The Tenant

Roman Polanski (The Pianist) co-wrote, directed, and stars in this quirky 1976 psychological thriller that carries strong echoes of his 1965 Repulsion (individual madness) and 1968 Rosemary's Baby (group malevolence). Set in Paris, The Tenant features Polanski in the title role as Trelkovsky, a milquetoast file clerk who takes an upper-level apartment after the previous tenant, a young woman named Simone Choule, takes a nearly-successful suicidal leap out the window. His interest piqued, Trelkovsky visits Choule--who is gauze-wrapped head to toe--in the hospital and when she sees him, she utters a bloodcurdling scream and expires on the spot. Back in his apartment, Trelkovsky settles in but gradually discovers that things are not quite cricket: neighbors complain that he's noisy (when he's not), and people stand in the shared bathroom across the way for hours staring at him. Is Trelkovsky losing his mental grip or are the apartment dwellers forming a conspiracy to drive him mad? Jaded modern viewers will figure out where The Tenant (which was surely more shocking in its day) is headed long before the credits role; still, this atmospheric chiller holds up well over a quarter of a century after its debut. Presented in a handsome anamorphic widescreen transfer with serviceable Dolby Digital mono sound, the DVD is extra-less, but the affordable price and mild cult status of the film make this a solid choice. Recommended. (R. Pitman)