A Renter's Guide

We have all heard the bit of urban wisdom that the best way to find an apartment is to browse the obituaries. Well, in this case the apartment seeker arrives a little early. The film begins as Trelkovski, played by Polanski himself, asks a surly concierge (Shelley Winters) to look at a vacant apartment. We soon learn that the previous tenant jumped out a window in a suicide attempt and though still alive, is not likely to survive. Whether Trelkovski knew about this beforehand is not clear, but he behaves rather cagily when asked how he knew the apartment was vacant.

The apartment cannot be rented until it is sure the former occupant will not be returning, i.e., dies. Trelkovski visits her in the hospital, but it is unclear to us whether his motivation is guilt, sympathy or a need to make sure she won't survive. He seems to be equally unsure. Within a few days she passes on. When he receives the news, Trelkovski is clearly troubled by his feelings of relief.

Up until this point, the film is an interesting look at the type of conditioning a modern urbanite is subject to. We can at once understand Trelkovski's motivations, even as we share his repulsion. The rest of the film is spent exploring the effect this has on his psyche. This is one review where giving away too much of the plot would be a mistake. Let's just say, things take a turn for the worse.

Polanski co-wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Roland Topor. Sven Nykvist did the cinematography and it exhibits that characteristic coolness of northern European films. The Tenant was filmed in Paris with a mixed American and French cast. The dialogue is in English, but much of it is rather poorly dubbed.

For those who see film as a tool for psychological investigation, The Tenant is a veritable Swiss army knife.

-- Robert Stewart