Cul-de-Sac (1966)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Steven C

  
  Roman Polanski's "Cul-De-Sac" is probably the most 'Polanski-ish' film the director has made. Every sensibility of the famed auteur is on display here. From the genre bending, to the mental games of imposition, to the stylish cinematography, to the loopy… More
  Roman Polanski's "Cul-De-Sac" is probably the most 'Polanski-ish' film the director has made. Every sensibility of the famed auteur is on display here. From the genre bending, to the mental games of imposition, to the stylish cinematography, to the loopy performances. "Cul-De-Sac" also delights in being non-comformative and always hiding it's true intentions. After all, this is more of an abstract art film than a piece of narrative cinema (maybe the most peculiar and obscure film he's made). What the film means seems to be a question Polanski is not concerned with. He once said "It's just a film...". If that's the case, why does it feel so decided and precise? Like everything we are meant to see is specially chosen? Polanski seems to suggest that his film is without a specific intent, which is odd. If that is what he really meant, then why did he fight for so long to get it made? Curious, indeed. Whether "Cul-De-Sac" is utterly worthless, or, like I believe, tantalizingly alive inside it's mental threesome unreality, there is no denying it's a one of a kind motion picture.

• Austen R

  
  Well, this was quite the pleasant surprise! (Pun Very Intended!!) Cul-De-Sac is the tale of a gangster, whose past is left ambiguous; and the (kind of) newly-wed couple he holds hostage in their precious island "fortress." The movie is incredibly stylish, and should be… More
  Well, this was quite the pleasant surprise! (Pun Very Intended!!) Cul-De-Sac is the tale of a gangster, whose past is left ambiguous; and the (kind of) newly-wed couple he holds hostage in their precious island "fortress." The movie is incredibly stylish, and should be recognized as much more than just Polanski finding his style. The island setting is, of course, beautiful; and the special effects are pretty good. (The violence still holds up today!!) The acting is also very believable, which is crucial for a character study like this. The movie is about paranoia, which is hard to convey; but through Polanski's editing and direction, the movie nails it. Polanski's sophomoric effort is likable and has some depth to it, but it's just not a big enough of a step up from his previous feature, Knife In The Water. (Which is a masterpiece and is a bit more concise and focused in its study of paranoia.) Still, Cul-De-Sac earns a 93%. I'm definitely going to re-watch this one! (It's hard to top KITW, so it'd be unfair of me to gage CDS against it.)

• Conner R

  
  Considered something of a hidden treasure for some time, there's really nothing all that great to say about this. While it's by no means a terrible movie, it just bathes itself in mediocrity and corny/annoying moments. It's odd that a director like Roman Polanski can… More
  Considered something of a hidden treasure for some time, there's really nothing all that great to say about this. While it's by no means a terrible movie, it just bathes itself in mediocrity and corny/annoying moments. It's odd that a director like Roman Polanski can make true classics that define the medium, but then make something as uninteresting and forgettable as this. Between the Donald Pleasence in drag and the slop of a gangster, I just really wish I didn't waste my time.

• AJ V

  
  This is an interesting comedy thriller from Polanski, one of my favourites of his. Really good, i highly recommend it.

• Adam M

  
  The best performance by the great Lionel Stander I've seen. Pleasance is good until Polanski pushes him to the nerd-level of Eddie Deezen. The best kind of theatrical staging of characters in the shots The movie asks what individuals become without their loyalties or when their… More
  The best performance by the great Lionel Stander I've seen. Pleasance is good until Polanski pushes him to the nerd-level of Eddie Deezen. The best kind of theatrical staging of characters in the shots The movie asks what individuals become without their loyalties or when their loyalties are exposed as conveniences. But it doesn't ask it too well. It's a marital comedy by way of Beckett-Godot, where the cuckold is the funniest and last joke.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Lionel Stander and Donald Pleasence are marvelous, as well as the screenplay and direction, with Polanski's intense, bizarre and darker than night humour. both delightful and warped piece of art.

