the day. The young man accepts the offer, and, not knowing much about sailing, is forced to learn many hard lessons from Andrzej. Meanwhile, tension gradually builds between Andrzej and the unnamed hitchhiker as they vie for the attentions of the young wife. The title refers to the major turning point in the film when Andrzej taunts the young man with his (the young male's) treasured pocket knife and accidentally drops it overboard.
Knife in the Water was shot in 1962 with three actors, two of whom (Jolanta Umecka, playing Krystyna and Zygmunt Malanowicz - the young man) had virtually no previous professional experience and was Polanski's first feature film. It brought him fame and respect in the film community and got him on the cover of Time magazine. Previous to Knife in the Water, Polanski had only made short films such as Mammals, When Angels Fall, and The Lamp. Knife in the Water features intimate camera placement to heighten the triangle of tension between Andrzej, Krystyna, and the young man. The voice of the character was dubbed by Polański himself. Knife in the Water was shot with clinical detachment, cat-and-mouse test of wits, and high contrast black and white cinematography. It was a nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1963 Academy Awards.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Knife in the Water at the Internet Movie Database
- Criterion Collection essay by Peter Cowie
- Knife in the Water at Rotten Tomatoes
| Films directed by Roman Polanski |
|---|
| Rower • Uśmiech zębiczny • Rozbijemy zabawę • Morderstwo • Dwaj ludzie z szafą • Lampa • Gdy spadają anioly (When Angels Fall) • Le Gros et le maigre • Ssaki • Nóż w wodzie • Les Plus belles escroqueries du monde • Repulsion • Cul-de-Sac • The Fearless Vampire Killers • Rosemary's Baby • Macbeth • What? • Chinatown • The Tenant • Tess • Pirates • Frantic • Bitter Moon • Death and the Maiden • The Ninth Gate • The Pianist • Oliver Twist • To each his cinema • Pompeii |
