This is such a demented little film, and fits into the genre of “psychological horror” which is a favourite of mine. “The Tenant” is also the final film in Polanski’s “apartment” trilogy (the other two are “Repulsion” and “Rosemary’s Baby”), which although not conceived as a real trilogy, have been linked and branded by journalists due to their similar themes and the fact that all have to do with their main characters suffering some kind of breakdown while living in an apartment.
The story of “The Tenant” is about a man named Trelkovsky (played by Polanski himself), who rents an apartment after its previous tenant, Simone, committed suicide by jumping from its third storey window. As a constant reminder of this tragedy, the glass roof that the girl fell through still has yet to be repaired. Initially excited by the prospect of finding an apartment, Trelkovsky’s excitement soon disappears when he finds out just how rude and unreasonable his neighbours are. If he makes the slightest sound, either the occupant above or below him will knock on their floor / ceiling in an attempt to make him quiet down. He also becomes aware that if they do not like you, they will try to force you out, which becomes apparent one night when one of the neighbours visits him with a petition to sign about another neighbour they were trying to get rid of. When Trelkovsky refuses to sign (on the grounds that this person has done nothing to him) he is told that he will now be watched more carefully, and soon enough, a complaint is made about him too.
It soon comes to the point that the place that he thought would be his haven becomes his hell, and he becomes convinced that his neighbours were behind Simone’s death, forcing her to commit suicide, and he is sure that they are trying to do the same to him. As well as all this, other strange things seem to be occurring in the building such as people standing in the communal toilet (it is situated opposite Trelkovsky’s apartment and visible from his window) for hours without moving, just staring, and one time while moving his wardrobe, Trelkovsky finds a hole in the wall. Inside the hole he discovers a human tooth wrapped in cotton wool. What is going on in this apartment building?
I am not going to answer that question because the second half of the film is best when you know nothing about it, and this is definitely a film of two halves. The first half of the film is actually really funny (it even includes a bit of slapstick, with Polanski walking into a door at one stage), but the whole time you can really feel that something is not quite right, something is amiss. By the time the second half begins and Trelkovsky starts to crack, the atmosphere has completely changed – the comedy has gone (well the overt comedy has gone, there is still some wonderful black comedy throughout, if you like that sort of thing) and what is left is a dark and intense psychological horror film. I know a lot of people (Polanski himself included) find the transition between the two halves to happen far too quickly which causes a jarring effect, but personally, it does not bother me at all. I enjoy both halves of this amazing film, different as they are, buy if forced to choose, I would say that I prefer the second half because it is skewed more to my cinematic tastes by heading in a much darker direction than the first half.
Although the story can be broken down into halves, what does remain constant throughout the whole film is the level of expertise in the making of the film, and seeing this film immediately after “Knife In The Water”, it was interesting to note just how far Polanski had improved since his debut (and he was no slouch back then either). Without a shadow-of-a-doubt “The Tenant” is Polanski’s best looking film, and this has to do with the fact that the cinematographer on the film is none other than Sven Nykvist. His work here is gorgeous, as he really brings out all of the textures of the building (both interiors and exteriors), making us feel the dirt and grime of the place, which helps to bring us into this seedy world. This was the only time that Nykvist and Polanski worked together which is a real shame because the work they achieved together is something I am sure both would be very proud of. The opening shot of the film is just amazing (and I’m sure an homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”, although a much darker version of that film) as the camera pans over the entire exterior of the apartment building and it’s windows, until it ends in the foyer as Polanski enters the building to enquire about the vacancy. It is such a tour de force shot, and it really sets the tone for the whole film, especially during a creepy moment when the camera passes a woman in a window (Simone), who then morphs into Polanski’s character.
Polanski’s decision to cast himself in the lead role turns out to be a great one, because he truly is fantastic as Trelkovsky, especially in the opening half of the film. To be totally honest, I’m not sure that he pulls off the transformation of his character completely in the second half, but hell, you’ve got to give the man props for being brave enough to dress in drag and say the hilarious line “I’m pregnant”, while rubbing his belly. Unfortunately Isabelle Adjani has little to do in the film (she does have a funny scene with Trelkovsky while they are watching Bruce Lee’s “Enter The Dragon”), which is a shame because she feels a little wasted, but I suppose the way that the story turns, and it becomes more internalized, it makes sense that her character has less to do in the second half of the film.
Overall I believe that “The Tenant” is Roman Polanski’s most under-rated film. It is an absolutely brilliant and creepy film and if it wasn’t for “Repulsion”, would be my favourite film from this great director. Add in the fact that Sven Nykvist’s cinematography is sublime and you have a true winner and another brilliant psychological horror film by Polanski, which he seems to be a master at.
Your review makes me want to see the film. I probably never will, but still, it sounds good.
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