Noz w wodzie (Knife In The Water)

1962, Roman Polanski's first feature film, a really terrific little piece of work
claustrophobic from the outset, in car and so on
in the boat have constant foreground, background framings in single shots
generally sticks to wide angle, certain amount of distortion of figures
all stand out strongly from backdrop, black and white contrasts are stong in what is generally a low contrast, quite slow film. Good cinematographic work, quietly
filmed in a way where we see everything, in a way nothing
Polanski clearly builds up idea of something to happen, focus on knife
but the way it does/ doesn't makes it so much more powerful
use of three characters only means, despite the fast excitement, really have time to reflect
woman not developed hugely, but one nice turn from her. Increased eroticism to do with hair as the film goes on
study is really of men's competitiveness, idiotic posturing trying (failing) to mask lack of power
use of small details to show this, not overbearing, but smartly done
music is slightly incongruous, but does orientate, and show we are, in a sense, in a genre movie
Polanski makes tight films, that come across in this sharpness like B-Movies
but are really expert examinations in psychoanalysis, of seethings below the exterior, of men and women
brutally entertaining, very thoughtful, commercial genre cinema at its best