The film is the story of a man who rents an apartment as its previous tenant had attempted suicide where the man believes that it wasn’t a suicide as he deals with his elderly neighbors and landlord who make complaints about him while he is baffled by these little complaints. It’s a film that explores a man who just rented this apartment unaware about what happened to its previous tenant as he believed something isn’t right as he grows into paranoia. The film’s screenplay by Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it largely follows the life of its protagonist Treklovsky (Roman Polanski) who arrived in the apartment looking for a place to live as he sees that this apartment has a room opened though the apartment’s landlord Zy (Melvyn Douglas) is reluctant to take him but does under certain conditions. Still, Treklovsky often finds way to agitate other tenants including Zy though he doesn’t mean to while also refusing to sign the petition against a tenant because of the noises her child makes.
The script also has Treklovsky befriend Stella (Isabelle Adjani) who is a close friend of the previous tenant who had died as the two begin a relationship even though she never visits the apartment her friend was in. Treklovsky would learn that the tenant had indeed died from her injuries yet he would also notice little things in his apartment such as a tooth but also the fact that he switched cigarette brands from Gauloises to Marlboro. It adds to these little things that would play into Treklovsky’s psyche as he also believes he’s becoming his previous tenant due to the fact that he’s putting on finger polish and dressing up like a woman.
Polanski’s direction is definitely stylish for the way he uses the crane tracking shot as the opening shot has him going inside the center of the apartment building in Paris to showcase the rooms and other tenants as the building itself is a character in the film. Shot on location in Paris, Polanski does play into a city that is vibrant but also going through changes where the apartment building itself is filled with an eccentric group of people with much of the tenants being elderly including Zy and the concierge (Shelley Winters) running the place as they don’t want any trouble or chaos. Yet, Polanski maintains an intimacy through medium shots and close-ups to play into the dramatic tension as well as the paranoia that Treklovsky would go through. There are wide shots for some scenes in Paris including a scene at a park where Treklovsky is watching kids sailing their toy boats on a fountain where he would act strangely towards a child. Polanski also play into certain visual motifs where mirrors are all over his apartment as it would add to this sense of paranoia that Treklovsky would endure.
Polanski would also play into this world where the city is vibrant where Treklovsky would meet some of Stella’s friends though there is this air of isolation within him as the life outside of the apartment building where his co-workers and the people in his age group or younger are thriving. Still, Polanski would also play into this blur of reality in its third act as it relates to Egyptian imagery that Treklovsky would find in the apartment’s main bathroom as well as a postcard from a man who was in love with the previous tenant. The third act plays into Treklovsky’s paranoia as it relates what he watches as it relates to a couple of tenants whom many have been complaining about where Treklovsky becomes the target. The film’s ending is ambiguous into what Treklovsky experiences as it adds to this idea of reality and fiction as well as his own brief encounter with the previous tenant. Overall, Polanski crafts a mesmerizing and offbeat film about a man who finds himself troubled in a new apartment he bought as well as learning about its previous tenant.
Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key lights for many of the nighttime interior/exterior scenes in the apartment as well as its emphasis on cold grey winters for the daytime exterior scenes as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Francoise Bonnot does brilliant work with the editing as it play into the suspense with some unique jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts that help add to the sense of terror. Production designer Pierre Guffroy, with art directors Claude Moesching and Albert Rajau, does amazing work with the look of the apartment building in its interiors including Treklovsky’s apartment as well as the apartment home of Stella. Costume designer Jacques Schmidt does fantastic work with the costumes from the suits that Treklovsky wears along with some of the fashionable clothing that Stella wears.
Hair stylist Didier Lavergne and makeup artist Ludovic Paris do terrific work with the look of Stella with her hairstyle but also Treklovsky when he goes in drag and wear women’s clothing. Optical effects work by Jean Fouchet does nice work with some of the shots including a key shot late in the film as it play into the terror that Treklovsky would endure. Sound editor Michele Boehm does superb work with the sound as the way noise sounds from another room and such add to the dramatic suspense. The film’s music by Philippe Sarde is wonderful for its orchestral score that feature themes that play into its suspense with its orchestral flourishes as well as somber pieces that play into the drama.
The casting by Catherine Vernoux is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Albert Delby as a neighbor in the apartment, Eva Ionesco as the disabled daughter of a neighbor that Treklovsky helps out, Jacques Monod as a café owner who often gives Treklovsky hot chocolate instead of coffee and Marlboros instead of Gauloises, the trio of Josiane Balasko, Romain Bouteille, and Patrice Alexsandre as co-workers of Treklovsky, Bernard Fresson as a friend/co-worker of Treklovsky in Scope who gives him advice about dealing with the neighbors, and Rufus in a superb small role as a man who was in love with the previous tenant who laments over not expressing his love to her. Lila Kedrova is fantastic as Madame Gaderian as a woman who has a disabled daughter that is getting complaints as she despises her neighbors for being mean to her while she has her own idea of revenge.
Shelley Winters is excellent as the concierge who is a no-nonsense woman that helps run the apartment building though she doesn’t take a liking towards Treklovsky believing he’s causing a lot of trouble. Jo Van Fleet is brilliant in her brief yet effective role as a tenant in Madame Dioz who has created a petition to get rid of Madame Gaderian which Treklovsky refuses to do as she warns him about the trouble she and the others would bring to him. Melvyn Douglas is incredible as Monsieur Zy as the landlord who reluctantly takes Treklovsky in as a tenant while lecturing him about what to do as he brings a lot of ambiguity into his character. Isabelle Adjani is amazing as Stella as a friend of the previous tenant as she befriends Treklovsky that later becomes a romantic relationship as she is this young woman that is just trying to make sense of what happened. Finally, there’s Roman Polanski in a phenomenal performance as Treklovsky as this young man who rents this apartment as he deals with all of the chaos around him where he becomes paranoid and confused where Polanski brings that sense of humility in his physical performance but also some humor when he starts to camp it up in drag.
The Tenant is a sensational film from Roman Polanski that features great performances from Polanski, Isabelle Adjani, Melvyn Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Rufus, Lila Kedrova, and Shelley Winters. Along with Sven Nykvist’s cinematography, its eerie visuals, chilling music soundtrack, and its exploration of isolation and paranoia in a claustrophobic setting. It is a film that explores a man dealing with his new surroundings while trying to figure out what happened to the previous tenant as he wonders is it really happening to him or is it in his head. In the end, The Tenant is a phenomenal film from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) – Chinatown - Tess (1979 film) - (Pirates) – Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage (2011 film) - (Venus in Fur) – (Based on a True Story) – (An Officer and a Spy) – (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2022
Set in a remote island castle in Britain, the film revolves around an American gangster who is on the run with his ailing Irish partner as he hides in the castle home of a British man and his young French wife where things become chaotic in the course of a few days. It is a film that is sort of a home invasion film yet it is an exploration of three people in isolation as they deal with bad weather, sexual tension, visitors, and other things that makes these few days chaotic. The film’s screenplay by Roman Polanski and Gerard Bach is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it is their approach to the three main characters is what makes it unique as the American gangster Dickie (Lionel Stander) is trying to escape with his partner Albie (Jack MacGowran) who is injured following a botched robbery as they drive towards a causeway that is being submerged by the rising tide. Dickie walks through the tide to get help as he finds a castle that is owned by the middle-aged George (Donald Pleasance) and his young French wife Teresa (Francoise Dorleac) who spends her time messing around with a young neighbor.
