Film Deathmatch: All Is Lost vs. Knife in the Water

Drawing comparison between films to tease out their strengths and weaknesses. 

All Is Lost

Directed by J.C. Chandor

Starring Robert Redford (Our Man)

Written by J.C. Chandor

Cinematography by Frank G. DeMarco and Peter Zuccarini

Edited by Pete Beaudreau

Released in 2013

Knife in the Water

Directed by Roman Polanski

Starring Leon Niemczyk (Andrzej), Jolanta Umecka (Krystyna), and Zygmunt Malanowicz (Young Boy)

Written by Jakub Goldberg, Roman Polanski, and Jerzy Skolimowski

Cinematography by Jerzy Lipman

Edited by Halina Prugar-Ketling

Released in 1962

All Is Lost is a film I hesitate to criticize at all since it does so much right. The plot follows a lone man on a sailing expedition trying to survive as he deals with collisions and storms. Aside from an opening monologue, there's no backstory, no narration, no other characters, no exposition, and no dialogue in general (except for a few mutterings and an expertly deployed F-bomb). The film is minimalist to its core. 

Chandor and Co. trust the viewer to find the simple tension in just watching a person deal with a perilous situation. It helps that said person is played by Robert Redford, who's weathered appearance brings an extra dimension to the film. Redford capably conveys the thought process's behind "Our Man's" actions and his increasing sense of desperation solely through shifting facial expressions and body language. I haven't seen any of Redford's other famous roles, so I can only speak about his performance as it pertains to All Is Lost. However, I'd imagine that the role would have extra resonance for someone who grew up with the likes of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and All The President's Men. All is Lost isn't the first film to cast an aging actor in an against-type role, but that choice suits the film well. 

My criticism has nothing to do with the film's story or acting, but with its style. For the most part, the

camera is either squarely focused on Redford, or adopting his point of view, and fit snugly into the confines of the boat, both directorial choices heighten the cramped feeling of the setting.  However, the film will occasionally cut to something that isn't directly related to Redford. This is more of problem during the second half of the film, when the action moves to a life raft. Chandor repeatedly moves to underneath the raft, which does nothing but break up the claustrophobia. There's even a sequence that looks like a deleted scene from Planet Earth, where the camera just watches tiny sea creatures swim about. It's fine and pretty, but, again, has no relation to anything else going on.

On a few occasions, jump cuts are utilized. A jump cut, a technique where a small part of a continuous shot is snipped out, is very disruptive to the flow of a scene. Typically, it signals that a character is experiencing mental confusion or disorientation, or it is used to indicate that a movie is going to be formally experimental. In other words, it's a technique that calls attention to itself. I can't really think of a good reason why jump cuts are used here. There are times when Our Man feels distressed, but it's more physical than mental, and Redford's performance gets that stress across perfectly well. All Is Lost doesn't mess with form in any other ways. Most of the film is told in a very simple, process-oriented way, and the jump cuts disrupt that continuity. 

Roman Polanski's Knife in the Water shows how claustrophobia can be created with precise framing. First, Knife in the Water has a narrower aspect ratio (1:37:1) than All Is Lost (2:40:1). I can’t say this was an explicit choice by Polanski, since during the 60’s most Polish films were shot in that ratio. However, it does create an immediate feeling of restriction, and forces the three actors into a tighter space. Next, a common composition in Knife in the Water involves an actor’s body in the foreground partially blocking action happening in the background. It’s an effective way to make even the outside scenes feel constrained, like there’s not enough space to for all three actors to exist in the same shot. Lastly, the camera is almost always centered on the boat, only leaving it to follow the three characters.

 On one level, comparing the two films is unfair. The plot of Knife in the Water involves multiple people, which allows for a greater shot variety. I’m not quite sure how Chandor could have pulled off Knife in the Water-style compositions with only Redford, but I do think All Is Lost could have been improved if Chandor had aped some aspects of Polanski’s style.