Knife in the Water (1962)

Released in 1962, Knife in the Water (Polish: Nóz w wodzie) was director Roman Polanski's full-length debut. Married couple Andrzej (Leon Niemczyk) and Krystyna (Jolanta Umecka) are driving to the marina when they pick up a hitchhiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz). Though Andrzej is initially angry at the young man for standing the middle of the road, he invites him to come sailing. Once on the boat, tension arises between the two men because of Krystyna sexual appeal and the hitchhiker's poverty versus Andrzej's affluence. Not only is the title a metaphor for the boat as it moves through the lake, but it also refers to the intimidating knife that the young man carries with him. Knife in the Water is entertaining enough. The cinematography on the lake and the low-key soundtrack by jazz legend Krzysztof Komeda are memorable. But personally I don't find this to be an especially great film. It feels derivative of Italian cinema of the time, without an original touch. The casting of the weathered, 32 year-old Malanowicz as a 19 year-old student undermines its credibility. I suspect that the film gained so much attention on release due to its risque nature (especially novel in a film from the Eastern Bloc) instead of its intrinsic merit.