Knife in the Water

A well-off couple – sports journalist Andrzej and his wife Krystyna – set out on a sailing trip across the Masurian Lakes. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker who soon joins them on the yacht. A rivalry develops between the two men, not only for the woman's affections but also for a sense of freedom and independence. Polański’s debut, co-written with screenwriter Jerzy Skolimowski, is a modern, psychological story unfolding within the confined space of the yacht. Krzysztof Komeda’s jazz music underscores the film’s atmosphere, which sparked controversy by revealing that, even in early 1960s Poland, there existed elites living lives of material pleasure.