I remember reading a review of Dead Calm (by Scott Murray, if memory serves) which said it wasn’t nearly as good as Knife in Water, but I’m sorry that’s snobby crap. Not that this doesn’t impress, especially when you consider it’s a first feature. This is skilful low budget filmmaking and Roman Polanksi’s talent is evident in every frame.
The script is very much a script written by a director – not really much of a story, but plenty of memorable scenes and bits. Polanski knows how to frame a shot – it helps having three characters as you can give a bit of depth to your mise-en-scene. Setting it on a boat gives strong production value.
Part of the reason I think this was a hit at the time is it is so analyseable – the symbolism of the knife (castration!), the competition between the two men, the woman starting as a trophy and emerging as a power, old vs young, material vs non (you couldn’t pick this was made in a communist country). Has a feeling of eeriness, even if it does only have 30 minutes of story (if that) and it doesn’t really make sense why they would invite the hitchhiker on the yacht.
Memorable scenes such as pulling the yacht on land through the reeds, the knife-through-fingers trick that appeared in Aliens. Decent acting – Polanski dubbed the hitchhiker guy. The girl is much, much better looking once she takes off her glasses and lets her hair down.
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