The 1001 Movie Club is a conglomerate of film bloggers inspired by the phenomenal book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the title of which is fairly self explanatory. A tome of cinematic information and recommendation, it is a bible for movie buffs, and over the next four days, myself and the other members of the club will be reviewing four of the acclaimed films that can be found within its pages. Be sure to visit the club’s site where the reviews will be collected and an aggregate score bestowed, and if you are so inclined, feel free to join in on the fun.THE APARTMENT (1960)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director: Billy Wilder
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Jack Kruschen
Running Time: 125 minutes
Winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Billy Wilder’s The Apartment tells the story of C.C. Baxter (played by beloved Hollywood leading man Jack Lemmon). A low level employee at a New York City insurance firm, Baxter has put his career on the fast track by lending out the key to his apartment to his superiors so that they can go about their extra-marital activities without fear of being caught by their significant others. Unfortunately for Baxter, this arrangement often leaves him without a place to sleep, and is ruining his reputation with his neighbours. To make matters worse, one of the women being wooed in his apartment is Fran, the elevator operator from his work with whom Baxter is smitten.The Apartment spends most of its first half as a comedy, following poor Baxter as he attempts to juggle his various “appointments” whilst trying to woo Fran and get ahead in the workplace. But in the second half the film changes tone, morphing into a drama about love and dependence. The best thing about The Apartment is the way that is moves so gracefully between genres, and uses humour to tackle weighty issues such as suicide, adultery and relationships, giving the picture far more depth than it might at first appear.
Fran (played by Shirley MacLaines) initially seems like your typical sassy leading lady, quick tongued and very pretty. But in a stunning scene in a Chinese restaurant, she is revealed as a real life character, foolish and vulnerable, carrying on her affair with the sleazy Mr. Sheldrake despite knowing that he will never leave his wife. Likewise, Baxter may seem like sympathetic schmuck who just wants to please everyone, but ultimately he is also a man unwilling to take responsibility for his actions, choosing instead to play along and get ahead rather than stand up and fight for what he truly wants.Those of you who have heard me on the LAMBcast will know that I am by no means a Billy Wilder expert, but his direction here truly is first rate, and the black and white cinematography is gorgeous (fun piece of trivia, this was the last Best Picture winner to be shot entirely in black and white). That being said, if it wasn’t shot in black and white, one could easily mistake The Apartment as a contemporary film, as it deals with its subject matter with surprising frankness. (there was probably only one moment in the entire movie, involving Baxter going through Fran’s personal file, that seemed dated). The script is very well written, with Lemmon delivering his lines, especially the comedic ones, with perfect timing.
Honestly though, I don’t consider The Apartment to be anything that remarkable. It’s a very solid film, with strong performances and some excellent dialogue, but it never really captivated me. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I probably would never have picked it as a Best Picture winner had I not already known. I’d recommend the movie to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting, but don’t expect it to change your lifeScore
7/10
So does it deserve to be in the book?
I think most of the club members will disagree with me, but I have to say no. It’s a good film, but it struck no particular resonance with me. I’m sure I’ll watch it again at some point and maybe I’ll have newfound appreciation for it, but until then I wouldn’t consider The Apartment a movie I had to see before I died.
