Date Seen: 6/7/17
Score: 5/5
DIRECTOR: Billy Wilder
PRODUCER: Billy Wilder
STUDIO: United Artists
SCREENPLAY: Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Joseph LaShelle
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| Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon |
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| ...but first, a word from our sponsors |
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| Jack Lemmon actually caught a cold sitting in subzero temperatures on this bench during filming |
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| Shots like these demonstrate the extent to which The Apartment's mis-en-scène inspired Sam Mendes's American Beauty |
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| Fred MacMurray and Shirley MacLaine |
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| An office Christmas party straight out of Mad Men |
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| Fred MacMurray and Shirley MacLaine |
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| Jack Kruschen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Dreyfuss |
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| Naomi Stevens and Shirley MacLaine |
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| "That's just how it crumbles... cookie-wise," AKA the moment I started crying |
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| "Shut up and deal" |
How can I possibly explain the love I have for Billy Wilder's 1960 romantic comedy The Apartment? As someone who generally enjoys high-quality rom-coms, it's a damn shame that I didn't get around to watching it sooner. I fell in love with it the second Jack Lemmon started his narration, and I grew fonder and fonder of it with every scene. I've always been a fan of Billy Wilder, but this film truly stands out to me and, I think, will forever hold a place in my heart as one of my favorite romantic movies.
I'm convinced that this is, if not a perfect film all-around, at least a perfect romantic comedy. Jack Lemmon is so sweet, sincere, and lovable as C.C. Baxter, a hard-working young office employee who get roped into allowing some of the corporate executives to use his apartment as a private love nest, a getaway in the city where they can bring their mistresses. He's got a crush on an elevator girl from his office, a kooky and sweet woman named Fran Kubliek, played to the nines by Shirley MacLaine. When he finds out that Fran is one of the women using his apartment to carry on an affair with his boss, Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), his heart is broken, but, in typical Baxter fashion, he pushes his own feelings aside in an attempt to keep others around him happy. As MacLaine's Fran puts it at one point, "Some people take, some people get took. And they know they're getting took and there's nothing they can do about it." The Apartment is, at its core, a film about takers and the "took"- and, ultimately, the "took" deciding they don't want to play into that scheme any longer.
It's a relatable film and a human film because most people understand the frustration of being taken advantage of. Wilder's satirization of office corruption through nepotism, the practice of carrying on extra-marital affairs, and the plights of unrequited love come together to form a deeply moving picture of manipulation, and the ultimate attempt to break out of the control of others. Baxter and Kubliek are both people who "get took," and the viewer's desire for them to get away from their toxic controllers and find each other is palpable through the entire film, giving the movie the rich sexual tension of a perfect romantic comedy. But the thing is, even for a movie that is so blatantly about sex in so many ways, it's evident that the connection between Baxter and Kubliek is not lustful- it's a pure, admirable romantic love, a deep human connection.
The irony, of course, lies in the fact that Fran Kubliek's statement about manipulation works both ways. Throughout the film, both Baxter and Kubliek, the obvious victims of the film's takers, take turns taking advantage of each other. Fran plays into the Apartment game by participating in an affair at Baxter's house, and later moves in herself, demanding care and attention from Baxter but plainly telling him that she is not in love with him. Baxter, too, plays his part in manipulating Fran's feelings by working on the side of Mr. Sheldrake to encourage the affair, enabling her to continue a toxic relationship despite his own devastated feelings, all in an effort to preserve his career position.
It's only at the end of the film (of course) that the characters learn to break away from the leeches that have sucked so much out of them throughout the course of the movie- it's then that they can, in the words of Baxter's neighbor, become "mensch."
Sources:
All photos sourced from Google Images and Pinterest
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