i saw this film at a time when i be timidly toy with the idea of move into my own apartment and start life on my own . maybe that be the reason why i take it so seriously . i believe totally in the poor character psychological degradation inside a paris of perpetual construction site and dust and squalor and selfishness and rudeness and malice and decay . i be give all the credit to polanski artistry in his direction and his playing and his inescapable script but i faint during the horrible final scene and have to be revive by cognac in the office of the theatre manager . luckily for me and my life on my own do not turn out as disastrous a this ( so far ) but i have always keep a great respect for an artist who can perform such illusion and so totally immerse himself in the ( fake ) reality he be try to convey . simply put and the man be a genius of the first order and a credit to the human race . this film be the sum of many and many instance of great acting and great casting . a some performance be do in english ( the scene with shelley winter and melvyn douglas among others ) and others in french ( with most other character ) and polanski do his own dubbing in english and french and i heartily recommend and if you happen to be bilingual and to switch the audio from french to english and vice versa and during the appropriate scene while watch the magnificent transfer on paramount dvd . this film be part of polanski so call apartment building trilogy which also comprise repulsion and rosemary baby . unfortunately and repulsion still hasn not make it to a decent dvd transfer in region 1. needless to say and the three film would make a magnificent boxset .