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Billy Wilder's The Apartment - Page 2

© David Macdonald

One unfortunate aspect which dates this film is its depiction of women. Billy Wilder wasn't exactly the most progressive mind in the planet when it came to the fairer sex, at least in his more comedic works. It is usually only through the power and presence of a good actress that any of the female characters retain interest. Here, Shirley Maclaine gives a sympathetic and touching performance even as you wonder why the hell she'd go through so much torture. Most of the other women are seen as dizzy and dim-witted, although I must admit a few gems arose due to these gals; one involves an executive's mistress, created for the sole purpose of Wilder getting in some digs at Marilyn Munroe, who annoyed him so much during Some Like It Hot and The Seven Year Itch, and the other involves a drunken woman Lemmon encounters at a bar.

But, at the same time, the men aren't so hot, either. The four executives (including Ray Waltson) who use the apartment are played for their foolishness, MacMurray is a creep, and Lemmon is something of a twit. Because Lemmon is the star, and is always likeable, it may take a while for you to realize that he, too, is not a saint. While he may not be having affairs, he allows such immorality to happen in his home, and it's no accident that Wilder includes the character of Lemmon's neighbour, a doctor who naturally assumes that Lemmon himself is a wild guy. It is also equally significant that Lemmon allows him to believe it.

The film is quite candid in many regards, certainly for a film of this vintage. This is not a beautiful love story, but a story of twisted morality, and Wilder spares little. In terms of extramarital affairs, the movie is bleak on their supposed value. During a Christmas party, Maclaine runs into MacMurray's secretary, and is told of how he has done the same thing to many other girls in the office, including the secretary herself. There is also a cringe-worthy moment, before her suicide attempt, when MacMurray gives her a hundred bucks as a Christmas present, while her self-loathing mannerisms subsequently imply that she feels no better than a prostitute.

Fred MacMurray is the biggest attraction in this movie, because he proves that he can actually play a slimy character. MacMurray is probably more famous for Disney movies such as Son of Flubber and The Absent-Minded Professor, but, here, he's a genuine prick! Possibly the most revealing of all his moments is when he tells Lemmon about Maclaine: "You take out a girl, just for laughs, and she expects you to divorce your wife! How fair is that?" Lemmon: "It's not very fair — especially for your wife!" There is something so repellent about this character that it is hard to like him; he is much worse than the old fools who try to get Lemmon promoted, if only because he has the most power, and therefore does the most damage. All I can say is, congrats to MacMurray for playing this role.

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