Upon discovering Dickie at their home, George and Teresa are frightened by his presence though Dickie is someone that just needs help as he’s trying to contact his boss over what happened as George and Teresa do help him retrieve the ailing Albie. Yet, things however don’t go well as it leads to chaos but also moments of the couple getting to know Dickie with him and George hitting it off on their views on life despite the former’s rudeness and the latter’s own lack of masculine rage. Things get complicated when the three learn some friends of George are about to visit to see the castle as Dickie plays along as a servant though he gets annoyed by a child who ends up being more trouble for everyone making both George and Teresa upset as well.
Polanski’s direction is stylish as it is shot on location at Lindisfarne with the island’s actual castle being the home where George and Teresa live in with the exception of a few rooms in the castle that are used. The film opens with this wide shot of a car coming into a causeway and then crashing onto a marker and then to a medium shot of Dickie and Albie talking with the former leaving to get help. Polanski’s compositions and direction are filled with dazzling imagery as well as long shots that goes on for minutes including a beachside conversation between George and Dickie as they’re both drunk and lament over things in their lives while Teresa is in the background swimming naked on the beach. It is among some of the images that Polanski uses to play into this sense of isolation in this island with these rising tides but also this sense of uncertainty as it relates to Dickie’s boss whom he is waiting for. It is among the things that play into the dramatic tension with Teresa not being comfortable with Dickie’s presence though she is sympathetic to his situation as well as his sense of loyalty towards Albie.
Polanski also brings in bits of humor from a scene early in the film where George puts on some makeup as a way to express his lack of masculinity while wearing one of his wife’s nightgowns as it only brings trouble upon meeting Dickie for the first time. Even as the humor would play into the sequence where George’s friends arrive to see the castle and have lunch as they expect to have a big feast. Yet, things don’t go well as a child is wreaking havoc angering Dickie and Teresa as things would intensify due to the fact that a guest brought a double-barrel rifle as it would ultimately push George to the edge. Even as Teresa starts to act out as she feels suffocated by the presence of these two middle-aged men where the tension ultimately boils over as it also play into Dickie’s desire to leave but is unsure about the fates of George and Teresa and whether he has to kill them so that they don’t know anything only for things to go wrong as it relates to other desires and such. Overall, Polanski crafts a chilling yet offbeat film about an American criminal hiding and taking control at the castle home of a middle-aged Englishmen and his young French wife.
Cinematographer Gilbert Taylor does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography as it help set a mood for some of the scenes at night as well as some of the daytime interior scenes as well as some of the scenes during the morning. Editor Alastair McIntyre does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Voytek and art director George Lack do fantastic work with the interiors for the scenes in the castle including Teresa’s chicken house where she houses all of her chickens until it becomes a makeshift garage.
The special effects work of Les Bowie is terrific for a scene on the causeway where the tide is rising where Albie is being trapped in the car along with a few bits in the film’s climax. The sound work of Stephen Dalby is superb for the natural elements of the sound that is captured on location as well as how music is sound from a record player from another room. The film’s music by Krzysztof Komeda is incredible for its jazzy score with elements of piano and trumpets to play into the film’s offbeat tone as well as some of its suspenseful moments with a music soundtrack that is also filled with jazz music.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles as Jacqueline Bisset as a young guest that is part of George’s circle of friends, Trevor Delaney as a young boy named Horace who is the son of one of the guests who causes a lot of trouble and panic, William Franklyn as another guest in Cecil whom Teresa takes a liking to, Iain Quarrier as a young man named Christopher whom Teresa was with as they try to find shrimp and their own naked bodies, Geoffrey Sumner and Renee` Houston as Christopher’s parents who live nearby, and the duo of Robert Dorning and Marie Kean in their respective roles in Philip and Marion Mayweather as two of George’s friends who are also Horace’s parents as they often say unkind things to the point that they push George to the edge.
Jack MacGowran is excellent as Albie as an ailing gangster who is dealing with his wounds while he is waiting in a car as he deals with a rising tide and later the severity of his wounds. Francoise Dorleac is brilliant as Teresa as a young Frenchwoman who is married to the middle-aged George as she deals with his lack of masculinity as she often gets sexual satisfaction from other men while she also finds herself disgusted by Dickie despite his own views on the world. Lionel Stander is amazing as Dickie as an American gangster dealing with an ailing partner, a botched robbery, and other things as he tries to get some news from his boss but also deal with his injury and his own fate while trying to do his own thing while befriending George. Finally, there’s Donald Pleasence in a fantastic performance as George as a middle-aged man who is just trying to enjoy retirement as he endures the presence of Dickie whom he would befriend while dealing with all sorts of things including his own lack of masculinity and the pain he’s carrying as it relates to loss.
Cul-de-Sac is a phenomenal film from Roman Polanski. Featuring great performances from Donald Pleasence, Francoise Dorleac, and Lionel Stander as well as gorgeous visuals, chilling suspense, a minimalist premise, and Krzysztof Komeda’s sumptuous score. It is a film that explore a couple dealing with a criminal in a castle on an isolated island as they deal with their surroundings and all sorts of things that would eventually bring chaos. In the end, Cul-de-Sac is a sensational film from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) – Chinatown - The Tenant – Tess (1979 film) - (Pirates) – Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage (2011 film) - (Venus in Fur) – (Based on a True Story) – (An Officer and a Spy) – (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2022
Set mainly at a house in a peninsula in a South American country that just freed itself from years of dictatorship, the film revolves around a woman whose husband has been picked up by a man driving on the way to their house as she believes that this was the man who tortured her some years ago. It is a film that explores trauma as a woman who was once a political activist with her husband set to possibly work for the new president of their country that is reforming itself as they meet this man who maybe her tormentor. The film’s screenplay by Ariel Dorfman and Rafael Yglesias is largely straightforward as much of the action takes place in and out of this house during a stormy night where the power is out and only candles are lighting the house.
The script features a lot of monologues and conversations between its three principle characters in Paulina Escobar, her lawyer husband Gerardo (Stuart Wilson), and this man in Dr. Roberto Miranda (Ben Kingsley). Paulina is at home making dinner as Gerardo is late as he’s meeting the new president about a new job he has yet to accept while his car had a flat where he is picked up by Dr. Miranda. Dr. Miranda and Gerardo get along immensely yet Paulina recognizes Dr. Miranda’s voice and smell as she would steal his car and destroy it and then take Dr. Miranda hostage with Gerardo watching in horror as Paulina confronts Dr. Miranda about his past. Revelations are upon unveiled with Gerardo also trying to make sense of what happened including his own role as an activist back then as he and Paulina were lovers during that time she was taken prisoner where she was raped and tortured.
