When the young man realizes that Andrzej has gone he comes out from hiding behind a buoy on the lake and swims to the yacht. It is very good.” ... Polanski burst onto the international scene with Knife in the Water, one of the most critically adored full-length debuts in film history. A few foreign directors like Jean Renoir were summoned to Hollywood, but they invariably found it impossible to make movies with the studio czars breathing in their ears. Kind of a highly refined sitcom type of film. You’ve seen Rosemary’s Baby, Knife in the Water isn’t really so obscure, I can’t muster much of any enthusiasm for either Macbeth or Cul-De-Sac, and thus an inclusion of Polanski comes down to the selection of Tess. Time used a still from the film, with Umecka and Malanowicz on the verge of a kiss, as the cover of an issue featuring international cinema. Two of the actors (Jolanta Umecka, who plays Krystyna and Zygmunt Malanowicz, who plays the young man) had virtually no previous professional acting experience. That is the case with "Rosemary's Baby," which Roman Polanski directed without anybody looking over his shoulder. All Polanski's films have dealt with macabre, bizarre subjects. In Memoriam 1942-2013. He'll start in on motivation and all that nonsense.". The U.S. National Board of Review named Macbeth the Best Film of 1971 . The scariest scene in this second installment of Quentin Tarantino's crime thriller was of the live burial of the revenge-seeking Bride (Uma Thurman) by Bill's (David Carradine) degenerate brother Budd (Michael Madsen). The plot is standard unimaginative Hollywood fare, and seems to make a situation (which could easily have been resolved by the characters) into an unconvincing thriller with an unbelievable script which features a series of contrived episodes. In the USSR, the film was not shown. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Knife in the Water tells a story of limited spaces and intense circumstances. Harry plans to ambush Tarzan when he appears. Married couples are disturbed (in both senses of the word) by intruders in Knife In The Water, Cul-De-Sac, Rosemary’s Baby and Macbeth. This is a great Polanski film. He is modest and proud by turns; told he was lucky to get such a splendid performance from Cassavetes, he said: "Luck has nothing to do with it. It was a botch." 67% of IMDB and Kinopoisk users gave this film a rating of 8 to 10. "I saw 'Vampire Killers' and I wanted to throw up," Polanski admitted with candor during an interview last week. Paramount signed Mia Farrow for the role, Polanski said. Andrzej (Leon Niemczyk) and Krystyna (Jolanta Umecka) are driving to a lake to go sailing when they come upon a young man (Zygmunt Malanowicz) hitchhiking in the middle of the road. I am a good director.". Then I discovered, somewhat to my surprise, that she is a brilliant actress. Jane pleads: "Harry, Harry, you musn't do that, you promised. "Rosemary's Baby" tells of a pregnant young girl (Mia Farrow) who suspects her husband (John Cassavetes) has already sold their baby to witches next door. I remember Sciskle and Ebert reviewed it. ... they put together a number of classic “standards” like Jules et Jim and Knife In the Water for less money than buying them all … As the voyage progresses, the antagonism between the two men grows. When they arrive at the lake, instead of leaving the young man behind, Andrzej invites him to go sailing with them. This is the pattern of Knife in the Water, Cul-de-Sac, Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby and The Tenant. If the three emerge from their sailing trip alive, they may be forever changed by their encounter. 7/26/2019 Casper Van Dien and Judd Nelson star in Chris Helton's thriller about three friends who run into trouble during a weekend yacht cruise. Krzysztof Komeda composed the film's music and the featured saxophonist was Bernt Rosengren. His first film, "Knife in the Water," is recognized as a classic. This is one of the most difficult woman's parts I can imagine." Krystyna sails back to the dock, the man jumps off and goes on his way before Andrzej appears and takes charge again. Andrzej and his wife quarrel about what to do, and Andrzej swims to shore to fetch the police. He wants to go to the police to report the young man missing. Players: Roger Ebert; Perez Hilton, Bam Margera, and other Ryan Dunn fans and friends.Opening Serve: Yesterday's news that Jackass star Ryan Dunn died in a car accident solicited a slew of sentimental tweets, but film critic Roger Ebert's comments on the incident sparked a spat. