I have to agree with filmmaker Roman Polanski, who didn't especially care for this early effort of his. I didn't either, although I did appreciate the wonderful shadows of the many dolls' faces and the eerie whispering later in the film. Outside of that, it wasn't anything that appealing.
Basically, the film is an exercise in camera panning. We are inside a toymaker's shop where we see a man fixing a doll's head. He's working at night with the light of lamp aiding him. Then, for most of the rest of the movie, the camera slow scans at all the dolls in the store, some completed, some worn and beaten up, but most with haunting expressions. None of the faces move but we hear whispers and it's as if these little things are real and having conversations. Hopefully, they weren't planning arson. If you see the film, you'll know what I mean.
You can see this early Polanski effort on disc number 2 of the "Knife In The Water" DVD.
Basically, the film is an exercise in camera panning. We are inside a toymaker's shop where we see a man fixing a doll's head. He's working at night with the light of lamp aiding him. Then, for most of the rest of the movie, the camera slow scans at all the dolls in the store, some completed, some worn and beaten up, but most with haunting expressions. None of the faces move but we hear whispers and it's as if these little things are real and having conversations. Hopefully, they weren't planning arson. If you see the film, you'll know what I mean.
You can see this early Polanski effort on disc number 2 of the "Knife In The Water" DVD.