Cul-de-sac (1966)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (writer)
Roman Polanski (writer)

Release Date:

7 November 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A wounded criminal and his dying partner take refuge at a beachfront castle. The owners of the castle...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Partner | Coward | Chicken | Eccentric

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win

Cast

Donald Pleasence	...	George
Françoise Dorléac	...	Teresa
Lionel Stander	...	Richard
Jack MacGowran	...	Albie
Iain Quarrier	...	Christopher
Geoffrey Sumner	...	Christopher's Father
Renee Houston	...	Christopher's Mother
Robert Dorning	...	Philip Fairweather
Marie Kean	...	Marion Fairweather
William Franklyn	...	Cecil
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Jacqueline (as Jackie Bisset)
Trevor Delaney	...	Nicholas

Also Known As:

Callejón sin salida (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Wenn Katelbach kommt... (Switzerland: German title) (West Germany) [de]
Armadilha do Destino (Brazil) [pt]
Blind vej (Denmark) [da]
Cul-de-Sac - Återvändsgränden (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Djävulsk gisslan (Sweden) [sv]
Gislene (Norway) [no]
I nyhta ton dolofonon (Greece) [el]
Matnia (Poland) [pl]
Mavoy Satoom (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Nyhta dolofonon (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
O Beco (Portugal) [pt]
Umpikuja (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (re-release) | UK:15 | West Germany:16 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Compton Films

Trivia:

Has one of the longest continuous sequences in cinematic history (at the time of release) at 7 mins 28 secs (the beach scene).

Quotes:

Albie: He's mad at us, isn't he?
Richard: He told me I was "mentally retiring", or something like that.
Albie: Yeah?
Richard: Yeah.
Albie: He's angry with us, isn't he?
Richard: He gave me Hell.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Chinatown: The Beginning and the End (2007) (V)

Highly Intriguing Polanski Drama

Two gangsters on the run hide out in a isolated castle that is occupied by Plesance and Dorleac. The two share a rather bizarre passive, aggressive relationship that quickly disintegrates when interrupted by the strangers. Eventually a even more bizarre bonding develops between the couple and Stander, one of the gangsters. Very, very intriguing psychological drama with wonderfully subversive elements lurking just beneath the surface.

Polanski makes full use of the castle showing it's dark, shadowy interior as a sort of symbolic equation to the dark recesses of the human mind. The characters all have their odd traits yet are still believable and compelling to watch. Wonderfully photographed with a strong visual style that really gives this film a distinct look and personality.

Stander, who is probably best known as Max on the old HART TO HART series, has one of his finest roles. He plays a brute that mixes both savage and human traits all at the same time. Plesance though is astounding, playing a truly pathetic character that is simply unforgettable