The Tenant (1976)

A bureaucrat rents a Paris apartment where he finds himself drawn into a rabbit hole of dangerous paranoia.

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Roland Topor (novel), Gérard Brach (screenplay)

Stars:

Roman Polanski, Isabelle Adjani, Melvyn Douglas

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roman Polanski	...	Trelkovsky
Isabelle Adjani	...	Stella
Melvyn Douglas	...	Monsieur Zy
Jo Van Fleet	...	Madame Dioz
Bernard Fresson	...	Scope
Lila Kedrova	...	Madame Gaderian
Claude Dauphin	...	Husband at the accident
Claude Piéplu	...	Neighbor (as Claude Pieplu)
Rufus	...	Georges Badar
Romain Bouteille	...	Simon
Jacques Monod	...	Cafe Owner
Patrice Alexsandre	...	Robert
Jean-Pierre Bagot	...	Policeman
Josiane Balasko	...	Viviane - Office Worker
Michel Blanc	...	Scope's Neighbor

Storyline

In Paris, the shy bureaucrat Trelkovsky rents an old apartment without bathroom where the previous tenant, the Egyptologist Simone Choule, committed suicide. The unfriendly concierge (Shelley Winters) and the tough landlord Mr. Zy establish stringent rules of behavior and Trelkovsky feels ridden by his neighbors. Meanwhile he visits Simone in the hospital and befriends her girlfriend Stella. After the death of Simone, Trelkovsky feels obsessed for her and believes his landlord and neighbors are plotting a scheme to force him to also commit suicide.

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Plot Keywords:

paranoia | landlord tenant relationship | conflict with neighbor | psychological disintegration | paris france | 

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Taglines:

How could he escape from his nightmares?

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

French English

Release Date:

26 May 1976 (France)

Also Known As:

The Tenant

Filming Locations:

Rue la Bruyère, Paris 9, Paris, France

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,924,733

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,924,733

Company Credits

Production Co:

Marianne Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philippe Sarde (the composer) chose the glass harmonica after having seen Polanski, at the restaurant, mimicking with his finger the action of making the glass sing. There was only one person left in the world that could play this instrument, for which Mozart wrote a few pieces.

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Goofs

When Trelkovsky is unpacking as he moves into the apartment, a crew member is reflected in the small mirror adjacent to the kitchen sink. Two crew members are then reflected in the armoire's mirror as Trelkovsky opens it.

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Quotes

Trelkovsky: These days, relationships with neighbors can be... quite complicated. You know, little things that get blown up out of all proportion? You know what I mean?
Stella's Friend: No, no I don't. I mind my own business.

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Crazy Credits

The film has no end credits; only the Paramount logo.

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Alternate Versions

Although the UK cinema version was complete the 1986 CIC video was cut by 6 secs by the BBFC to remove a brief extract of the banned nunchaku scene from Enter the Dragon (seen by Trelkovsky and Stella during a cinema visit). The cuts were fully waived in the 2004 Paramount DVD.

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Connections

Featured in High Life (2009)

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Soundtracks

Le Locataire
Written and Performed by Philippe Sarde Et Orchestre

User Reviews

The Art Of Terror

Meek, tiny, almost insignificant. Polanski finds the invisibility of his characters and makes something enormous out of it. In front and behind the camera he creates one of the most uncomfortable masterpieces I had the pleasure to see and see and see again. It never let's me down. People, even people who know me pretty well, thought/think there was/is something wrong with me, based on my attraction, or I should say, devotion for "Le Locataire" They may be right, I don't know but there is something irresistibly enthralling within Polanski's darkness and I haven't even mentioned the humor. The mystery surrounding the apartment and the previous tenant, the mystery that takes over him and, naturally, us, me. That building populated by great old Academy Award winners: Melvyn Douglas, Shelley Winters, Jo Van Fleet, Lila Kedrova. For anyone who loves movies, this is compulsory viewing. One, two, three, many, many viewings.