Roman Polanski / France / 1976 / 126 min
Roman Polanski’s tale of paranoia, identity and neighbourly relations, The Tenant, is a film that delves deep into the mind of a troubled young man in order to show you the limits of the human psyche. Set in Paris and starring Polanski himself as the lead character in an uncredited and impressive performance, the film follows an unassuming Polish democrat Trelkovsky (Polanski) as he moves into a new apartment. But the suicide of the previous tenant, Simone Choux, and a number of odd coincidences and happenings soon convince Trelkovsky that his neighbours are plotting against him to make him commit suicide.
Slightly slow to begin with, The Tenant is a film that manages to create and continue an unfamiliar feel of menace and tension that builds as the film progresses. Highlighting issues of racism, ageism, alienation and mental health problems, Polanski’s piece, which also forms part of his so-called ‘Apartment Trilogy’, dives into the taboo of suicide and manages to create a film that is still shocking today, over 40 years after the production’s original release. Dark and frightening in places but also unbearably sad, The Tenant is a bold piece of filmmaking that stands the test of time and manages to make the most mundane aspects of urban living, such as neighbourly disputes, more chilling and more upsetting than ever.
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