Roman Polanski’s direction is largely intimate for the fact that much of it takes place in a house near this cliff side area as it’s shot on location in Chile as it is based on the country’s then-recent history of dictatorship under the rule of Augusto Pinochet that had ended in 1990. While the film opens and ends with a string quartet playing Franz Schubert’s piece in which the film is named after as the piece is also a crucial plot point in the film. While there are wide shots to establish some wide shots in some of the film’s location outside of the house including a lighthouse shown from afar. Much of Polanski’s direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots to play into the space of the house as well as having gazing long shots that last a few minutes to play into the monologues and conversations between the characters. The usage of tracking shots and camera pans add to the visual language of the film where Polanski makes sure every room in the film is presented with great detail but also playing into this sense of claustrophobia as the tension rises between Dr. Miranda and Paulina. Polanski also play into the suspense and drama as the power outage and usage of candle lights add to the visual tone where it does feel chilling as it includes a moment where Dr. Miranda needed to pee as it is this uncomfortable yet humorous moment in the film.
There are bits of humor that Polanski puts as much of it is dark though the first act where Dr. Miranda and Gerardo are talking and getting drunk as it’s just this moment in the film where Polanski does loosen things up as it does humanize Dr. Miranda even though it is uncertain if he was Paulina’s tormentor. Even as Dr. Miranda is someone who isn’t sure what Paulina is talking about but he does feel bad for her as Gerardo is stuck in the middle as he gets answers from both of them as it adds to this dramatic tension. Even in the film’s climax as it moves out of the house and at a cliff where Gerardo is trying to reach someone who knows Dr. Miranda to prove his innocence as it is followed by these revelations as it play into what did happen. The ending returns to the same theatre where the string quartet performs yet it is more about who is there and the aftermath of everything as it is an ambiguous ending that raises more questions than answers. Overall, Polanski crafts an engaging yet haunting film about a woman questioning a man who supposedly was her tormentor some years ago.
Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward with its emphasis on low-key lights as well as natural lighting for many of the interior scenes as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Herve de Luze does amazing work with the editing as it is straightforward with a few jump-cuts while knowing when not to cut during some of the monologues as it adds to the film’s visual tone. Production designer Pierre Guffroy and art director Claude Moesching do excellent work with the design of the house as well as the rooms as it play into some of the claustrophobic elements of the film.
Costume designer Milena Canonero does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely a bit casual from a red dress that Paulina wears, the suit that Dr. Miranda wears, and a robe that Gerardo is wearing as it adds to the chaos in the film. Sound editor Laurent Quaglio does superb work with the sound as it play into atmosphere of the location as well as the sound of what is happening outside of the home. The film’s music by Wojciech Kilar is wonderful for the haunting and understated music pieces that play into the suspense and drama as well as the usage of the music piece by Franz Schubert.
The casting by Patsy Pollock and Mary Selway is terrific as the film feature some appearances from Jonathan and Rodolphe Vega as Dr. Miranda’s son via pictures, Krystia Mova as Dr. Miranda’s wife via picture, and Karen Strassman as a voice on a telephone. Stuart Wilson is incredible as Gerardo Escobar as a lawyer who was a former activist that is set to possibly take an important job as he deals with the chaos of his wife’s accusations towards Dr. Miranda while also seeking answers about what happened when Paulina was taken and did Dr. Miranda did those things.
Ben Kingsley is great as Dr. Roberto Miranda as a man who picks Gerardo up as he later returns a spare tire as he befriends Gerardo while baffled about Paulina as well as the questions she’s giving him where Kingsley display that sense of confusion as well as remorse as someone who is imperfect but also play up the ambiguity of whether or not he was Paulina’s tormentor. Finally, there’s Sigourney Weaver in a sensational performance as Paulina Escobar as a former activist who was captured and taken to prison where she was raped and tortured as a woman still dealing with trauma as she confronts Dr. Miranda where Weaver brings an intensity to her performance as a woman that could be paranoid or is really seeking out the truth as it is one of Weaver’s great performances as a woman in need of answers and closure no matter how unethical she can be at times.
Death and the Maiden is a phenomenal film from Roman Polanski that features great performances from Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, and Stuart Wilson. Along with its enchanting visuals, intimate setting, eerie usage of music, and its study of trauma and torment. It is a film that explores a woman confronting her past in this man who could be her tormentor with her husband watching as he’s trying to make sense of everything that happened at a time when their home country is reforming itself. In the end, Death and the Maiden is a spectacular film from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac – The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) – Chinatown - The Tenant – Tess (1979 film) - (Pirates) – Frantic - Bitter Moon - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage (2011 film) - (Venus in Fur) – (Based on a True Story) – (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2021
Based on the novel Lunes de fiel (Evil Angels) by Pascal Bruckner, Bitter Moon is the story of a British couple on a honeymoon cruise ship in the Mediterranean where they meet a Frenchwoman and her American husband who tells the British man the story of their marriage. Directed by Roman Polanski and screenplay by Polanski, Gerard Brach, and John Brownjohn with screen story and contributions by Jeff Gross, the film is a study of marriage and desire where two men converse about passion and desire as well as the dangers that occur in a relationship. Starring Peter Coyote, Hugh Grant, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Victor Banerjee. Bitter Moon is a wild yet exhilarating film from Roman Polanski.
Set mainly on a Mediterranean cruise ship towards Istanbul during the Christmas holiday, the film revolves around a British couple on their honeymoon as they meet a young Frenchwoman and her paralyzed American husband where the latter tells the British man the story of their love affair leading to all sorts of intrigue and attraction towards the Frenchwoman. It’s a film that is an exploration of passion in marriage where a man is fascinated yet shocked by the stories of this paraplegic whose wife is a beautiful yet troubled woman. The film’s screenplay by Roman Polanski, Gerard Bach, and John Brownjohn maintains a back-and-forth narrative where Oscar Benton (Peter Coyote) tells Nigel Dobson (Hugh Grant) the story of his marriage and relationship with Micheline “Mimi” Bouvier (Emmanuelle Seigner) from the moment they met to the time they got married after he had been paralyzed.
Much of the film has Benton tell Dobson this story as each act ends with Dobson telling his wife Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas) about what he’s heard as she is disgusted by the stories preferring to play bridge or chat with an Indian gentleman in Mr. Singh (Victor Banerjee) who is onboard with his daughter Amrita (Sophie Patel) whom Fiona is fascinated by. Dobson is reluctant to hear more of Benton’s story as it relates to his relationship with Mimi in Paris as the first act is about the sense of adventure and passion they had. The second act is about the disintegration of that relationship due to his lack of interest towards Mimi where he would humiliate her publicly as she changes her looks and becomes needy. The second act does meander due to tonal issues as it delves into dark comedy and drama with Dobson becoming confused but also aroused by Mimi in her activities on the cruise. Yet, it would lead to this third act that is about how Benton got paralyzed and the relationship with Mimi in its current state.
