Rating: 
Summary: One of Polanski's best -- but be prepared
Review: When this film came out in 1976, critical reaction was strongly negative. Only one writer I can recall -- Penelope Gilliatt in the New Yorker magazine -- had the insight to see beyond the general weirdness, focusing on the title character's increasing paranoia and alienation. The unnerving plot gets underway when Trelkovsky, played disarmingly by Polanski, moves into a creepy Parisian apartment building, into a flat in which the previous tenant committed suicide. Trelkovsky gradually grows suspicious that some of his disgruntled, crabby neighbors would like to see him do the same thing. The outstanding cast includes Melvyn Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Shelley Winters and Isabelle Adjani, all seemingly having a great time with an utterly mesmerizing story. The film has high production values, including gorgeous, moody photography by the great Sven Nykvist (who often photographed for Ingmar Bergman), and an appropriately eerie score by Philippe Sarde. The DVD transfer is beautifully clear. Not everyone will warm up to the bizarre, shocking ending -- and I can't possibly give away any of the details -- but suffice to say that it shows Polanski in a way that few have seen him. For all the attention that "Chinatown" gave this director in 1974, this film, coming two years later, is just about as striking in a completely different vein.
Rating: 
Summary: Welcome to the Psychosis Arms...we have a vacancy...
Review: Why do French films have to be so patently weird? This is what I was thinking as I watched The Tenant (1976) last night. And not just weird, but make so very little sense? Watching this film, I had flashbacks of Johnny Depp's 1999 film The Ninth Gate, which made about as much sense as The Tenant. I've read that The Tenant, directed, co-written, and starring Roman Polanski (who also did The Ninth Gate), is supposed to be the third in a trilogy of films dealing with horror placed upon peoples in an urban setting (like they don't have enough problems with astronomical rent, limited parking, and cockroaches), the first being Repulsion (1965), followed by the second in Rosemary's Baby (1968). Well, having seen all three, I'd have to say The Tenant is probably the least accessible of the three, but still pretty watchable, if you can get past the frustrations due to seemingly incoherent storyline and a less than straight-forward ending. If you need your films to make sense, then skip The Tenant as you will be annoyed, bored, and generally feel compelled to come on here and offer a derogatory rant as to why people who like this film are pretentious art house goons who tout it thinking it's cool solely on the basis that it makes very little sense. Also appearing in the film is Isabelle Adjani (Subway), Melvyn Douglas (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House), Jo Van Fleet (Cool Hand Luke), and Shelley Winters (The Great Gatsby, The Night of the Hunter), as The Concierge (sort of like the landlady, except her responsibilities are limited to attending to the entrance, collection and distribution of the mail, and serving as janitor).
The film, set in France, stars Polanski as the relatively meek Trelkovsky, a modest man searching for an apartment. As luck would have it, one has finally opened up, but Trelkovsky learns the reason for the vacancy is the last tenant tried to commit suicide, or, at least it appears that way. Also, as it turns out, she's still alive, but not in any condition to contest her losing her apartment, and soon passes due to her many injuries. Trelkovsky does move in, and thus begins his painfully slow descent into the dismal, delusionary, persecutory nether regions of that oft transgressed area we know as `the mentally disturbed'...one could say his visits to the dementia buffet are increasing at an exponential rate. The question soon becomes is all that he's experiencing a product of a defective mind (Repulsion), or is it all well-orchestrated conspiracy aimed at drawing in a victim who's now inexorably forever linked to a nefarious scheme (Rosemary's Baby)? Or both? Or neither? (well, that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, but then neither did the film, so deal with it). Oh wait, there's a third possibility...that of possession...it's certainly hinted at...
As I eluded to earlier, The Tenant seems to take liberally from Polanski's previous films, Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby, retaining much of what made those films so well received, but lacks the coherence of either. There's a lot to appreciate here, especially Polanski's performance, but the rewards are far and few between. The one scene that comes to my mind is when Trelkovsky first visits the apartment building, meeting Winter's character for the first time, trying to get information about the vacant apartment. He sees a little wiener dog sitting on the couch, and in a feeble effort to get into the Concierge's good graces, he comments on what a cute dog it is, and tries to pet it, to which the wee dog bares its' teeth and snaps at Trelkovsky, twice, setting up a pattern seen throughout the film of other characters and how they view Trelkovsky in general, with disdain and distrust (his character is basically a doormat throughout the film, allowing for anyone and everyone to walk all over him). Polanski's character, seemingly a victim, comes off as less than likable, especially when he visits the hospital to check on the condition of the previous tenant, apparently waiting for her to finally pass before settling on moving into her now vacant apartment. This all seemed rather ghoulish to me...and then his budding relationship with the previous tenant's best friend, Stella (Adjani), her mourning and trying to come to terms with the loss of her friend while Trelkovsky presents the pretense of actually knowing the deceased woman, his web of lies ever growing, made him appear even more creepy (and things do get creepier...much more so, especially once he finds the previous tenant's clothes). The story eludes to many things happening, but there's little to tie everything together into a cohesive storyline (what was with the tooth in the hole in the wall? And those hieroglyphics in the bathroom? The significance escaped me on both of these matters). Despite this, Polanski does manage to keep the atmosphere throughout tense and fraught with an impending sense of danger (the Kafka-esque quality some speak of), but I felt the payoff too little when compared to the slow, lengthy buildup. The production looks wonderful, as do the interiors and very realistic location shots in Paris. You could almost feel the dingy crawling off the wall and onto your skin of Trelkovsky's less than desirable bachelor pad. I did feel the strengths tended to outweigh the weaknesses of this film, but I can't help feel after spending just over two hours watching this movie there should have been something more tangible waiting for me at the end. I appreciate everything the film is (some of which I'm still unsure), but I can't shake the feeling of that of a lab rat, subject to an experiment I couldn't possibly understand.
The widescreen anamorphic picture on this DVD looks much better than the price seemed to suggest. Also, the audio was strong and clear. The only special feature is an original theatrical trailer.
Cookieman108
|
