i can understand how fan of filmmaker roman polanski could love this movie and i could understand how some could totally hate it ( ebert be one of the few who couldn not understand why people weren not run out of the theater ) . after a first viewing and i be not sure i could fall into either category and however a someone who can not get enough of kafka and bizarre dark comedy of paranoia the tenant be effective enough for it running time . or maybe not this be one of those case where it might have be more of a masterwork if it be a half hour twilight zone episode and with serling deliver the coda a terkovsky ( or whomever it might be ( . ) ) writhe in his bed in bandage . it very similar in the treatment of the doomed protagonist a repulsion be and however it could be argue that there be more ambiguity and more of a sense of the surreal come out through a sustained disintegration of character and location ( and and quite frankly and a good lead performance ) than the tenant . a it stand and the tenant do have an intriguing premise and the kind that one doesn not tire tell about to other people represent polanski be a polish émigré to paris who take an apartment that be most recently acquire by simone choule and who jump to her near death out of the window and die soon after . but the other tenant be conservative to the max in term of noise while after a saturday night at terkovsky with a few friend and there be complaint of too much noise . it would not happen again and polanski good natured but slightly nervous tenant say and but there be no peace even in move a cabinet or a chair . soon complaint get register against another tenant and but from him . can he register complaint . this be a case of not so much mistaken identity but of there be a lack of peace of mind with oneself and the surround people . a the downward spiral go on and polanski ratchet up tension ( and and dare i say and black comedic laugh ) by show terkovsky in the midst of a horrible dream one of polanski strong scene from the period and in find teeth in the wall and not to mention the bathroom across the way ( which and i might add and be always a cinematic lynch pin of horror and surreal madness ) . but somehow and the film never really feel all that significant aside from it excessive design a a would be mind f machine and with terkovsky tenant only seem to not be what they seem for a little while represent there not a much suspense when find out that they really aren not out to get him and which make the paranoia more self fulfilling . at least once or twice i think to myself as well why do polanski take the title role for himself . it not that he at all a bad actor and and he have appear in several film and play that aren not of his own direction . but aside from be great at look awkward and tense and like in the church and or in his moment of sort of flip out when think that they really be out to get him to kill himself and his transformation be less creepy than tongue in cheek and a test of himself to see if he can pull it off and which he doesn not entirely do . despite polanski work at it well to look like the meek and frazzle terkovsky and i could see at least a few other actor who could pull it off with more subtlety and affect personality . by the time one see him in drag and it go between cringe worthy and true camp and particularly when he go for the double climax at the end ( which and of course and be of little surprise ) . and yet there be pleasure for the film buff and polanski fan to see the support cast try and dig into the much more ambiguous character ( winter and douglas do this the best and even a they have to strain through limited character ) and and the unexpected moment like polanski and adjani get hot and heavy during a bruce lee movie and or when he get really drunk and or in one almost random scene where he slap a kid near a fountain and be rather brilliant in and of themselves . it a very good film and and one that could maybe stick my attention up when on too many coffee after midnight . but an essential film . not exactly .