Knife in the Water

film by Polanski [1962]

Also known as: “Nóz w wodzie”

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Polish:: Nóz w wodzie

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Knife in the Water, Polish psychological thriller film, released in 1962, that was director Roman Polanski’s acclaimed first feature-length movie; it was also the first Polish movie to be nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign-language film.

Knife in the Water features only three characters: Andrzej and Krystyna, a couple driving to a lake, and the young hitchhiker they invite on their boating excursion. Tension soon builds between the husband and the boy, however, and an altercation results in the boy’s falling into the water. Unable to find him, Andrzej swims to shore for help. The young man, however, is actually hiding behind a buoy, and after returning to the boat he and Krystyna have sex. Upon sailing back to shore, Krystyna tells a disbelieving Andrzej what happened.

The themes of Knife in the Water—desire, violence, and cruelty—figure prominently in many of Polanski’s subsequent films. An accomplished actor, Polanski wanted to play the part of the boy but was rejected by the studio for not being attractive enough. Polanski exacted a revenge of sorts, as he himself dubbed the young man’s voice in the film’s final cut.