Polanski’s direction is definitely wild in terms of the activities that Benton and Mimi do as well as how they humiliate each other just to turn themselves on. Shot mainly in Paris as well on an actual cruise ship and on studio sets in Paris, the film does play into two different worlds from the claustrophobic feel of the interior cruise hallways to the more open yet chaotic world of Paris. Polanski would use a lot of wide and medium shots to play into the locations of Paris while emphasizing on the latter and close-ups for the scenes at Benton’s apartment where he and Mimi would engage in ideas of sadomasochism and other sexual activity to express their passion for each other where it starts off with an air of innocence. Notably in a moment that plays into this innocence and passion for love is shown during a scene at a skydiver ride where they reach their hands as if there’s an element of fantasy. There’s a liveliness in the way Polanski play into the idea of sadomasochism and bondage where it is innocent until the second act where Benton becomes mean towards Mimi.
The scenes on the cruise ship are more constrained due to its claustrophobic tone in the rooms and interior hallways yet does have a sense of calm on the decks and at the main hall for meals and at the climatic New Year’s Eve party. Despite some of the tonal issues in the film’s second act, Polanski does maintain that air of intrigue and dark humor that play into Benton’s desire to humiliate Mimi at social gatherings and such. Polanski would also play into this intrigue as it relates to Dobson who finds himself attracted to Mimi but doesn’t want his wife to know while he’s unsure if Mimi and Benton are playing him or want him for something. The New Year’s Eve party scene is where some big surprises occur but also play into the fallacies of temptation and desire along with the dark aspects of relationship forcing Dobson to deal with himself and his own marriage to Fiona. Overall, Polanski crafts a provocative and intense film about a man’s infatuation with a woman through the stories told by her paraplegic husband.
Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with the way the exteriors of the cruise ship are shown during the evening as well as the exteriors in Paris along with the look of the Parisian nightclubs that Benton and Mimi go to. Editor Herve de Luze does excellent work with editing as it has elements of style in the montages and dissolves along with rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Willy Holt and Gerard Viard do brilliant work with the look of the interiors of the cruise hallways, cabins, dining halls, and ballrooms as well as the look of Benton’s apartment in Paris.
Costume designer Jackie Budin does fantastic work with the costumes in the stylish clothes that Mimi wears including the colorful sweaters, sneakers, and other casual clothes to some of the wild and skimpy dresses along with the S&M stuff. The sound work of Daniel Brisseau is superb for the atmosphere of the cruise ship with sounds of water heard in the background as well as how music is heard in some scenes including some of the noises that happen for the scenes in Paris. The film’s music by Vangelis is incredible for its usage of orchestral and piano-based music to play into the drama and suspense with rich string arrangements and textures that add to story while the film’s soundtrack is a mixture of music ranging from artists/acts like Peggy Lee, the Eurythmics, George Michael, Sam Brown, the Communards, Gloria Gaynor, and covers of songs by Bryan Ferry, Stevie Wonder, and Lionel Richie that are performed in the film’s climatic New Year’s Eve party.
The casting by Francoise Menidrey, Mary Selway, and Bonnie Timmermann is marvelous as it include some notable small roles from Sophie Patel as Mr. Singh’s daughter Amitra, Olivia Brunaux as Mimi’s roommate Cindy, Boris Bergman as a friend of Oscar who often goes clubbing with him, Luca Vellani as an Italian cruise passenger who tries to flirt with Fiona when he took over for Dobson during a game of bridge, and Stockard Channing in a terrific yet un-credited cameo as Benton’s agent Beverly who is trying to get Benton to come back to New York City. Victor Banerjee is superb as Mr. Singh as an Indian gentleman traveling to Istanbul as he befriends to the Dobsons while representing someone who can show the Dobsons another way of life that is more fulfilling than what the Bentons offer. Kristin Scott Thomas is fantastic as Fiona Dobson as a woman who is trying to enjoy her vacation as she becomes concerned about Nigel’s fascination towards the Bentons as she becomes disgusted by his attraction to Mimi prompting her to show that she can be just as wild.
Hugh Grant is excellent as Nigel Dobson as a British man who is intrigued by Benton’s story as he tries to make sense of what is happening while wondering if he’s being played as he provides some humor as well as a humility in the film’s third act where he awkwardly tries to woo Mimi. Peter Coyote is brilliant as Oscar Benton as an American writer living in Paris who falls for Mimi as she represents everything he wants in a woman only to get bored and later succumb to paralysis as he tells Nigel his story with an air of discontent as it’s a slimy yet playful performance from Coyote. Finally, there’s Emmanuelle Seigner in a spectacular performance as Micheline “Mimi” Bouvier-Benton as a young woman who aspires to be a dancer as she falls for Oscar only to become desperate to please him to the point of great humiliation and later rebellion and unhappiness as it’s a performance filled with energy and danger that isn’t seen often in films.
Bitter Moon is a phenomenal film from Roman Polanski. Featuring a great ensemble cast, compelling themes of passion and desire through sex and humiliation, gorgeous visuals, a chilling setting, and a killer music soundtrack. The film is definitely an off-kilter yet intriguing suspense-drama that play into the ideas of passion and some of the fallacies that occur prompting another couple to raise questions about their own marriage. In the end, Bitter Moon is a sensational film from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac – The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) – Chinatown - The Tenant – Tess (1979 film) - (Pirates) – Frantic - Death and the Maiden – The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) – (Based on a True Story) – (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the play by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is the story of a Highland lord who becomes the king of Scotland through deceit, plotting, and other things where he succumbs to his own paranoia and guilt. Directed by Roman Polanski and screenplay by Polanski and Kenneth Tynan, the film is an interpretation of the Shakespearean tragedy that explores a man’s decent for ambition in a stylized yet atmospheric take on the play with Jon Finch as the titular role. Also starring Francesca Annis, Martin Shaw, Terence Bayler, John Stride, Nicholas Selby, Stephan Chase, Paul Shelley, Maisie MacFarquhar, Elsie Taylor, Noelle Rimmington, Keith Chegwin, and Diane Fletcher. Macbeth is a riveting yet eerie film from Roman Polanski.
Set in medieval Scotland, the film revolves around a young lord who encounters three witches as he believes in a prophecy that would allow him to become King of Scotland where he and his wife would conspire to kill the king only to be driven by guilt and paranoia. It’s a story that has been told many times yet what Roman Polanski and co-screenwriter Kenneth Tynan do is create something that plays into a man believing into something that isn’t real and may not be about him. Yet, Macbeth (Jon Finch) and his wife (Francesca Annis) take these words very seriously as they believe that killing King Duncan (Nicholas Selby) would bring them good fortune. Instead, questions arise about Duncan’s death as those such as Macduff (Terence Bayler) and Prince Malcolm (Stephan Chase) suspect something isn’t right.
Even as one of the play’s more minor characters in Ross (John Stride) would be given more to do as a man who aids those who are in power for his own gain where he would align with whoever can be powerful. All of which plays into not just the concept about ambition but also its fallacies where guilt would come into play for both Macbeth and his wife through events and visions that would trouble them. For Macbeth, paranoia would ensue where he would kill those close to him and drive those around him mad. Notably in the climatic battle in the third act where Macbeth tries to make sense of all that is happening to him as he faces those he had hurt and such on his ascent to the throne.
