3 out of 5

Director: Roman Polanski

I like this quote from the most ‘helpful’ review on Netflix: Be sure to look for the underlying political subtext. Bollocks. Thats like the political subtext that elevates Hanekes Cache from something interesting into something interesting and maybe obnoxious. Literature, movies, music, whatever – learning the back-story of creation can, indeed, enhance or alter (positively or negatively) your appreciation of whatever it is, but having these things explained to us is akin to being punched in the face while being told that youre punched in the face. Its not a criticism of the reviewer (sort of), or the comment (sort of), but now Knife in the Water cannot exist in my mind solely as a very impressive looking and sounding debut. Its the separation of the two concepts – do you enjoy this and do you understand this – that is of issue here. So: Knife in the Water is beautiful. Its understated, and its oddly gripping, until the moment when the action explained in the title occurs, at which point it becomes a decision whether your 94 minutes has been worthwhile or just leisurely. A seemingly well-off couple takes a short trip on a sailboat, picking up a young hitchhiker for the trip. Tension abounds for odd reasons throughout the entire film. The actions and sequences do lend themselves to intense analyzation of potential metaphor, but it doesnt beg this of the viewer to enjoy the ride. Amazing execution, and superb tension for most of the viewing, but Polanski wouldnt perfect his balance of tension until later films.