Roman Polanski's sensational 1962 debut, presented as part of his BFI retrospective, is an example of how a superlative director makes a film from the simplest materials.

A testy older man and his sexy young wife pick up a good-looking hitchhiker and invite him along on their yachting weekend. On the boat, tension between the trio rises as the two men indulge in alpha-male competition for the woman's approval.

The raw talent of this film is still obvious, as it was to landmark Paramount producer Robert Evans ("I loved the little Polack!"), who sponsored Polanski's Hollywood career and, in movies such as Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby, brought to full flower his extraordinary ability to create menace. It's all here, clenched like a fist.