Thoughts on the Tenant. Is Polanski genius or lunatic?
Genius.
I tend to view The Tenant as an “evil version” of Hitchcock’s Rear Window.
Loved The Tenant. Remember certain scenes from it vividly.
I remember being in the theatre thinking when is this going to end. It is quite disturbing in a beautiful way. The picture make me appreciate life more
Polanski is the master of psychological horror. I can’t think of anyone else who comes close.
The film’s brilliant; I love the ending: [spoiler] the delusional and suicidal protagonist, played wonderfully by Polanski, has to try twice to leap to his death. Since seeing the film—on a big-screen in Chicago, with one of my best friends—I’ve referred to incredibly bad days as “two-jump” days.
Oh man, the thought of a tooth wedged in a wall still makes me cringe. Couldn’t agree more with the other posts on this one.
“The Tenant” is brilliant, and so is its remake “The Pianist.”
Neither
Oh man, the thought of a tooth wedged in a wall still makes me cringe.
That is my favorite image in the film. You wonder where he comes up with this stuff. So bizarre and yet perfect.
you guys know it’s a pretty straight adaptation of roland topor’s book don’t you? mr topor came up with the tooth…
He is both.
@Tren – thanks for that. I think the way in which he staged it was what grabbed me. I haven’t read the source material, but I try to separate them as much as possible. Another director could have bungled that big time.
I have to admit, I’m rather fond of Polanski’s style. Repulsion, Knife in the Water, and Macbeth in particular. The Tenant is interesting as well. Genius? Lunatic? Neither. I don’t toss the term “genius” around lightly.
Y’all should check out this short film he did as a student. Apparently he never wasn’t good.
Genius with demons.
Every auteur ever is a genius.
I love Shelley Winters’ laugh as she recounts what happened to the previous tenant
OMG. The lamp is genius. He def has a dark side.
Thanks KATE. The picture is a winner to say the least.
Sure wish I’d snatched up a copy of that awesome Millipede Press edition of the book before it got to cost $100! Anyways…
…anyone ever Topor’s weird little MARQUIS?
Not really into Polanski, just my thing. Although a couple of his work are really impressive and good.
Polanski genius, hitchcock bigger genius.
Utter, complete genius- THE TENANT is such a complete masterpiece. Its definitely my favorite Polanski and his most effectively creepy thriller for me, although I won’t go so far as to say it his best or most accomplished film. It just works the best for me. SO goddamn creepy, with an atmosphere of dread so thick you can cut it with a knife. There’s really nothing else quite like it from any other filmmaker, as far as I’m concerned.
Its all in the details. The tooth, the packets of cigarettes, the wardrobe and woman’s clothes, that filthy bathroom across the way, the surly baristas he deals with every morning, his nervous dealings with every person in his life, and yes, Shelly Winter’s horribly mean-spirited laugh (god, I love Shelly Winters!). I’ve read many reviews where people really dislike THE TENANT, because there’s no real solid motivation or expalation for why the character goes mad, but I think that’s exactly what I love so much about it. I mean, the first hour of the film, nothing really happens at all, other than him going through pretty normal, everyday rituals, like getting his coffee in the morning. But yet, these everyday events feel totally uncanny and fraught with dread, and are totally unnervingly exciting to observe. Polanski is disdainful of pat, easy Freudian psychological explanations for character motivation, and doesn’t provide a big dramatic event or “macguffin” to drive this character mad, the way a Hitchcock thriller, or most thrillers would (including Rosemary’s Baby and other Polanski films). Watching THE TENANT a second or third time, you start to notice all those tiny details, and you realize that the character is already completely mad from the start, he’s just barely getting by in life by holding it all in. I love that lack of explanation or back story, it feels more like real life. Sometimes people just go mad, and you can’t easily explain it.
Loved the short posted by Kate, it’s thoroughly creepy.
The Lamp is a good one. There are other Polanski shorts floating around like this one, which shows his humorous side as well,
Heh, even his comedies have such grim undertones. I love the shot near the end with the boy on the beach making structures with his sand bucket that resemble gravestones.
the man might be a cinematic genius, but the sex rap that he had 30 years ago, unfortunately becomes interwoven with that genius.
“Heh, even his comedies have such grim undertones.”
Understandable, given his personal history.
Why does almost every great director get called a “genius”, isn’t calling them a great director (or master of cinema) enough, can’t that suffice?
Legend Sincere
I feel lucky to have seen this blown up on the wide scene at a lovely small cinema in Los Angeles that specializes in auteur cinema. Is this picture just madness or is it genius? Could it be both. Did this picture write the formulae for protagonists who have nervous breakdowns and kill themselves as a finale. E.g. Pi by Darren aranofsky.