The Tenant – Film Review

From 1st to 7th December, Palace Cinemas in association with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will present a touring film season dedicated to the oeuvre of the famous Franco-Polish director Roman Polanski. Called ROMAN : 10 X Polanski, this event will features the diffusion of ten key films of the director, including the most disturbing The Tenant. This movie, released in 1976 and starring Polanski in the main role alongside the French actress Isabel Adjani, is an adaptation of Roland Topor‘s book, sharing the same name.

Taking place in a dark and sinister Paris around the 70s, it follows the history of Trelkovsky, a shy man from Poland but with a French Nationality (the link with Polanski’s own life is rather clear here). Freshly arrived in the capital and searching for a room, he finds it in an alright-looking though gloomy building in the heart of the city. But this apartment has quite a history, for its last tenant, Simone Choule, is laying in an hospital bed after trying to commit suicide by throwing herself through a window.

Not dead yet, but in a critical state, Trelkovsky decides to visit her. There he mets Stella, a young woman who turns out to be Simone’s friend, and with whom he’ll have a romance. But during Simone’s visit, he’ll be confronted with the dreadful screams of the poor lady, who end up dying the following day.

Now allowed to rent the flat, his life will slowly turn into a nightmare because of the most intolerant neighbours you could find, spending most of their time falsely complaining about him making too much noise. Slowly, Trelkovsky notices their strange behaviours. They seem to be all against him and trying to turn him into a new Simone Chouse. Sinking deeper and deeper into an extremely violent paranoia, he is convinced that everyone wants to push him into committing suicide. He’ll lose his mind, flirting with the borders of man and woman, of sanity and insanity, leading you into a discomforting situation where you end up sharing the troubles of this man, who’ll do the craziest things.

I’ve been told of the genius of Roman Polanski but I’ve only seen one other of his movies, the disturbing Venus In Furs. I was prepared to be led into that craziness haunting the director’s work, but surely not quit ready for the final experience. In deed, the movie might seem at first sight to be suffering from a cruel lack of action, taking place in only the few places. But Polanski manages brilliantly to create another scene and make us travel into the mind of the character, picturing with a creepy realism all the suffering and madness taking control of the young Polish man.

In deed, the gloomy atmosphere seems not always mastered, with a creepy scene reminiscent of Wuthering Heights, where a hand comes through a broken window and tries to catch Trelkosky. The action seems exaggerated and unnatural, but It could be for some a most brilliant moment showing the climax of his paranoia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmhIMbdecEU

If you are looking for a thrilling moment, something that will turn your brain and chill your blood, giving you a deep feeling of discomfort, The Tenant is a movie for you. Dark, creepy, strange, frightening at some points, this movie won’t leave you unmoved, for Polanski is, without any doubts, a master in what he’s doing.

What: The Tenant by Roman Polanski.

Where: Palace Cinemas ROMAN : 10 X Polanski.

When: 1st-7th December.

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