christopher-underwood A marvellous first feature and although Polanski was approached to remake the film with big US stars, he said he wasn't interested in repeating himself. To give him credit, he never did. It is usually possible to tell a Polanski film fairly quickly because of the slightly off kilter subject and the dialogue. This one, probably not, for although it is incredibly well made, presumably under difficult circumstances, it is more pastoral than any of his others. True there is the human triangle here with two men battling it out, here not particularly for the woman but because they must. It strikes me that we are given enough hints in the wonderful car sequence at the start, that all is not entirely well in the couple's relationship and it is the emergence of the young student that seems to give him a chance to show how good he jolly well is. Great music, great composition, spot on dialogue and a major achievement to entertain so fully with simply a cast of three and all in glorious black and white.

ruby765 This is my first time to watch a Polish film. I remember the background music of vintage jazz in it is comfortable, especially the sound of saxophone is nice. This story seems a relaxed sailing trip of a middle-aged couple and a young man at first glance, but we can enjoy each relationship. It's sometimes peace, and sometimes like comedy. I couldn't stop laughing for a while because the funny scene appears so unexpected. After watching it, we can find the good points of a sailing trip, and we'll imagine Poland as such a nice place. It's very hard to understand what's going on because of turn of events at the end of the story, but it's wonderful.

Patryk Czekaj Who wouldn't like to debut in the film world with such a great picture like Knife in the Water? Even though it's Polanski's first feature, it can very easily compete with many of his subsequent films for the title of his greatest directorial achievement.Right from the start of this movie you are able to feel its strange and tense atmosphere, which is like a great power that gives this title a tremendously thrilling aura.Andrzej (Leon Niemczyk) and Krystyna (Jolanta Umecka) are on their way to the port in order to spend one free day on their beautiful yacht. However, before they get there they take along a hitchhiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz), who suddenly appeared in front of the car and nearly caused a crash. Only after a brief exchange of words Andrzej offers the unnamed young boy a trip around the lake. That's when the tension starts to build at an enormously fast pace. You are actually able cut it with a knife, so thick it becomes. Andrzej starts exploiting the boy and bossing him around. He appears as the alpha male, who is superior in every way and thus is privileged to be the leader on board. As clumsy as he is, the youngster still wants to compete with him. Not only to prove that he isn't any worse than Andrzej, but also to catch Krystyna's attention. She is younger than Andrzej and that's what makes the young boy believe that she should actually choose him. It's like a subconscious game they play. Every small thing they do counts and every mistake can be a disaster for any one of them.This is a great take on the darker side of our human nature. It shows that people, similar to animals, love to command and be always one step ahead of the competition. Of course it involves cunningness at times.I just love the scene, where the two men race in such a trivial matter as pumping the mattress, accompanied by the voice of a sports commentator coming out of the radio. Then there is a game of pick-up sticks and knife throwing. It seems childish to the viewer, but their attitude shows that they are dead serious about all of it.Leon Niemczyk is simply marvelous. He perfectly portrays the successful and cynical writer, who wants to prove that even at his age he is still able to beat the handsome young boy. It's also worth noticing that both Jolanta Umecka and Zygmunt Malanowicz didn't have any previous acting experience in feature films. Beautiful jazz music by Krzysztof Komeda plays wonderfully with the storyline and puts a little bit of joy into this darkly solemn movie.Great use of various camera angles that allow presenting the perspective of all three characters at different moments. The most significant message comes near the end, as the young boys falls into the water. In a moment of desperation, anger and inability all of our deepest emotions come out. Every little thing that we hide from the world can erupt at this one single moment and change the way other will perceive us.Whether or not you are familiar with the amazing work of Roman Polanski, you should definitely watch Knife in the Water, as it is one of the most unusual psychological thrillers ever made. What's more, it's also one of the best achievements coming from the Polish school of cinematography.

gavin6942 A man and his wife go sailing for the afternoon, taking a hitchhiker with them. As a storm approaches, they are forced to stay on the boat overnight. The threat of violence lurks.This film will be of interest to anyone who admires the work of Roman Polanski. Polanski was said to be only the second protégé of the Lodz Film School to achieve international success. The first was Andrzej Wajda, and we can safely assume that Polanski was far more successful and influential.This film in particular earned him an Oscar nomination for best foreign film, and catapulted him to fame by putting him on the cover of Time magazine in 1963. For me, I think the hype is too much: all I really learned from this picture is that Polanski likes wild jazz music and that in Poland people will steal your windshield wipers.Critic Michael Koresky has a much deeper view of the film, saying it expresses class warfare, class envy, eroticism, tension, isolation and carries an "atmosphere of recumbent terror". This is grossly overstating the facts. There is some tension, and being that the film takes place on boat, isolation naturally follows. But the rest is a bit of a stretch.The class envy or warfare aspect you can only see if told to look for it, which leads me to believe it is probably not there. One man is an author and another a hitchhiker, but any struggle they may have does not appear to arise from class. Eroticism is also a stretch, as I kept thinking the film would become erotic, but it borders on it a few times without crossing over. The closest to anything erotic in this film is a young man in tight shorts, and this is hardly sexually appealing. The atmosphere of recumbent terror is a beautiful phrase but would be better used on another film.The film is strong in the area of visuals. Polanski has made a striking film in contrasting black and white, his angles and use of zooms and wide shots is excellent. So, on a technical level, I cannot say anything bad about the film. But the plot is just not there. I spent the film waiting for something to break... the tension would rise and lower, but never reached a crescendo. I cannot call this one of my favorite Polanski films.