THE TENANT comes as a dark and spellbinding surprise for a viewer who previously encountered Roman Polanski's REPULSION and found it somewhat overrated. THE TENANT has a similar feel, setting, and unnerving atmosphere to it, but it turns out to be much closer to the kind of film that I love to watch. It's a slow-burning suspense story all about the atmosphere and psychology of the situation, the kind of tale where you're never quite sure whether the protagonist is going mad or if there is indeed a conspiracy plot against him. Polanski does some very strong work here, both as director and as the everyman protagonist, playing an essential cypher for the viewer. There are some stark and violent moments but this is mainly about an evocation of unease, of the mildly sinister, and I found it worked a treat.

Well, this is excellent. French-Polish Roman Polanski directs and stars as shy and achingly polite bureaucrat Trelkovsky, who moves into an apartment owned by 'the Concierge' and Monsieur Zy (mighty Hollywood veterans Shelley Winters and Mervyn Douglas). The apartment is appallingly cramped, greasy and doesn't even boast a toilet. Trelkovsky's charming tolerance of the place and fellow tenants - as well as his boisterous and boorish work associates - is effective.To make matters more awkward, the previous tenant, Simone (Dominique Poulange) jumped out of the window in a suicide attempt. A visit to the hospital reveals Simone to now be a howling, broken monster. He strikes up an awkward, but progressive relationship with Stella (Isabelle Adjani, frumped-up behind thick spectacles and a 1970's curls, she gets gradually more bedraggled and beautiful as the story progresses).The bullying ways of those around him, as well as his bouts of bad luck, conspire to throw Trelkovsky into a kind of chronic paranoia. It is a slow decline, and one in which his crumbling, squalid surroundings become a prison, a sick-house. He even sees phantoms of Simone unwrapping the bandages that encompass her and smiling provocatively, revealing a set of broken teeth. He flirts unsuccessfully with cross-dressing. He becomes violent. There is a certain inevitability to the horrific and shocking conclusion.At 126 minutes, this is a long film. But it is sumptuous in its depiction of squalidity, expert in its depiction of a man losing his mind, so full of unexpected moments and so evocatively told, I cannot begrudge it a single moment.The story is based upon the 1964 novel 'Le locataire Chimérique' by Roland Topor; amongst many other credits, Topor appeared as Renfield in Werner Herzog's 1979 'Nosferatu the Vampyre'. Good luck finding a copy for less than £100!

How can it be that something so distant can feel so close. This is one of those films that makes me wish I had made it. Crazy I know, but the feeling is real. It's like saying, "oh no, I wanted to tell that story myself" It rarely happens to me but it happened before, I had that feeling with "Purple Noon" and "Apartment Zero" - What's wrong with me, right? - All films of lyrical darkness. "The Tenant" is terrifying and you don't want it to stop. All those Oscar winners, Melvyn Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Lila Kedrova and Shelley Winters for goodness sake - permeating the horrible attraction to the building - yes just like in Apartment Zero. Roman Polanski not only directs but also plays the title character, to perfection, I hasten to ad. Like most works of art, it's not for everybody, I know some people I admire who, hate, hate! The Tenant. I get it but I'm sorry because I know they are missing something, I don't know what, but something.

This film should be listed as a cinema self help story called When Bad Movies Happen to Good Film Makers". Watching The Tenant is a bit like having to sit and listen to your brother-in-law explain why he once again has gotten fired from his latest job, only not quite as interesting. It's the third part of Polanski's apartment trilogy. It should be the third part of a Robot Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space Trilogy.I saw The Tenant nearly 35 years ago and had quite frankly forgotten it. A close friend whose cinematic opinions I respect, got a copy of The Tenant on 16mm, recently and convinced me to view it with him. I got the same feeling watching it again as I would were I trapped in a dentist chair and having Lawrence Oliver keep asking me "Is it safe?"My friend loves the film and considers it a masterpiece of horror. I just say we should agree to disagree.I love Isabelle Adjani and I could watch a film of her just brushing her teeth, but even she isn't enough to lift the movie for me. Roman Polanski is a genuine artistic genius so I can easily forgive him a bit of egotistical self indulgence which The Tenant is. If you adore The Tenant as a landmark in the history of horror cinema- Why is it with Polanski you always find yourself saying film or cinema rather the movies or pictures? - anyway if you like it, well more power to you! I'll watch the Screaming Skull.