Le locataire (1976)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (writer)
Roman Polanski (writer)

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

Also Known As:

The Tenant (USA)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (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:

One of the ten most terrifying moments in history of cinema in the opinion of the French horror movie magazine Mad Movies.

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: [talking to himself]
[he opens a box and takes out a pair of shoes]
Trelkovsky: Oh! My! Where did you find these? They are beautiful! A size 68? I had *no* idea!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)

The Art Of Terror

Meek, tiny, almost insignificant. Polanski finds the invisibility of his characters and makes something enormous out of it. In front and behind the camera he creates one of the most uncomfortable masterpieces I had the pleasure to see and see and see again. It never let's me down. People, even people who know me pretty well, thought/think there was/is something wrong with me, based on my attraction, or I should say, devotion for "Le Locataire" They may be right, I don't know but there is something irresistibly enthralling within Polanski's darkness and I haven't even mentioned the humor. The mystery surrounding the apartment and the previous tenant, the mystery that takes over him and, naturally, us, me. That building populated by great old Academy Award winners: Melvyn Douglas, Shelley Winters, Jo Van Fleet, Lila Kedrova. For anyone who loves movies, this is compulsory viewing. One, two, three, many, many viewings.