Polanski’s direction is definitely intoxicating in terms of the images he creates as well as maintaining an atmosphere into the locations he uses which are set in Wales and England. Polanski’s approach to wide and medium shots not only capture the beauty of those locations with its hills, woods, and all sorts of scenery in these places but also in how it creates this world that quite vast but also unsettling. Notably in scenes where rain is an important part to the landscape which adds an atmosphere that is morose as well as have this stench of death which sets the tone for what Macbeth will deal with. Especially with some of the violence that happens in the film as it is quite gruesome as it play into Macbeth’s own thirst for power and his mistrust towards nearly everyone around him.
The direction also has this air of theatricality in some of the intimate moments that occur yet it is done with a sense of grit in the way the actors are presented into the frame. Most notably a scene where Lady Macbeth is walking in her room naked as she is coping with her own guilt and the trauma in her actions as if she is hallucinating about what is in her body. The film’s climatic battle doesn’t just display these eerie moments of violence but also a sense of terror that plays into the guilt that looms over Macbeth as if all of the misdeeds he had committed into his ascent to the throne is coming back to haunt him as it’s told through such potent imagery through what Polanski unveils in the film. Overall, Polanski creates a spectacular yet haunting film about a man’s desire for power and the fallacy of ambition.
Cinematographer Gil Taylor does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography with its emphasis on naturalistic colors for some of the skyline scenes along with unique lighting and fog for the scenes set in the rain as well as some low-key lights for some of the interiors set at night. Editor Alistair McIntyre does amazing work with the editing as it is quite stylish with its usage of jump-cuts but also in creating rhythmic cuts to play up the suspense and drama. Production designer Wilfred Shingleton, with set decorator Bryan Graves and art director Fred Carter, does fantastic work with the look of the castles from the home of Macbeth as well as the look of the home of the three witches and the other castles that the other characters live in.
Costume designer Anthony Mendleson does nice work with the look of the clothes from the robes of the women to the armor and clothes that the men wear. The special effects work of Ted Samuels is terrific for some of the hallucinations that Macbeth would see as it plays into the paranoia that looms over him. Sound mixer Simon Kaye does superb work with the sound in creating some sound effects in some of the battles and fights as well as in some of the sound effects that play into the eerie tone of the film. The film’s music by the Third Ear Band is incredible as it’s one of the film’s highlights for its mixture of traditional folk music of the times mixed in with haunting music pieces that play into the sense of dread that looms in the film.
The film’s remarkable cast features some notable small roles from Keith Chegwin as Banquo’s son Fleance, Mark Dightam as Macduff’s son, Richard Pearson as a doctor who expresses concern for Lady Macbeth’s well-being, Diane Fletcher as Lady Macduff, and as the three witches, Maisie MacFarquhar, Elsie Taylor, and Noelle Rimmington. Paul Shelley and Stephan Chase are terrific in their respective roles as Donalbain and Malcolm as King Duncan’s sons who both flee to England as they both suspect that something wasn’t right in the death of their father. Nicholas Selby is excellent as King Duncan as this man who gives Macbeth so much as he just wants to rule Scotland in peace while deciding to give Malcolm the chance to be the next in line for the throne. John Stride is fantastic as Ross as a knight who aids Macbeth in killing those while aligning himself with whoever has a shift in power so he can be safe and be conniving as it’s a very complex performance.
Terence Bayler is brilliant as Macduff as a general who suspects that Macbeth might be involved with King Duncan’s death as he later copes with events and such that forces him to confront Macbeth in the film’s climax. Martin Shaw is amazing as Banquo as Macbeth’s best friend who too saw the prophecy as he starts to become alienated by Macbeth’s sudden change in behavior. Francesca Annis is phenomenal as Lady Macbeth as this woman who would goad her husband and scheme with him as she would succumb to madness as Annis brings a more low-key approach to the character. Finally, there’s Jon Finch in a riveting performance as the titular character as a lord who would scheme and kill his way to become king only to be driven by guilt and paranoia as it’s a performance that is larger than life and full of intensity as it is one of Finch’s best works.
Macbeth is a sensational film from Roman Polanski that features great performances from Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Terence Bayler, Martin Shaw, and John Stride. It’s a film that takes the Shakespearean tragedy and put into a darker setting that plays true to what Shakespeare might’ve conveyed as well as has a sense of danger that is typical of what Polanski does. In the end, Macbeth is a tremendous film from Roman Polanski.
Related: Macbeth (1948 film) - Throne of Blood - (Macbeth (2015 film)) - (The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021 film))
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2015
Based on Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Tess is the story of a young peasant girl who learns that she might be connected to an aristocratic family in the hopes of inheriting some of their fortune only to endure humiliation and betrayal. Directed by Roman Polanski and screenplay by Polanski, Gerard Bach, and John Brownjohn, the film is an exploration into the world of a young woman who copes with all sorts of challenges as she tries to see if she can get a better life as the titular character is played by Nastassja Kinski. Also starring Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin, Rosemary Martin, and Richard Pearson. Tess is a ravishing yet evocative film from Roman Polanski.
Set in the 19th Century in Britain, the film explores a young woman who learns that her family might actually be related to an aristocratic family where her attempts to get the family fortune would have in ruins as she succumbs to shame and despair despite being cared and adored by a preacher’s son. It’s a film that plays into a woman who would go through many trials and tribulations as she copes with being raped by a man who claims to be her cousin and then carry that shame with her as she tries to move on with her life. All of which plays into the name she believed that belongs to her and her family only to be ruined in many ways all because of that cursed named.
The film’s screenplay has a unique yet complex structure as it plays into Tess’ journey from innocence to ruin. The first act revolves around Tess’ meeting with the d’Urberville family that is led by Alec d’Urberville (Leigh Lawson) as she arrives to confirm rumors that her family surname might actually be d’Urberville after her father (John Collin) runs into a parson (Tony Church) who called him Sir d’Urberville setting up the chain of events. Tess is someone that comes from a simple world as she is also very strong-willed as she isn’t really interested in inheriting a fortune but rather help out her family. When Alec takes a personal interest in Tess, Tess is bewildered as the encounter ends up being one of humiliation and shame as it’s followed by tragic circumstances which would force her to leave her family.
Upon taking a job as a milkmaid for a farm, Tess would meet an idealistic preacher’s son named Angel Clare (Peter Firth) whom she had previously encountered very early in the film from afar. It is there that the film’s second act begins where Tess finds not just hope and happiness in Angel but also a life that feels much more familiar than the one before the encounter with Alec. Yet, she is haunted by her time with Alec as she wants to tell Angel her past where it would later cause many problems where the film’s third act is about Tess devolving into a state of ruin and despair as she refuses Alec’s help while being estranged from Angel who would eventually make his own return. All of which plays into exactly what Tess wants but also in how far deep she has gone into a state of unhappiness all because of the name she thought was supposed to be hers and her family.
Roman Polanski’s direction is truly intoxicating in not just the way he creates something that feels like a moment in time where things were much simpler. It’s also in how he is able to make a story about a woman’s shame and the troubles that she would go through into something that feels quite modern. Much of the film is shot on location in France through many of its different countryside locations to play as Britain during the Victorian era. Polanski’s use of soft lenses, wide shots, medium shots, and close-ups are key to the film’s first act where it feels warm and rapturous in its look as it plays to the life that Tess could have as well as a life with Angel that is very simple. Yet, there’s many constraints about what is expected for women that would play into the film’s second half where Tess is still coping with the sense of shame over her encounter with Alec.
