Z/Web

Director: Roman Polanski

I saw this a long time ago but only recently got the DVD when it came out. This is Roman’s first film and it’s a masterpiece. It’s very different from Hollywood productions. The story is unbelievable simple and complicated. There are only three actors in the entire production, a woman and two men. The gorgeous young woman is married to a wealthy older guy and they are going sailing for day and night (a quick 24-hour trip). On the way they meet a young hitchhiker and for reasons we aren’t clear about initially, bring him along. Later this makes sense when the woman acuses her husband of bring the boy along just so he can show off and that makes a great deal of psychological sense. On the boat, the young man is clueless and repeatedly humiliated by the older man who’s an expert sailor, but the young man has heart though he’s not too intelligent (he’s young). Of course two men and one woman is asking for trouble and that’s exactly what we get. There are all sorts of emotions brewing below the surface: the mysterious relationship between the husband and wife; the relationship between the young man and the older one; the relationship between the boy and the woman. Eventually this leads to the violence we are expecting: the boy is killed by the man. Or is he? There’s some question about that initially and soon we’re wondering if it’s the boy who will kill the old man. Or maybe the woman will kill her husband. Or maybe none of that. The entire film is essentially a setup for a dozen possibilities and I won’t reveal the actual outcome, but just say that it’s brilliant and very non-Hollywood. The final scene is so telling about the relationship of the husband and wife, and the final frame is amazing, and reminds me of the great short story, “The Lady or the Tiger.” Modern film-goers will probably want more action in a movie; in this film nothing happens yet everything does. It’s all about what could happen rather than what does. It’s one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve ever seen. Fascinating and you could watch the “harmless” discussions over and over they are so filled with depth and drama and an undercurrent of potential horror.