I love "The Apartment."

June 18, 2000 7:53 AM

I love "The Apartment." It's one of my favorite films of all time. But whenever I've rented it and showed it to friends, they've dismissed it as a fun/sentimental comedy. I think it's got infinitely more depth than that, though it can be seen as a simple love story. Finally, someone else shares my love of this American Masterpiece.
posted by grumblebee (11 comments total)

The Apartment would be one of my 10-films-on-a-desert-island picks, I think. I like to say I don't really have favorite films, but if I had to choose, I'm sure at least a few of the 10 would be Wilder films. Double Indemnity too, maybe.

If only it were available on DVD... (Me and my Amazon DVD links, I'm such a schmuck!)


posted by dan_of_brainlog at 10:30 AM on June 18, 2000

Are your friends all under 30? The mores in the film may seem quaint to them (though things haven't changed that much, in some ways. . .), but the script, direction and acting (particularly Lemmon and that woman he picks up in the bar) are excellent. And I don't think many serious critics doubt Billy Wilder's oeuvre is one of the most impressive of any director's, or that this stands with "Some Like It Hot" as 2 of the best American comedies--or films period for that matter.
posted by aflakete at 10:33 AM on June 18, 2000

I agree it is a wonderful, poignant film; funny about true and painful things; beautifully conceived, written, acted, and directed. Plus any time Fred MacMurray is evil, it has to count for something. (See also: Double Indemnity.)

Some of my friends - even some who are over thirty - can't watch black and white films. Just as some people can't read literature that is more than ten years old. What a pity.
posted by Zeldman at 12:29 PM on June 18, 2000

Most of my friends of over 30. And they like THE APARTMENT. But they think of it as light entertainment as opposed to DOUBLE INDEMNITY (my other Billy Wilder favorite) and SUNSET BLVD.

I think THE APARTMENT is to film what THE GREAT GATSBY is to literature--a seemingly simple romance that contains great depths. Of course, many more people recognize the importance of Fitzgerald's book, but I have also met a lot of people who think Fitzgerald is closer to Stephen King than Doestoyevsky.
posted by grumblebee at 1:01 PM on June 18, 2000

I think that hints to the modern mentality that gave Turner the horrid colorization idea. The idea that movies are better with THX sound and high definition graphics. It's like putting an air freshener in an outhouse.

I'm under 30 and most of my favorite movies are classic B&W. Grand Illusion, The Seven Samurai, Citizen Kane, The Seventh Seal, and many more.

All these great classics and we get remakes of cheesy TV shows and cartoons...Wahoo!
posted by john at 1:18 PM on June 18, 2000

Oh and the only dvd like you need is DVDpricesearch.com.
posted by john at 1:20 PM on June 18, 2000

OT: I gave up on DVDpricesearch.com when the companies it was referring me to were garbage. I've ranted waves of hatred for DVDWave on my blog, and that was often their recommendation. In the end, I decided to pick two or three I knew had great service (BigStar, the late Reel.com and Amazon) and stick with them; worth the extra dollar.

Anyone know of a "click here to donate to film preservation" site? :)
posted by dan_of_brainlog at 12:39 AM on June 19, 2000

you never bothered to set your search prefs
posted by john at 11:52 AM on June 19, 2000

Ah, I guess not. Thanks!
posted by dan_of_brainlog at 8:34 AM on June 20, 2000

I, too, love this terrific film. (One of my favorite moments is the blonde floozy -- she seems to be there solely to provide Wilder a chance to lambaste Marilyn Monroe, whose work habits and acting capabilities had given him fits. Slice!)

There's something special about Jack Lemmon. There are few actors who can pull off a dramatic character when given a comedy script, at least anymore. Tom Hanks, perhaps. Comedies generally get little respect at the Oscars and even less in historical wrapups, which is a shame.
posted by dhartung at 3:48 PM on June 20, 2000

I love the scene where Jack Lemmon is walking in the pouring rain, and asks his landlady (?) what she thinks of the weather, and she replies, "It's all that mishegas down in Cape Canaveral!"
posted by nedbatchelder at 6:37 PM on June 20, 2000