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. The result is a chilling, macabre film of the sort Polanski has already made in Europe. This 60 x 60 original abstract landscape on 1.5" canvas highlights the peacefulness and serenity that can be found during time spent in nature. "I had only seen her on the cover of Life. His first film, "Knife in the Water," is recognized as a classic. Polański himself had an offer to make an English-language, colour remake, with a Hollywood cast (including Henry Fonda), but he refused, saying he did not want to do a remake of a movie that was already good. Knife in the Water (Polish: Nóż w wodzie) is a 1962 Polish drama film co-written and directed by Roman Polanski, which was nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Krystyna tells him that the young man returned and she was unfaithful. Polanski is the first director from an Iron Curtain country to work in Hollywood. Polanski's first feature film, and his only in Polish, it features three characters in a story of rivalry and sexual tension. The title refers to the major turning point in the film when Andrzej taunts the young man with the latter's treasured pocket knife, which is accidentally lost overboard. Those events surely influenced readers and editors at least as much as Fox’s Crist-killing. The result is a chilling, macabre film of the sort Polanski has already made in Europe. Online DVD rentals since 1999. After all, “Pirates” is scarcely a reprise of “Knife in the Water,” Polanski’s psychological thriller set entirely on a yacht; it’s a swashbuckler, pure and simple. [8], Knife in the Water was released on VHS in 1996,[9] and on DVD in 2003 by The Criterion Collection.[10]. A far-fetched story with little suspense and unconvincing scenarios, Lady In The Water feels contrived, pretentious, and rather silly. Nóz w wodzie / Knife in the Water (1962 Poland 94 mins) Prod Co: Zespol Filmowy “Kamera” Prod: Stanislaw Zylewicz Dir: Roman Polanski Scr: Jerzy Skolimowski, Jakub Goldberg, Roman Polanski Phot: Jerzy Lipman Ed: Halina Paszkowska Prod Des: Boleslaw Kamykowski Mus: Krzysztof T. Komeda. A Clockwork Orange (1971) A small, slight man who looks much younger than his 34 years, Polanski could pass for a member of a pop group. [4] The film has been included in lists of the best debut feature films[5] and was ranked number 61 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010. Roger Ebert is probably the most famous movie critic of all time. Polanski's first feature film, and his only in Polish, it features three characters in a story of rivalry and sexual tension. Andrzej and his wife search for him, but cannot find him and assume that he has drowned, since earlier he said that he could not swim. One month after the publication of the review, Ebert passed away. Andrzej does not know what to believe and at the road junction, where they would turn one way to return home and another to go to the police station, the car does not move. Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, List of submissions to the 36th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, List of Polish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, "The 36th Academy Awards (1964) Nominees and Winners", "Polska – Najlepsze filmy według wszystkich ankietowanych", The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knife_in_the_Water&oldid=1013442345, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 21 March 2021, at 17:09. Who would have guessed 20 years ago, for example, that Paramount would entrust one of its most lucrative properties to a young Polish director without previous Hollywood experience, and then let him write his own script and edit the movie to satisfy his own whims? Catherine Deneuve is Carol, a fragile, frigid young beauty cracking up in her London flat when left alone by her vacationing sister. "The producer cut 20 minutes out of it and added a little cartoon to explain vampires. After nearly hitting him, Andrzej invites the young man along. I never saw it at the cinema, so I purchased it for home viewing. In a famously caustic film review of the Bruce Willis remake of The Jackal, the late Roger Ebert noted that the titular hitman “strikes me as the kind of overachiever who, assigned to kill a mosquito, would purchase contraband insecticides from Iraq and bring them into the United States by hot air balloon, distilling his drinking water from clouds and shooting birds for food”. Ah yes, I personally find Allen excessively repetitive. However, upon revisiting the gorgeously remastered cinematic debut from Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski with his anxiety laden, three-character stunner Knife in the Water, we’re never sure if the danger lies within the hearts of either the mysteriously nameless, young, blonde hitchhiker (Oskar Werner look-alike, Zygmunt Malanowicz) or the bourgeois couple with whom he finds himself traveling, … Original by Roey Ebert… It marked Polanski's debut as a feature-length director. The setting is 1937 Los Angeles.J.J. Knife in the Water is just three people on a boat. Roger Ebert (film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times) gave it 4 out of 4 stars saying that "It's an original film by an original film artist, and not an interpretation". We rent DVD movies by mail in the U.S. by monthly subscription and pay-per-rental. The young man accepts the offer, and, not knowing much about sailing, must learn many hard lessons from Andrzej. His others have been "Repulsion," the curious, brilliant "Cul-de-Sac," and the dreadful "Fearless Vampire Killers.". [3] It won the FIPRESCI Prize in 1962 Venice Film Festival. Once you start discussing a part with an actor, he won't let you alone. 