Roman Polanski

Isabelle Adjani

Melvyn Douglas

Jo Van Fleet

Bernard Fresson

Shelley Winters

Lila Kedrova

Claude Dauphin

Claude Piéplu

Rufus

Romain Bouteille

Gérard Jugnot

Josiane Balasko

Michel Blanc

Jacques Monod

Patrice Alexsandre

Jean-Pierre Bagot

Florence Blot

Louba Guertchikoff

Jacques Chevalier

Jacky Cohen

David Gabison

Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu

Alain Frérot

Raoul Guylad

Éva Ionesco

Héléna Manson

Maïté Nahyr

André Penvern

Gérard Pereira

Dominique Poulange

Arlette Reinerg

Jacques Rosny

Serge Spira

Vanessa Vaylord

François Viaur

Albert Delpy

Alain Sarde

Philippe Sarde

Marie-Christine Descouard

Gérard Brach

Roland Topor

Hercules Bellville

Andrew Braunsberg

Sven Nykvist

Françoise Bonnot

Catherine Vernoux

Claude Moesching

Albert Rajau

Pierre Guffroy

Jacques Schmidt

Jean Harnois

Bernard Prim

Louis Gimel

Michèle Boëhm

Ludovic Paris

Didier Lavergne

Jacques Audiard

Jean-Pierre Ruh

Sylvette Baudrot

Jean-Jacques Aublanc

Marc Grunebaum

Thriller

Mystery

Drama

Le locataire

Marianne Productions

France

CinemaSerf

This is probably my favourite Roman Polanski film, as he takes centre stage playing the timid "Trelkovsky". He is looking for an apartment to rent in Paris and despite the rather frosty reception from concierge (Shelley Winters), the inquisition from his landlord "Zy" (Melvyn Douglas) and the fact that it's got no bathroom he decides to live there. He knows from the start that the previous occupant tried to kill herself by jumping from the window, and that she is still clinging on in hospital, so he goes to visit her and encounters her pal "Stella" (Isabelle Adjani). She's a bit of a live wire and that doesn't sit well in his new lodgings where a library-like atmosphere is actively encouraged. Indeed, before long he begins to feel that his neighbours are engaged in a plot to force him out, or even worse. He's hearing noises, voices; he's imagining things. Or is he? His flat is broken into; he fears that someone is going to try and kill him as he sleeps. In short, paranoia is taking a firm hold of this man. What also doesn't help is the fact that he is becoming increasingly obsessed with the (now deceased) previous occupant, and that leads to significant changes to his frequently erratic behaviour too. Is all of this real or is he just losing the plot? Polanski delivers well here, as does Adjani but it's really the whole concept that makes this interesting. It reminded me a little of "Rosemary's Baby". Not in any Satanic fashion, but in the way the claustrophobia of his dwelling with  animosity on all sides; his own personality instinctively weak, susceptible and all in the face of a danger that might be real, or then again... It has some effective menacing elements of a psychological conspiracy thriller to it that I though worked really quite well and the two hours flew by as his character really does start to get under your skin.