The Subtenant
1967 · Poland · 90 min
- Director
- Janusz Majewski
- Screenplay
- Janusz Majewski
- Music
- Andrzej Kurylewicz
- Cinematography
- Kurt Weber
- Production company
- Zespół Filmowy Kamera
Cast
What it is about
Ludwik, a scientist who wants peace and quiet to get on with his work, rents a room in a villa inhabited only by women, each with her own peculiar obsession. The house owner dreams of breeding chinchillas and rats, her niece is secretly up to something unsettling, and another resident hopes to turn the residence into a gymnastics centre for unemployed women. Ludwik finds himself entangled, against his will, in their ambitious schemes.
How it was made
Janusz Majewski wrote and directed the film, his feature debut, after working with Barbara Ludwiżanka and Jan Machulski on television productions. He cited Gombrowicz, Schulz and Kafka as influences, along with the films of Billy Wilder and a mix of Anglo-Saxon and Jewish humour. The music was composed by Andrzej Kurylewicz and the cinematography handled by Kurt Weber. According to the sources, the film cost around 4 million zlotys and recouped its costs after its premiere.
Reception and legacy
It premiered at the Mannheim-Heidelberg festival in October 1966, where it won the International Federation of Film Critics Award, and reached Polish cinemas in January 1967. Critics at home mostly welcomed it, although a few felt it was a sketch stretched further than it needed to be. Roger Ebert considered it one of the funniest comedies he had ever seen. Over time it has been cited as one of the most refined comedies in Polish cinema.
Stills
Trivia
Earlier collaborations
Majewski had already worked with Barbara Ludwiżanka on the TV play Wierny robot, based on Stanisław Lem, and met Jan Machulski on the sets of Docent H. and Pierwszy pawilon.
No personal grudge
Majewski said the motif of a protagonist overwhelmed by women came from no personal grievance, though he admitted it might reflect some form of misogyny.
More films by Janusz Majewski
Hotel Pacific
LokisOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.