• Gevvy S

  
  Reminds me of "A Clockwork Orange" but goes farther in depicting and giving a sense of alienation Confusing and compelling film from the first few minutes to the last. Very quirky characters in a very absurdist story. Dickie, a gangster, comes to a remote island castle to… More
  Reminds me of "A Clockwork Orange" but goes farther in depicting and giving a sense of alienation Confusing and compelling film from the first few minutes to the last. Very quirky characters in a very absurdist story. Dickie, a gangster, comes to a remote island castle to contact his boss to come pick him up. His stay at the castle involves taking the couple who live there hostage. His weird associate dies there and things get even crazier when the couple receive some unexpected guests and Dickie must play butler. Interesting to watch despite being very out there. The characters of George and Teresa are very disturbing to watch because their relationship is quite strange. Overall a good and unique film viewing experience.

• Chris B

  
  While Repulsion is my favorite Polanski film to date, Cul-de-sac is the most artistic and filled with dark humor. The combination of said humor and drama combined with the suspense and violence throughout makes it almost genre elusive. It is a Polanski film, period. Recommended, if… More
  While Repulsion is my favorite Polanski film to date, Cul-de-sac is the most artistic and filled with dark humor. The combination of said humor and drama combined with the suspense and violence throughout makes it almost genre elusive. It is a Polanski film, period. Recommended, if you can watch Polanski and don't have some moral issues with him...I think everyone should at least respect him as a Director.

• Stephen E

  
  "Cul-de-sac" is an absolute madhouse of a film. Unpleasant as it is to watch, there are some interesting scenes that are occasionally very funny. Muddled cinematography doesn't make looking at "Cul-de-sac" an easy task, but the acting is so wacked-out and… More
  "Cul-de-sac" is an absolute madhouse of a film. Unpleasant as it is to watch, there are some interesting scenes that are occasionally very funny. Muddled cinematography doesn't make looking at "Cul-de-sac" an easy task, but the acting is so wacked-out and crazy that it's very hard to look away. Overall, "Cul-de-sac" is a a very, very strange film. Those accustomed to mainstream cinema should look elsewhere.

• Doctor S

  
  Sandwiched between two of the 1960's greatest shockers <i>Repulsion</i> and <i>Rosemary's Baby</i>, I reasonably held high hopes that <i>Cul-de-Sac</i> would provide many unsettling moments. To my surprise, this turned out to be a very… More
  Sandwiched between two of the 1960's greatest shockers <i>Repulsion</i> and <i>Rosemary's Baby</i>, I reasonably held high hopes that <i>Cul-de-Sac</i> would provide many unsettling moments. To my surprise, this turned out to be a very different animal. The premise is perfect fodder for Polanski: two thugs are stranded at a remote seaside estate and hold the resident husband & wife hostage until they can reunite with their gang. However, in this instance the director chose to explore the comedic aspects of the situation! There are more laughs than chills to be found here. Only infrequently do we feel real danger in this situation - lead thug Lionel Stander presents a menacing air, but he is more oafish than threatening. He doesn't even present a gun until halfway through, yet meek Donald Pleasance capitulates to his orders almost immediately. The arrival of unexpected guests only results in more hijinks, particularly involving the bratty son, instead of tension. Just because I expected one kind of movie and got another should not affect my rating. The question is, how good are the results onscreen? Well, the peculiar tone of <i>Cul-de-Sac</i> makes it difficult to judge. I found it passably entertaining, not funny enough to succeed as an outright comedy and certainly not gripping enough to qualify as a thriller. I am left puzzled wondering exactly WHAT Mr. Polanski was aiming for. Perhaps the same kind of scary comedy he would perfect with his next film, <i>The Fearless Vampire Killers</i>? If that's the case, this mixed experiment was well worth the ultimate payoff.

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