I rather like them.

Last edited by The Woolster (2012-02-06 03:15:57)

Polanski was furious that he had to cast Cassavetes and the pair clashed repeatedly on set. Polanski's memoir even contains an amusing diatribe regarding the actor's preoccupation with keeping his "fucking plimsolls" white.

The original choice to play Guy was Robert Redford who was too busy to do the picture. As a piece of casting that would have made infinitely more sense. Cassavetes' nervy, wiry energy comes off as downright sinister from the first scenes onwards, providing no big revelation that he's actually a deeply narcissistic psychopath in cahoots with the devil himself. Redford's bland male-model demeanor and easy charm could have provided for genuine shock at the diabolic plot machinations.

Despite all that it's an always watchable film. It's rather a shame Cassavetes is known far more for this film and The Dirty Dozen than for his work as maybe the finest genuine American Auteur of an era when such an accolade actually meant something.