There is a looseness to the way the camera acts for scenes shot on carriages or in the rain as it becomes much tighter in its second half. The look itself is also very bleak where it plays into Tess own state of despair. The camera isn’t as shaky in some parts while the compositions are much broader to showcase how detached Tess is with herself and the help that she needed as it sort of plays into how stubborn she is. Even as she would reluctantly meet Alec in its third act as it plays into what she needs but also in what her family needs in the wake of everything they’ve been through. The film’s ending which also involves Angel plays into not just Tess’ desire for happiness but also all of the trouble she had encounter all because of the d’Urberville name as well as the role that is expected for women in those times. Overall, Polanski creates a very mesmerizing yet harrowing film about a woman’s troubled journey over a family name that she was connected with.
Cinematographers Geoffrey Unsworth and Ghislain Cloquet do incredible work with the film‘s very gorgeous and ravishing cinematography where Unsworth‘s work is spent on much of the film‘s exterior scenes in the fields to play into its beauty as well as the scenes at the d‘Urberville estate while Cloquet goes for more low-key looks and natural settings for much of the film‘s interiors as well as the exterior scenes in the film‘s second half as the photography of Unsworth and Cloquet is a major highlight of the film. Editors Alistair McIntyre and Tom Priestley do excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward in some parts while creating some unique jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the drama as well as some of the intense moments in the film. Production designer Pierre Guffoy and art director Jack Stephens do amazing work with the look of the d’Urberville estate and its other features as well as the look of the places that Tess and Angel would encounter including the house where they would spend their wedding night.
Costume designer Anthony Powell does brilliant work with the dresses that Tess would wear in her journey from the simple yet plain dresses early in the film to something more lavish as it progresses with elements of wear and tear to play into her despair. Sound editors Herve de Luze and Peter Horrocks do superb work with the sound to capture the sparse textures in the way the carriage sounds as well as some key moments into the machines that are emerging during those times. The film’s music by Philippe Sarde is fantastic for its lush, orchestral score that plays into the many emotions that Tess would go through in her journey as it has elements of somber strings and woodwinds to help create a sense of emotion throughout the film.
The casting of Mary Sewell is great as it features some notable small roles from Suzanna Hamilton as a milkmaid who pines for Angel, Tony Church as the parson who would inform Tess’ father of his namesake, Sylvia Coleridge as Alec’s mother, Arielle Dombasle as Sunday school teacher that Angel knew, Caroline Embling as another milkmaid Tess meets in Retty, David Markham and Pascale de Boysson as Angel’s parents, and Richard Pearson as a local vicar who tried to help out Tess following a tragic event but is constrained by his own laws. Rosemary Martin and John Collin are excellent as Tess’ parents with Martin as the more sensible mother and Collin as the father who is desperate to gain something from the family he’s related to.
Leigh Lawson is brilliant as Alec d’Urberville as a man who lives a privileged life despite not really owning up to everything he has as he tries to take control of Tess and buy her off as well as her family as he represents a symbol of capitalism and entitlement that Tess despises. Peter Firth is amazing as Angel Clare as a preacher’s son who is fascinated by Tess as he falls for her while later coping with her past as he tries to erase it only to go into his own foolish journey which would lead him back to Tess. Finally, there’s Nastassja Kinski in a remarkable performance as the titular character as a young peasant girl who would endure an incredible journey of growth and awareness about herself and the world as it’s truly intoxicating to watch as it’s a real breakthrough performance for Kinski.
Tess is an exquisitely glorious film from Roman Polanski that features a radiant performance from Nastassja Kinski. The film is definitely one of Polanski’s finest films in the way he explores morals and destinies as it relates to a young woman in the 19th Century as she is constrained by them. Armed with a great ensemble cast, gorgeous photography, sublime music, and all sorts of amazing technical work. The film is truly one of the finest and most compelling films about a woman who deals with rules and what is expected of her as she is shamed into ruin. In the end, Tess is a magnificent film from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971) - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by James Toback, Seduced and Abandoned is a documentary film in which Toback and Alec Baldwin explore the world of film financing as the two attend the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in their attempts to fund a remake of Last Tango in Paris that Toback will direct and Baldwin will star in. The film not only explores the difficulty of funding but also the way industry works as it features interviews from actors like Ryan Gosling, Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, and James Caan as well as filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, and Bernardo Bertolucci. The result is a fascinating yet sobering film about the difficulty of getting finance for a film.
The world of film financing in the early 21st Century is far more different than the period in the 1960s through the 1980s as filmmaker James Toback and Alec Baldwin decide to document their journey to secure funding for a modern-day remake of Last Tango in Paris that Baldwin will star in with Neve Campbell. Baldwin and Toback travel to the Cannes Film Festival where they talk to producers and such about getting $25 million for this project as it would turn out to be very difficult. Filmmakers such as Roman Polanski, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Bernardo Bertolucci reveal not just the difficulty of getting their films made but also the bullshit in what they have to do to get the money being made.
With the Cannes Film Festival as a backdrop where it is considered a place that celebrates cinema. There’s this other side of the festival where it’s an industry where Toback and Baldwin try to figure out what these financers want as some of their requests and suggestions have some valid ideas but some of it proves to be very difficult. It’s all about selling the film as Neve Campbell’s name doesn’t draw money as Jessica Chastain and Ryan Gosling are also interviewed for the film as they were names suggested to Toback. Though Chastain and Gosling are names that can draw some attention, they’re still actors who understand the process as they were also interested in Toback’s project along with Diane Kruger. Berenice Bejo reveals how different the industry in France is where it’s more about the film than the name as Bejo’s name was even mentioned to a producer who has no clue who she is despite being in The Artist.
With the help of cinematographer Ruben Sluitjer and sound mixers Philippe Goubert and Kevin Pate, Toback creates something that is loose and free-flowing while using a lot of humor into the film. Even as he opens a quote from Orson Welles where he says that 95% of making the film is getting financing and the other 5% is actually making the film in shooting and editing. Editor Aaron Yanes brings in a unique approach to the editing with not just elements of style but also incorporating clips of some classic films but also pictures to play into the festival’s history but also how much things have changed from the 1960s to now. The music in the film is mostly classical as well as pieces from other films as Toback would also use it for humor where he would meet other financers and producers including Taki Theodoracopulos who talks about the hesitation about funding a film.
Seduced and Abandoned is a superb film from James Toback about the world of film financing. The film is a must-see for film buffs and aspiring filmmakers about that world as well as the difficulty of getting people to be part of that film. Even as it’s set in a world that celebrates cinema like the Cannes Film Festival as it showcases a world where the industry and the films themselves converge. In the end, Seduced and Abandoned is an extraordinary film from James Toback.