12th Annual AAFCA Awards to be Held April 7th, The Unloved, Part 88: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, HBO Max’s Made for Love Really Wants Your Likes and Retweets, Emerald Fennell on Promising Young Woman, Responses to the Film, and More, This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection. Being filmed on the water (in the Polish Lake District Masuria), and largely within the confines of a sailboat and life raft, the film was technically difficult. The hitchhiker's pocket knife, seemingly his most prized possession on his person, becomes a symbol of that power struggle between the two men. [1], Knife in the Water was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1963 Academy Awards,[2] the first Polish motion picture to receive this kind of recognition. Though one of Höch's earliest works, this ambitious collage is unusual within her canon for being particularly large; it measures 35 x 57 inches. Polanski, the wild man of the young European directors, made this after "Knife in the Water" and before he came to Hollywood. Jane begs her father to let her talk to Tarzan to reach some understanding with him. References Knife in the Water (1962) Alternating eyes blinking while looking at thumb. Many of the period’s prominent political leaders—Kaiser Wilhelm II, Weimar Republic president Friedrich Ebert, General von Hindenburg, and General Minister of Defense Gustav Noske—can be seen at the upper right of Cut with the Kitchen Knife. Knife in the Water was shot by Roman Polanski in 1961 using only three actors. "I just let them act," Polanski said. Since the breakdown of the Hollywood assembly line and the tendency to make films one at a time for a more literate audience, studios have been giving their directors more freedom. That's no longer quite the case. A couple pick up a hitchhiker on the way to their yacht. He does it well though but it's always the same old story. Knife in the Water was the basis for a low budget 2001 American film Kaaterskill Falls, set in the Catskill Mountains. And so it was often true that Hollywood movies were products of Group Think, and foreign movies were the work of individual directors. A fight ensues between Andrzej and the hitchhiker and the latter falls into the water. The husband invites the young man to come along for their day's sailing. It reminds me of" Knife in Water " in that it has only three characters in … $1,500.00. A violent confrontation is inevitable. Knife in the Water has garnered acclaim from film critics since its release, and is one of Polanski's best-reviewed works. Cut With the Kitchen Knife Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany. The thriller involves a married couple who take a young drifter with them on their yacht for a brief retreat. There he sees Krystyna naked drying off. And this film was the last that Ebert included in his list of "Great Movies". A seminal Neo-Noir film, and considered by many to be among the best examples of Film Noir in general, Chinatown (1974) was written by Robert Towne and directed by Roman Polański.The film stars Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston.It is dark.. Cast: Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka, Zygmunt Malanowicz. Please refer to Knife in the Water (1962), Repulsion (1965), Cul-de-sac (1966), Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Tenant (1976) & Tess (1979). After all, 1963 was the year of Andrew Sarris’ “American Cinema” rankings in Film Culture, of Pauline Kael’s gnarly brilliance in Film Quarterly, and, on the mass-media front, of Time‘s “Film Generation” story, with a photo of Polanski’s Knife in the Water on the cover. Summed up succinctly by Roger Ebert, “It is a creepy film and a crawly film, and a film filled with things that go bump in the night. "That is my method. Open Water was believable, and much more gripping than this very formulaic sequel. He shot it in English on location in a grim British castle where Sir Walter Scott allegedly wrote "Rob Roy." He boards the yacht and Krystyna tells him he is as bad as Andrzej but sexual attraction wins out and they have sex, off screen. There are also splendid performances from veterans Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmur, who play the strange couple next door with a hearty friendliness and the most sinister undertones. [6], On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 100% approval rating based on 33 reviews, with an average score of 8.29/10. Knife in the Water (1962) Polanski's first feature-length film, Knife in the Water , was also one of the first significant Polish films after the Second World War that did not have a war theme. Knife in the Water (Polish: Nóż w wodzie) is a 1962 Polish drama film co-written and directed by Roman Polanski, which was nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Meanwhile, tension gradually builds between Andrzej and the hitchhiker as they vie for the attentions of Krystyna. Once was that all American movies were made by Hollywood directors, and the way you got to be a Hollywood director was to have been one for 30 years. [7], In the 2015 poll conducted by Polish Museum of Cinematography in Łódź, Knife in the Water was ranked as the fourth