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Cul-de-sac

6.8

3,766

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Original title

Cul-de-sac

Year

1966

Running time

111 min.

Country

United Kingdom

Director

Roman Polanski

Screenwriter

Gérard Brach, Roman Polanski

Cast

Music

Christopher Komeda

Cinematography

Gilbert Taylor (B&W)

Producer

Compton Films

Genre

Mystery. Comedy | Black Comedy. Crime

Synopsis

A wounded criminal and his dying partner take refuge at a beachfront castle. The owners of the castle, a meek Englishman and his willful French wife, are initially the unwilling hosts to the criminals. Quickly, however, the relationships between the criminal, the wife, and the Englishman begin to shift in humorous and bizarre fashion.

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Awards: 1966: Berlin Film Festival: Golden Bear

1966: BAFTA Awards: Nominated for Best British Cinematography (B/W)

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Critics' reviews

"Roman Polanski's second British film is a mean little absurdist comedy set on a remote Northumberland island; it's also one of the best and purest of all his works."

Jonathan Rosenbaum: Chicago Reader
"Cul-de-sac functions better as an affectionate goof on Waiting For Godot, enhanced by an unforgettable setting that naturally severs the trio from contact with the outside world."

Scott Tobias: AV Club
"Pleasence, in a role that requires him to run sideways most of the time with his head at a crooked angle, is hilarious and frightening as a man going mad, and the film has an eerie appeal. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times
"Neat little chiller with Polanski honing his abilities as a director and standout performances from Pleasence, Stander, and Dorleac."

TV Guide
"As a study in kinky insanity, 'Cul-de-Sac' creates a tingling atmosphere. This sags riskily at times when the director unturns the screws and does not keep control of his frequently introduced comedy."

Variety Staff: Variety
"Cul-de-Sac remains a searing reminder that Roman Polanski’s idiosyncratic grasp of the human mind was once evinced theatrically, rather than through narrative ferocity."

Joseph Jon Lanthier: Slant
"Shades of Pinter and Beckett are affectionately retouched with dark humour, dynamic wordplay and a tension all Kubrick's."

Kim Newman: Empire
"If the subject matter is bleak and bitterly serious, the tone throughout is darkly comic, while the precise imagery effortlessly conveys the tension, the claustrophobia, and the madness of the situation."

Gary Arnold: Time Out

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Cul-de-sac

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