everyone who left their reviews is right about an alienation portrayed by Polansky but probably very few will understand that this is a cause of a Slavic soul in the western world...sort of steppen wolf..especially the end where Trekovsky committed suicide not once but twice!- to prove himself- it is so Slavic!

"The Tenant" focuses on Trelkovsky, a young European who moves into a crumbling apartment building in Paris where the former tenant, an Egyptologist, committed suicide by leaping out of the window and through a pane of glass. Trelkovsky finds himself pestered by the other tenants, as well as both his landlord and the concierge (Melvyn Douglas; Shelley Winters), but most bothersome is the inexplicable occurrences in the building—items disappearing in a matter of seconds; his neighbors standing motionless in the windows of the communal bath house for hours on end; and moreover, the subtle and bizarre changes to his personality.Decried by many critics upon its release but heralded as a cult film and final installment in Roman Polanski's "Apartment Trilogy," "The Tenant" is one of the weirder offerings from the auteur. One major difference is that Polanski stars and directs, which allows him a double-edge that the previous films of the trilogy ("Rosemary's Baby," "Repulsion") did not allow.As with the former two films, "The Tenant" is a slow and cerebral offering that ramps up the nightmarish qualities almost to the point that they border on surrealism, though it never quite reaches that extreme. The almost-surrealism of the film is unexpectedly unnerving and, though not nearly as claustrophobic as its precedents, the film is considerably more bizarre. The dynamics of the characters are odd from the get-go: the disaffected landlord listens to Trelkovsky practically beg for the near-derelict apartment. The same day, Trelkovsky discovers the story of Simone, the former tenant who attempted suicide in the apartment. He goes to visit her in the hospital, where he meets her eccentric friend (Isabelle Adjani); Simone dies in front of them, though the extent to which this registers with them (particularly Trelkovsky) is vague. After they leave the hospital, the two go see a Bruce Lee movie at the cinema. Many have remarked the Kafkaesque qualities of the film, and it's a valid observation. There is a distinct meeting of the arbitrary with the absurd, an element that seems to be embedded within "The Tenant," and the visual components that carry it along are striking and at times downright chilling. Polanski is memorable in the lead role, while Melvyn Douglas and Shelley Winters have unexpected turns as the disaffected owner/cold concierge of the apartment building. Adjani's character is wacky and more or less peripheral, but her scenes are great.The film's conclusion is fittingly ambiguous and frankly expected given how deep Polanski whisks his audience down the rabbit hole with the film. It is perhaps as frustrating as it is thought-provoking, and is far more equivocal than "Repulsion" or "Rosemary's Baby," both of which left more perceivable breadcrumbs. More than anything, though, the visual qualities of the film are what I found to be most striking (and most terrifying). It is, on multiple occasions, the film equivalent of a portrait of a nightmare, and for that, it is a true gem. 9/10.

"WTF!?" - And, I'll say it again - "WTF!!??" 1976's "The Tenant" was one of those screwy films that had me asking myself, over and over again - "When is this damn movie going to get interesting?" (And, it never did get even close to being interesting - So, I guess, that answered my question very clearly) When it comes to the likes of psychological thrillers (which "The Tenant" was supposed to be) - They couldn't possibly get anymore drab and dull than this total mealy-mouthed snore-fest.If you ask me - I think that after director Roman Polanski struck a huge success with 1974's "Chinatown", he was so bloody arrogant about his film-making abilities that he believed his audience would instantly like anything he churned out and, as a result, he produced this total turd to test the blind loyalty of his adoring fans.And, finally - On top of Polanski being a less-than-interesting actor, he certainly couldn't be taken seriously in drag. In fact, he was so utterly terrible in wig, eyeliner and heels, that he wasn't even worth laughing at.

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.