James Toback Films: (Fingers) - (Love and Money) - (Exposed) - (The Pick-Up Artist) - (Two Girls and a Guy) - (Black and White) - (Harvard Man) - (When Will I Be Loved) - (Tyson)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Marina Zenovich, Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out is a sequel to Zenovich’s 2008 film Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired that explores Roman Polanski’s extradition battle in 2009 over the 1977 statutory rape crime that he committed as the U.S. wants to arrest him for that charge. The film explores Polanski’s legal battle to fight the U.S. justice system as well as what happened to him in Switzerland when he was arrested where Zenovich reveals some links into what happened and such. The result is a very fascinating and compelling documentary from Marina Zenovich.
In 2008’s documentary film Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, director Marina Zenovich wanted to explore Polanski’s 1977 case over raping 13-year old Samantha Gailey at Jack Nicholson’s house in Los Angeles where he was later arrested and plead guilty to the charge only to flee the U.S. due to a miscarriage of justice by a judge who wanted to sentence Polanski even worse than his original sentence. In the fall of 2009 when Polanski flew to Zurich, Switzerland to attend its film festival to accept an award, he is arrested by the Swiss government for that case where Zenovich makes her follow-up to examine the extradition case and why did the Swiss rat out Polanski to the U.S.
While Zenovich is featured in the documentary where she used her film as evidence in the extradition case in Los Angeles. She also examined what might’ve motivated the Swiss to give in to the U.S. where it might’ve involved their own troubles with their banks as the U.S. were demanding records over any U.S. accounts in their banks. Even as she interviews journalists and legal advisors who believe that there might’ve been a link into why the Swiss wanted to turn Polanski over the U.S. authorities where he would end up being arrested and later in house-arrest in his home in Gstaad for more than 260 days. Though Polanski nor his wife Emmanuelle Seigner and their children are interviewed for the documentary. They are featured where Seigner, through news clips, reveals her own feelings as well as well as some of the things she and her children had to go through in Paris during this ordeal.
Then there’s Samantha Geimer (nee Gailey) who is the victim the case as she is interviewed along with her mother as Geimer gives her opinion about the extradition case. Notably as she is upset over the fact that it took the U.S. justice system a long time to do that and bring all that pain back to her family who wanted to move on from the incident. It’s not just Geimer and her family who were suffering from the ordeal but also Polanski’s family as his arrest would nearly cripple the post-production of his 2010 film The Ghost Writer where his longtime editor Herve de Luze is interviewed about his time in Switzerland where he and Polanski edited the film on a laptop inside the jail cell that Polanski was in before his house arrest.
Most of the interviews, with the help of cinematographer Tanja Koop and sound mixer Tyler Bender, are conducted in rooms while Geimer and her family are interviewed in their home in Hawaii as Zenovich doesn’t try to make her presence known except in the end where she films Polanski accepting his award in Zurich without any trouble. Still, Zenovich does ponder if her previous documentary either helped or hurt Polanski where she also showcases that sense of public opinion through news footage that is gathered with the help of editor Chris A. Peterson. Most notably as Zenovich even captures footage of the extradition trial in Los Angeles which showcases some of the fallacies of the legal system.
Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out is an excellent documentary from Marina Zenovich. The film is a superb follow-up to Zenovich’s previous documentary on Polanski though she doesn’t reveal anything new about what she explored in the last film. Still, she does manage to reveal a lot more about the motivations between the U.S. and Switzerland in trying to go after Polanski as well as the people who were suffering in that ordeal as the case did eventually end on a good note. In the end, Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out is a fantastic film from Marina Zenovich.
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Roman Polanski and written by Polanski, Jerzy Skolimowski, and Jakub Goldberg, Noz w wodzie (Knife in the Water) is the story about a hitchhiker who joins a couple on a weekend yacht trip where sexual tension and a troubling storm causes all sorts of trouble. The film is an exploration into a world where only three people are in the middle of a lake where two men both want the same woman as they play a game of psychological one-upmanship. Starring Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka, and Zygmunt Malanowicz. Noz w wodzie is a captivating yet entrancing film from Roman Polanski.
The film is a simple story about a couple who decides to spend the weekend going boating on a lake where they pick up a hitchhiker and invite him where things suddenly go wrong. Largely as this young hitchhiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz) is someone who hasn’t had enough experience boating but is attracted to Krystyna (Jolanta Umecka) much to the chagrin of her husband Andrezj (Leon Niemczyk). Eventually, Andrezj and the hitchhiker try to outdo each other in a game of wit where a troubling storm eventually creates more problems. It’s a film that is about three people stuck in a boat in the middle of a lake as they all try to see how they can live with one another where these two men find themselves at odds of sorts but also try to impress this woman who is intrigued but also realizes that something won’t go right as her husband is definitely trying to showoff and teach the young hitchhiker how to run a boat and such.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t carry much of a plot yet makes up for it with its sexual and psychological tension between three people in the story. Largely as Andrezj is a man with a lot of experience while the hitchhiker is just a 19-year old student who had never been in the water as he doesn’t know anything about boating as he also doesn’t know how to swim. Still, the hitchhiker does find a way to learn while he also carries a pocketknife that he uses whenever he needs it as it also brings some suspense to the story. For Krystyna, she knows what is happening as she watches from afar as she is definitely more intrigued by the hitchhiker as she notices the similarities in the two men as they’re both immature in some ways as they both try to show off. Much of the film’s first two acts is more low-key in the suspense in favor of something a bit more comical but it does get darker in the third act because of a storm and the rising tension that is occurring in the film.
Roman Polanski’s direction is very stylish as he largely sets the film on a boat in the middle of a lake in Poland. While the film early on is in the road where there is that sense of style of how Andrezj and Krystyna meet the hitchhiker where they nearly hit him with their car. Much of the direction has moments where Polanski keeps things simple yet he creates some dazzling compositions in the way he puts the actors in a frame that really keeps the film so engaging to watch. Even at one point where he would have one actor in a close-up where another is nearby in a medium shot while another person is way in the back. It is all part of the sense of style and dramatic tension that Polanski creates where the boat and the lake that they’re in also acts as characters in the film.
The element of suspense is very low-key in the way Polanski builds up the tension where it’s obvious that Krystyna is an object of desire for the two men as she often appears in a bikini while there’s a couple of moments where she’s stripping down. In some ways, she’s trying to seduce them very subtly to see who will in this battle of wits. Yet, the tension does eventually build up to the point where Andrezj and the hitchhiker finally start to get at odds with each other as it creates this very intense climax that is more psychological instead of physical while it has this ending that quite complex to play into everything that had just happened. Overall, Polanski creates a very smart and engrossing film about three people stuck in a boat in the middle of a lake.
Cinematographer Jerzy Lipman does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into that sense of style in its look as well as creating some exotic imagery to play into the tension and landscape of the film. Editor Halina Prugar does excellent work with the editing as it has this element of style with its jump-cuts and rhythms to play into its suspense. Production designer Boleslaw Kamykowski does nice work with some of the interiors of the boat to play into cramped it is for three people. The sound work of Halina Paszkowska is terrific for the intimacy that plays out in the boat as well as some scenes set in the lake when they stop the boat. The film’s music by Krzysztof Komeda is fantastic for its jazz-laden score with its mixture of rhythmic piano playing and blaring saxophones courtesy of Bernt Rosengren.
