Roman Polanski's feature debut, "Knife in the Water," is a well-handled drama with fragments of suspense and tension that are (unfortunately) never fully realized. The plot has a curiously detached couple (Leon Niemczyk and Jolanta Umecka) en route to their boat when a hitchhiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz) stops them; the husband, Andrzej, reluctantly gives the boy a ride, and goes so far as to allow him to tag along on the boat. The remainder of the film is wrought with bizarre character motivations and developments that run contrary to the standard thriller mode (the boy, who would have been pegged as a psychopath in any other film, is a relative innocent here); while this is commendable, Polanski ultimately drops the ball in the last act--just when our throats should be firmly gripped by suspense, he lets go completely. I was literally thinking to myself, "Is that it? THAT'S our payoff?" That the characters retain a blasé demeanor throughout renders their supposed 'changes' with a minimum of dramatic impact, which is unfortunate, since a bit more charisma would have rendered the conclusion more ironic. As it stands, "Knife in the Water" is a beautifully-shot film; Polanski shows deft skill in composing his scenes, and (for a while, at least) keeps us engrossed in the story in spite of the limited setting. In the end, it's ultimately best viewed as a teaser precursor to the great works that would come from this gifted director.
Review of Knife in the Water
