The Tenant (1976)

Roman Polanski: Trelkovsky

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Trelkovsky : [while looking at himself in the mirror]  Beautiful. Adorable. Goddess. Divine. Divine! I think I'm pregnant.

• Trelkovsky : [to child]  Filthy little brat!

  [slaps child] 

• Trelkovsky : I'm not Simone Choule. I'm Trelkovsky! Trelkovsky.

• Stella : Why don't you take your tie off? You look like you're choking to death.

  Trelkovsky : I found a tooth in my apartment. It was in a hole.

• Trelkovsky : Tell me, at what precise moment - does an individual stop being who he thinks he is?

  Stella : You know, I don't like complications.

  Trelkovsky : You cut off my arm. I say, "Me - and my arm." You cut off my other arm. I say, "Me and my two arms." You - take out - take out my stomach, my kidneys, assuming that were possible. And I say, "Me and my intestines." Do you follow me? And now, if you cut off my head - would I say, "Me and my head" or "Me and my body"? What right has my head to call itself me? What right?

• Trelkovsky : These days, relationships with neighbors can be... quite complicated. You know, little things that get blown up out of all proportion? You know what I mean?

  Stella's Friend : No, no I don't. I mind my own business.

• Trelkovsky : You want me to do it again? I shall do it again! You did not like it the first time.

  [shouts] 

  Trelkovsky : Simone Choule does not disappoint!

• Trelkovsky : [talking to himself] 

  [he opens a box and takes out a pair of shoes] 

  Trelkovsky : Oh! My! Where did you find these? They are beautiful! A size 68? I had *no* idea!

• Trelkovsky : There is something odd going on in my building. I quite often see people in the toilets, on the other side of the courtyard.

  Simon : What are you? A peeping Tom, now?

  Scope : You mean, people together in the shithouse? Like an orgy?

  Trelkovsky : No, no, they just stand there for hours, you know? Absolutely dead still.

  Scope : They're obviously playing with themselves.

  Trelkovsky : Not at all.

  Simon : He just told you. They stand dead still. Can you play with yourself without moving?

• Trelkovsky : They were trying to kill me! They were playing football with a human head!

• Trelkovsky : Please, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to criticize your apartment, but the toilet is a problem. Suppose I got sick, which I don't often do, I can assure you of that, and I had to relieve myself in the middle of the night. It wouldn't be very convenient, would it?

• Trelkovsky : Could it have been a disappointment in love, perhaps? Something like that?

  Stella : Who with?

  Trelkovsky : I don't know. Some man.

  Stella : You know she wasn't interested in men.

  Trelkovsky : Oh, yes, I know, but - women as sensitive as she was, she is, I mean, often tend to have - much more complicated relationships than they seem to.

• Trelkovsky : I'll have a beer. No, a coffee.

• Trelkovsky : Do you sell cigarettes?

  Cafe Owner : Yes. What would you like?

  Trelkovsky : Gauloises bleues, please.

• Georges Badar : Is this Simone Choule's apartment?

  Trelkovsky : Yes. It used to be. I'm the new tenant.

• Trelkovsky : They'll never turn me into Simone Choule. Never!

• Stella : You're strange.

  Trelkovsky : You must tell me, then. I wouldn't mind, really.

• Trelkovsky : I'll fight. I'll fight to the bitter end.