Le locataire (1976)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (writer)
Roman Polanski (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

11 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | 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 | Suicide | Window | Revenge

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
Florence Blot	...	Madame Zy
Louba Guertchikoff	...	Wife at accident (as Louba Chazel)
Jacques Chevalier	...	Patron
Jacky Cohen	...	Stella's Friend
David Gabison	...	Witness at accident (as Alain David)
Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu	...	Bar Waiter (as Bernard Donnadieu)
Alain Frérot	...	Begger (as Alain Frerot)
Raoul Guylad	...	Priest
Eva Ionesco	...	Madame Gaderian's daughter
Gérard Jugnot	...	Office Clerk
Héléna Manson	...	Head Nurse
Maïté Nahyr	...	Lucille
André Penvern	...	Cafe Waiter
Gérard Pereira	...	Drunk
Dominique Poulange	...	Simone Choule
Arlette Reinerg	...	Tramp
Jacques Rosny	...	Jean-Claude
Serge Spira	...	Philippe
Vanessa Vaylord	...	Martine
François Viaur	...	Police Sergeant
Shelley Winters	...	The Concierge
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Albert Delpy	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Alain Sarde	...	Peeping tom (uncredited)
Philippe Sarde	...	Man staring at Trelkovsky in the movie theatre (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gérard Brach		writer
Roman Polanski		writer
Roland Topor		novel

Produced by
Hercules Bellville	....	executive producer
Andrew Braunsberg	....	producer
Alain Sarde	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Philippe Sarde

Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist

Film Editing by
Françoise Bonnot

Casting by
Catherine Vernoux

Production Design by
Pierre Guffroy

Art Direction by
Claude Moesching
Albert Rajau

Costume Design by
Jacques Schmidt

Makeup Department
Didier Lavergne	....	makeup artist
Ludovic Paris	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Alain Depardieu	....	unit manager
Yves Marin	....	unit manager
Marc Maurette	....	production manager
Juliette Toutain	....	unit manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Jacques Aublanc	....	second assistant director
Marc Grunebaum	....	assistant director
Jean-Pierre Poussin	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Raymond Lemoigne	....	property master
Eric Simon	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Michèle Boëhm	....	sound editor (as Michele Boehm)
Louis Gimel	....	boom operator
Jean Nény	....	sound re-recordist
Jean-Pierre Ruh	....	sound mixer

Visual Effects by
Jean Fouchet	....	optical effects

Camera and Electrical Department
François Catonné	....	assistant camera (as François Catonne)
Bruno de Keyzer	....	assistant camera
Jean Harnois	....	camera operator
Bernard Prim	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mimi Gayo	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Jacques Audiard	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Hubert Rostaing	....	conductor
Carlo Savina	....	conductor
William Flageollet	....	music recordist (uncredited)
William Flageollet	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Walter Alford	....	unit publicist
Sylvette Baudrot	....	continuity
Josée Bénabent-Loiseau	....	press attache (as Josée Bénabent)
Simone Escoffier	....	production secretary
Robert Rietty	....	dialogue director

Production Companies

• Marianne Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbus Film (1996) (Switzerland) (theatrical) (French-speaking region)
• Columbus Film (1996) (Switzerland) (theatrical) (German-speaking region)
• Paramount (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Suomen elokuva-arkisto (1985) (Finland) (theatrical)
• CIC Video (1986) (France) (VHS)
• CIC Video (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• Cinemax (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (19??) (Finland) (VHS)
• Finnkino (200?) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Berliner Synchron  German dubbing
• C. D.  Italian dubbing

Also Known As:

The Tenant (USA)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Colour:

Colour (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:

Philippe Sarde (the composer) chose the glass harmonica after having seen Polanski, at the restaurant, mimicking with his finger the action of making the glass sing. There was only one person left in the world that could play this instrument, for which Mozart wrote a few pieces.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Trelkovsky is unpacking as he moves into the apartment, a crew member is reflected in the small mirror adjacent to the kitchen sink. Two crew members are then reflected in the armoire's mirror as Trelkovsky opens it.

Quotes:

Trelkovsky: [to child] Filthy little brat!
[slaps child]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Rex regi rebellis (2003) (V)

ah...feel the alienation

I once lived with a roommate who attempted suicide, and our apartment was in a building where you could get a fifty dollar noise violation for sneezing after midnight - so, needless to say, I can easily relate to Polanski's "The Tenant."

But I also enjoy the film for other reasons. I'm not sure that it works, on the whole - the Polanski character's descent into paranoia and madness, which takes up the final half hour or so, seems rather jarring and bizarre. Ebert, for one, was totally unconvinced, and he slapped the movie with a vicious one-star review. But I think that individual scenes and moments work beautifully, so even though I don't quite understand the whole film - what does Egyptology have to do with it, for example? - I still have an overall positive impression of it.

I love the obnoxious friend portrayed by Bernard Fresson, for example. God, how many times have I settled for having stupid friends like that instead of no friends at all! I love the movie theater scene - the funniest "making out" moment in the history of film, I'd say. And boy, do I love Isabelle Adjani - she's so foxy in this movie, it's almost unbelievable. And she gives a great performance, as always.

Polanski is a good actor, too; I don't agree with the occasional disparaging remarks made about his performance here. His character is supposed to be low-key and thoughtful, so his low-key performance fits. I, for one, found him perfectly sympathetic - though he did lose me a bit when he started dressed in drag for no clearly discernible reason.

Yes, the movie's obscure. And slow. But it captures the alienating qualities of apartment living - something I've done entirely too much of - so I dig it. It's funny how all you need is a common reference point, and suddenly a weirdo movie like this becomes deeply significant! Definitely worth picking up for pocket change on DVD.