The film’s small yet brilliant cast do astounding work in the performances as Zygmunt Malanowicz has this very youthful yet cool look to his performance as a young hitchhiker trying to prove himself though his dubbing is provided by Polanski himself. Jolanta Umecka is radiant as Krystyna as this woman who sort of looks prim and nerdy but is smoldering with sex appeal when she’s in a bikini as she brings a lot of depth as this object of desire while her voice is dubbed by Anna Ciepielewska. Leon Niemczyk is superb as Andrezj as this man who thinks he is the man as he has everything as he tries to challenge the hitchhiker in a game of wits that intensifies due to Andrezj’s cockiness.
Noz w wodzie is a magnificent film from Roman Polanski. Armed with a great cast and an intriguing premise, it’s a film that showcases Polanski’s mastery in the art of suspense as well as the unique interplay between two men and one woman in a boat. Notably as it showcases the element of foolishness between two men as they fight for a woman. In the end, Noz w wodzie is an outstanding film from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Roman Polanski and written by Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach with additional contributions by Robert Towne and Jeff Gross, Frantic is the story about an American doctor who travels to Paris to visit his wife as she suddenly disappears prompting him to go on a search for her whereabouts all over the city. The film is a suspense story that revolves a man’s desire to find his wife as he gets help from a young street-wise woman who knows about the dark underworld that is in the city. Starring Harrison Ford, Betty Buckley, John Mahoney, and Emmanuelle Seigner. Frantic is a gripping yet mesmerizing thriller from Roman Polanski.
When the wife of an American doctor is kidnapped in Paris where her husband is trying to find her whereabouts. It is often in the schematics of things for the man to go on the search for his wife by himself. While the film does play into that, it revolves around a suitcase that later belongs to someone else as its owner is a young woman who was supposed to smuggle something in the suitcase unaware of its contents. Once this doctor and young woman figure out why they’re attracting trouble over a suitcase. What occurs is the fact that there is an object in the suitcase that some very important people want as this doctor and young woman are caught in the middle as all the doctor wants is his wife back.
The screenplay by Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach does play with the conventions of a suspense-thriller that often involves kidnapping angles. Yet, they add other elements to the stories such as the fact that the film’s protagonist in Dr. Richard Walker (Harrison Ford) has to deal with not just some of the American bureaucracy involved as it complicates issues in the search for his wife. There’s also all sorts of people that wants something in this suitcase that belongs to this young woman named Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner). While Michelle admits that she smuggles drugs for a dealer, she has no idea about some of the contents she was carrying in that suitcase. All because Michelle and Dr. Walker’s wife Sondra (Betty Buckley) each got the wrong suitcase, a whole lot of trouble comes in as Sondra is kidnapped and Dr. Walker goes on this frantic search to find her.
The script does explore the idea of how police and these American political issues complicate things for Dr. Walker as they’re more concerned about other things. Notably as it would also involve various people where Dr. Walker and Michelle realize what they’re after. For Dr. Walker, he can use this object as a bargaining chip to get his wife back while Michelle just wants money for bringing the object to them. Still, they have to deal with forces who are very dangerous and this object, which is a Macguffin, is what everyone else is after where Dr. Walker would finally take control of this deal.
Polanski’s direction is quite entrancing for the way he explores the world of kidnapping and a man’s desire to retrieve his wife. Notably as he creates a lot of interesting compositions to establish the sense of mystery that occurs in the film. Shot on location in Paris, Polanski creates something where it does involve this American who doesn’t speak much French as he’s either dismissed or misinterpreted by the locals. Yet, he does get help from a few people who understand what he’s going through. Polanski uses close-ups to unveil some of the tribulations that Dr. Walker is going through as well as some eerie moments in the nighttime moments where Dr. Walker is trying to uncover the mystery. In this world full of nightclubs filled with lots of reggae music, Dr. Walker is definitely in a world that he doesn’t really know much about as it is a very seedy side of Paris.
Polanski’s direction also allows the film to have a bit of humor such as a scene of Dr. Walker walking on the roof of Michelle’s apartment with the suitcase that reveals his sense of awkwardness while some of the humor also comes from Michelle who is just a young woman that likes to chew bubblegum. Polanski also create moments where he allows the characters to improvise a bit to get out of situations while maintaining that sense of suspense that is prevalent through the film. Notably in the final showdown involving Dr. Walker, Michelle and the people who has Sondra where it is about who gains what yet there are also forces that want something as Polanski maintains that intensity in the suspense. Overall, Polanski crafts a very engaging and chilling suspense film that doesn’t lose sight of its intentions as well as its characters.
Cinematographer Witold Sobocinski does excellent work with the cinematography from some of the nighttime interior shadings in the apartments and at Dr. Walker‘s hotel room to some of the look of Paris at dawn in some of the film‘s exterior scenes. Editor Sam O‘Steen does brilliant work with the editing by using some methodical rhythmic cuts to play out some of the film‘s suspenseful moments as well as some of its comical moments. Production designer Pierre Guffroy does nice work with the look of the hotel rooms that Dr. Walker is staying at as well as the apartment that Michelle lives in.
Costume designer Anthony Powell does wonderful work with the costumes from the stylish clothes of Michelle to the more reserved look of Dr. Walker. Sound editor Laurent Quaglio does fantastic work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the nightclubs as well as some of the eerie moments in the film. The film’s music by Ennio Morricone is phenomenal as Morricone creates this haunting score filled with ominous string arrangements with a bit of guitar in the mix to play out some of its suspense and drama as it’s one of his more overlooked scores in his revered career. The soundtrack features a mix of jazz and electro-pop music with a dash of reggae as it includes contributions by Simply Red and Grace Jones to play out the sense of youth that Michelle revels in.
The film’s cast is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Dominique Pinon as a wino who witnessed what happened to Sondra, Dominique Vitron as the hotel desk clerk, Jacques Ciron as the hotel manager, Jimmie Ray Weeks and John Mahoney as U.S. embassy officials, Thomas M. Pollard as a Rastafarian that Dr. Walker meets, David Huddleston as a colleague Dr. Walker meets at the airport, and Yorgo Voyagis as the kidnapper. Betty Buckley is terrific as Dr. Walker’s wife Sondra who becomes a victim of troubling circumstances in order to get an object that Michelle was supposed to deliver.
Emmanuelle Seigner is superb as the street-wise Michelle who helps Dr. Walker navigate through the streets of Paris to find Sondra while being a woman with her own agenda as it’s a wonderful debut performance for the actress. Finally, there’s Harrison Ford in an incredible performance as Dr. Richard Walker as a man who is just determined to find his wife where Ford brings the every-man into the character as well as a vulnerability that allows him to be very engaging in the plight that he’s facing.
Frantic is a marvelous suspense-thriller from Roman Polanski that is highlighted by the brilliant performances from Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner. While it’s a thriller that does play to conventional tactics, Polanski is able to make it very engaging as well as bring a sense of human drama that is prevalent through the film. It’s also one of Polanski’s more overlooked films for the fact that he is able to create something that does more for the suspense genre. In the end, Frantic is a masterfully-crafted thriller from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates (1986 film)) - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Olivier Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2013