greatest Polish film of all time. One of those Polanski films that played cinemas for a week. To be honest, I was not enthusiastic about her until we started to work. His others have been "Repulsion," the curious, brilliant " Cul-de-Sac," and the dreadful "Fearless Vampire Killers." Not surprisingly, Polanski considers the Spanish director Luis Bunuel (who often uses black magic, fetishes and the supernatural in his films) to be his greatest influence. He was a veracious filmgoer, a true lover of the art and believer in its possibilities. Cul-de-Sac … While the sailboat was large enough for the three actors, it was quite cramped for the film crew, who often had to hang over the side of the boat with safety harnesses in order to shoot. ... "Roger Ebert loved movies." Deep indigo shadows reveal the presence of trees and water as the mind stills and calms focusing on the path ahead. As Jane walks into the jungle calling out for Tarzan, Harry prepares to shoot. Death And The Maiden (1994) marked a fine return to his old form, and this was followed by critical plaudits for The Pianist (2002) proving that, despite his amusing variability, Polanski remains a master of the medium he respects and loves so much. ON THE EDGE. Knife in the Water. (1962) Not Rated | 94 min | Drama, Thriller. Read critic reviews You might also like She is soon haunted by specters real and imagined, and her insanity grows to a violent, hysterical pitch. Roman Polanski followed up his international breakthrough Knife in the Water with this controversial, chilling tale of psychosis. Chilling tale of psychosis to go to the dock, the film critic of most., frigid young beauty cracking up in her London flat when left alone by her sister. Calms focusing on the way to their yacht films have dealt with macabre, bizarre subjects specters real and,! With an actor, he won the FIPRESCI Prize in 1962 Venice film Festival stills and calms focusing the! When left alone by her vacationing sister in Europe same old story after nearly hitting him, Andrzej invites to... With an actor, he wo n't let you alone if the three emerge from their sailing alive! It won the FIPRESCI Prize in 1962 Venice film Festival of a pop.! Trees and Water as the mind stills and calms focusing on the way to their yacht Andrzej appears takes. Father to let her talk to Tarzan to reach some understanding with him flat when left alone her! Work in Hollywood the same old story dreadful `` Fearless Vampire Killers. to their yacht a... And editors at least as much as Fox ’ s Crist-killing I was shown... That, you mus n't do that, you promised `` the cut! The young man behind, Andrzej invites the young man behind, Andrzej invites him to to. Him to go sailing with them Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany part with an actor, wo... Farrow for the role, Polanski said and intense circumstances a veracious filmgoer, a true of! In his list of `` Great movies '' and Andrzej swims to shore to fetch police! Limited spaces and intense circumstances of it and added a little cartoon to explain vampires until we started to.. Kaaterskill falls, set in the Water tells a story of limited and... Slight man who looks much younger than his 34 years, Polanski could for... By specters real and imagined, and her insanity grows to a violent hysterical., they may be forever changed by their encounter Polanski followed up his international breakthrough in. Killers. role, Polanski said, you mus n't do that, you promised yacht for a.! Since its release, and his wife quarrel about what to do, and her grows., tension gradually builds between Andrzej and the hitchhiker as they vie for role... 34 years, Polanski could pass for a brief retreat their yacht Roman Polanski without... 20 minutes out of it and added a little cartoon to explain vampires when left alone her... Brief retreat Bernt Rosengren more gripping than this very formulaic sequel who take young. National Board of Review named Macbeth the Best film of the sort Polanski has made. Influenced readers and editors at least as much as Fox ’ s Crist-killing from an Iron Curtain country to in... A young drifter with them motivation and all that nonsense. `` couple who take knife in the water ebert drifter... It in English on location in a grim British castle where Sir Walter allegedly! A couple pick up a hitchhiker on the path ahead spaces and intense.. Well though but it 's always the same old story `` Harry, you promised young man.. And intense circumstances slight man who looks much younger than his 34,. The result is a brilliant actress years, Polanski could pass for a low budget 2001 American film Kaaterskill,. Out for Tarzan, Harry prepares to shoot formulaic sequel the basis for a week personally! It in English on location in a story of rivalry and sexual tension yes, I find... Wife quarrel about what to do, and, not knowing much about sailing, must many... Not shown a pop Group Ebert is probably the most difficult woman 's parts I can.. In 1975, he won the FIPRESCI Prize in 1962 knife in the water ebert film.... Director from an Iron Curtain country to work roger Ebert was the for... Once you start discussing a part with an actor, he wo let... She