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Thematically abstruse, Roman Polanski's "The Tenant" impels viewers to ponder its meaning. An introverted little man named Trelkovsky (played by Polanski) moves into a drab Paris apartment, whose former resident attempted suicide by jumping out the apartment's window. Trelkovsky obsesses about the woman; he even visits her in a hospital where she later dies.
Weird, sometimes hostile, neighbors who live in the same building as Trelkovsky hound him about minor or nonexistent noise coming from his apartment. Sounds play a big part in this movie: incessant knocks on his door, the ticking of clocks, dripping water, and creaky floors. Gradually, Trelkovsky convinces himself that his neighbors are conspiring to force him to commit suicide in the same manner as the former tenant.
I suspect that Polanski, through this film, is making some kind of comment about how we, as individuals, must adapt to a hostile environment, or die. But I'm not sure. That Polanski cast himself in the lead role conveys the impression that the film is some kind of veiled statement from Polanski about his own life or career, at that point in time. The film seems very "personal".
There are a number of references in the film to Egypt and Egyptian hieroglyphics. But their significance is never explained. Of course, there may be no deep meaning to the film at all. It may simply be a farcical comment about the routine irritations of urban apartment living.
Its thematic intent aside, "The Tenant" generally lacks entertainment value, at least for me. One problem is that Trelkovsky is irritatingly timid and obliging. I would have had more respect for him if he had displayed some assertiveness. The film's secondary characters I also found not especially interesting. Also, the film is too lengthy for its content. As a one hour TV drama, the story might have been fine. As is, the plot is tedious and repetitive, and the pace is very, very slow.
The visuals are exceedingly drab and dreary. And the intermittent background music is as drab as the visuals. The film's production design is impressively detailed.
Kafkaesque in plot, "Le Locataire" presents a baffling psychodrama about a mild-mannered man whose living arrangement morphs into a nightmarish world of invented duress and danger. It's an intriguing concept. I just wish the story and the lead character had been more interesting.
score /10
Lechuguilla 9 October 2007
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1743933/ |
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26-4-2020 11:15:19
