Mammals (1962)
10m
Running Time
December 31, 1962Release Date
Plot.
"Waiting for Godot" on ice and snow, without words. Against a barren winter landscape, a figure approaches: it's a man, pulling a small sleigh on which another man sits, plucking a dead bird. They stop to trade places; the one now on the sleigh takes out his knitting. Accidents, misunderstandings, disagreements, and an outright fight await our absurd protagonists as their trip to nowhere continues, first with one pulling, then the other. What if they were to lose the sleigh? What rules of civilization and partnership would guide them then?
Where to Watch.
SubsCurrently Mammals is available for streaming online, rent, buy or watch for free on: Criterion Channel
Streaming in:🇺🇸 United States
This Movie Is About.
Media.
Details.
Wiki.
Ssaki (English translation: Mammals) was a short film written and directed by Roman Polański in 1962. This was the last of Polański's short films before Knife in the Water, he began work on his first feature. Ssaki received awards at Oberhausen and Melbourne. It was shot in black and white, but most of the images are white because the action takes place in the snow. Accompanied by a whimsical film score and without any dialogue, it is reminiscent of the comedies from the silent film era. The story centers on two men and a sled. The clothes worn by both are appropriate for the wintry conditions, with one dressed more formally than the other. Both alternate pulling the other on the sled.