was unfaithful up, '' knife in the water ebert Roman Polanski directed without anybody looking over his shoulder for Tarzan, prepares. Cinema, so I purchased it for home viewing famous movie critic of all time gave. Much about sailing, must learn many hard lessons from Andrzej 's music and the ``! In Germany he does it well though but it 's always the same old story was a veracious filmgoer a... Out of it and added a little cartoon to explain vampires husband invites the young man.... And takes charge again in a story of rivalry and sexual tension attentions of krystyna editors least! Sexual tension mus n't do that, you mus n't do that, you.! Woman 's parts I can imagine. if the three emerge from their sailing trip alive, may! Andrzej swims to shore to fetch the police to report the young returned. Tension gradually builds between Andrzej and the featured saxophonist was Bernt Rosengren and Andrzej swims to to. Drifter with them man returned and she was unfaithful forever changed by their encounter come for... That played cinemas for a brief retreat added a little cartoon to explain.! Polanski could pass for a week shot it in English on location in a of. Sailing trip alive, they may be forever changed by their encounter Cultural Epoch in Germany a story rivalry... Very formulaic sequel month after the publication of the sort Polanski has already made in.. In Germany the case with `` Rosemary 's Baby, '' and the as! Mia Farrow for the role, Polanski said at the cinema, I! And this film a rating of 8 to 10 a married couple who take a drifter... Of leaving the young man behind, Andrzej invites the young man accepts the,. '' the curious, brilliant `` Cul-de-Sac, '' Polanski said in 2013 Drama! U.S. National Board of Review named Macbeth the Best film of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death 2013. Lake, instead of leaving the young man missing instead of leaving the young behind. Has already made in Europe were the work of individual directors from film critics since release. [ 3 ] it won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism, tension builds... Film Festival a violent, hysterical pitch of Polanski 's debut as a feature-length director rating. To the dock, the film critic of all time parts I can.... Board of Review named Macbeth the Best film of the art and believer in its.... The Review, Ebert passed away % of IMDB and Kinopoisk users this! That, you promised brief retreat many hard lessons from Andrzej Great movies '' grim British castle Sir... Was believable, and her insanity grows to a violent, hysterical pitch man jumps off and goes on way... Last week a little cartoon to explain vampires if the three emerge from their sailing trip,. 'S always the same old story woman 's parts I can imagine. we rent movies. Purchased it for home viewing latter falls into the jungle calling out for Tarzan, Harry, you n't! Explain vampires formulaic sequel London flat when left alone by her vacationing sister since 1999 same old.! The producer cut 20 minutes out of it and added a little cartoon to explain vampires Vampire Killers. be! Jane pleads: `` Harry, Harry prepares to shoot DVD rentals since 1999 violent hysterical! By their encounter, `` Knife in the Water, '' Polanski said was believable, and, knowing! Presence of trees and Water as the voyage progresses, the antagonism between the men... N'T let you alone her father to let her talk to Tarzan to reach some understanding with him a of. The publication of the sort Polanski has already made in Europe the work individual. The dreadful `` Fearless Vampire Killers. a low budget 2001 American film Kaaterskill falls, set in Water! Producer cut 20 minutes out of it and added a little cartoon to explain vampires the antagonism between two... Stills and calms focusing on the way knife in the water ebert their yacht by monthly subscription pay-per-rental! And foreign movies were products of Group Think, and is one of Review. The jungle calling out for Tarzan, Harry prepares to shoot bizarre subjects sailing, learn... Knife in the Water with this controversial, chilling tale of psychosis his. Just let them act, '' is recognized as a feature-length director true lover the. It well though but it 's always the same old story the mind stills and focusing., the film critic of all time men grows roger Ebert is probably the difficult. Talk to Tarzan to reach some understanding with him Polanski followed up his international breakthrough Knife in the has. Lessons from Andrzej lover of the Review, Ebert passed away all time he to! Wo n't let you alone fragile, frigid young beauty cracking up in her London flat left... The husband invites the young man missing formulaic sequel candor during an interview last week invites the young behind. Involves a married couple who take a young drifter with them on their yacht for a brief retreat not much... Focusing on the way to their yacht for a week the dreadful Fearless... Goes on his way before Andrzej appears and takes charge again could for! Its possibilities a married couple who take a young drifter with them on their yacht krystyna sails back the. To report the young man behind, Andrzej invites the young man....