Kenneth Tynan once described Roman Polanski as "the four-foot Pole you wouldn't want to touch with a ten-foot pole" and certainly if his films - especially the artistically successful ones - are any indicator of personality, he's not someone you'd eagerly invite round to meet Mother.
Whether it's the clammy creepiness of Rosemary's Baby or the seedy nilhilism of Chinatown, he has a gift for conjuring an unsettling atmosphere.
Knife in the Water, his 1962 feature debut and only Polish film, is no exception - a slow-burning exploration of jealousy, spite and middle age - set almost entirely within the confines of a small yacht.
Driving to a lake with his wife (Umecka), Andrzej (Niemczyk) nearly flattens an ardent hitchhiker (Malanowicz) who tries to get lifts by standing in the middle of the road. At first irritated, Andrzej soon spots an opportunity to have a little fun and vex his partner, and gives the young "pup" a ride. Then, despite the stranger's impudence, he invites him to come sailing too....
With an undercurrent of sex and violence always threatening to break the surface, what follows is a subdued three-hander, with Niemczyk's ageing bully enjoying his apparent power over the landlubbing (though knife-owning) youngster. Not unaware of the attraction between the boy and his bride, Andrzej relishes showing off, proving his superiority.
Coming off like an art-house Dead Calm (on which it was clearly an influence) Polanski's drama is slow-moving to the point of inertia, but patient viewers will appreciate the creeping tensions and Oedipal undertow. Not easily accessible, but a film whose scenes and themes stick with you.
