Roman Polanski’s terrific 1976 psychological thriller is both, a scathing satire about the subtle means of fascist oppression, and a diabolical study of one man’s descent into madness. Based on a novel by Roland Topor, "The Tenant" tells the story of Trelkovsky, a Polish immigrant living as a French citizen in Paris who moves into the apartment of a woman who recently attempted suicide from the same window he calls his own. Trelkovsky’s neighbors seem to conspire against him as they admonish him at every turn and conduct such bizarre behavior that he becomes convinced they are attempting to condemn him to the same fate as his apartment’s former renter. Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does a magnificent job of capturing the claustrophobic design of Polanski’s dark vision. "The Tenant" foreshadows many elements of David Lynch’s work, and has one of the most harrowing endings you will ever see. Bare-bones special features include English and French language with French or English subtitles and the film’s original trailer. Aspect ratio is 16X9 Widescreen with sound presented in Dolby Digital. (Movie – Five Stars, DVD features – One Star) Rated R, 125 mins. (Paramount)
