Cutter's Way

After emigrating to the United States in 1969, Czech-born director Ivan Passer finally broke through to American audiences with his fourth film, a unique blend of mystery and social commentary. Cutter's Way is set in Santa Barbara, CA, a community of wealth and power. Its main characters, however, ...more

Cutter's Way offers an unblinking look at darker side of California dreaming. The prism through which we get that view is Santa Barbara, arguably the state's most beautiful town, nestled between the mountains and the ocean and home to a wealthy citizenry who maintain strict vigilance over zoning, architecture, and maintenance of their fair city (if Santa Barbara could be, it would be the world's first gated city). Director Ivan Passer approaches this paradise from its underbelly, focusing on a ...more