Le locataire (1976)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (writer)
Roman Polanski (writer)

Release Date:

11 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

How could he escape from his nightmares?

Plot:

A quiet and inconspicuous man (Trelkovsky) rents an apartment in France where the previous tenant committed suicide...

Plot Keywords:

Tenant | Apartment | Window | Paris | Suicide

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

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	...	Office Worker
Michel Blanc	...	Scope's Neighbor

Also Known As:

The Tenant (USA)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | France:-16 | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #24469)

Filming Locations:

Hôpital Bretonneau - 23 rue Joseph de Maistre, Paris 18, Paris, France

Company:

Marianne Productions

Trivia:

Although Roman Polanski plays the leading role in the film, he is given no screen credit as an actor.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Trelkovsky arrives at his apartment after purchasing a wig and a pair of women's shoes; the wig he removes from his bag is a short dark-brown wig, but he bought a long, light-brown colored wig.

Quotes:

Trelkovsky: You want me to do it again? I shall do it again! You did not like it the first time.
[shouts]
Trelkovsky: Simone Choule does not disappoint!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sensation (1994)

Creepy...as...hell...

This is one creepy movie. Creepier than anything David Lynch, and that shows what a great director Polanski is since this is not his usual type of work, and it is BRILLIANT.

It all starts of with Trelkovski moves into a tenement block in Paris. He soon learns that the previous tenant, a young woman, committed suicide and he believes the rest of the people living there drove her to it. He also believes that they are trying to do the same to him. What results is a amazing and frightening look at paranoia.

The whole production has classical horror written all over it: from the imagery to the music the viewer can feel poor Trelkovski's terror building up.

Are they all out to kill him? Or maybe just drive him mad? Is there a difference? Find out for yourself. 10/10