The Apartment [DVD] [2000] [2001]

THE APARTMENT [1960 / 2017] [Limited Edition] [Blu-ray] Movie-wise, There Has Never Been Anything Like THE APARTMENT! Love-wide, Laugh-wise or Other-wise!In 1960, following on from the success of their collaboration on ‘Some Like it Hot,’ director Billy Wilder reteamed with actor Jack Lemmon for what many consider the pinnacle of their respective careers: ‘THE APARTMENT.’C.C. “Bud” Baxter [Jack Lemmon] is a lowly Manhattan office drone with a lucrative side-line in renting out his apartment to adulterous company bosses and their mistresses. When Bud enters into a similar arrangement the firm’s personnel director, J.D. Sheldrake [Fred MacMurray], his career prospects begin to look up… and up. But when he discovers that Sheldrake’s mistress is Fran Kubelik [Shirley MacLaine], the girl of his dreams, he finds himself forced to choose between his career and the woman he loves…Winner of five Academy Awards® and including Best Picture. ‘THE APARTMENT’ features a wealth of Hollywood’s finest talent on both sides of the camera and at the top of their game. By turns cynical, heart-warming and hilarious, Billy Wilder’s masterpiece now shines like never before in this all-new, 4K-restored edition from Arrow Films.FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1960 33rd Academy Awards®: Won: Best Picture for Billy Wilder. Won: Best Director for Billy Wilder. Won: Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for I.A.L. Diamond and Billy Wilder. Won: Best Film Editing for Daniel Mandell. Won: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration in Black-and-White for Alexander Trauner and Edward G. Boyle. Nominated: Best Actor for Jack Lemmon. Nominated: Best Actress for Shirley MacLaine. Nominated: Best Supporting Actor for Jack Kruschen. Nominated: Best Cinematography in Black-and-White for Joseph LaShelle. Nominated: Best Sound for Gordon E. Sawyer. ‘The Apartment' also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film for Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and also both won a BAFTA® and a Golden Globe® Awards each for their performances.TRIVIA: To create the impression of a very large bureau in the scenes where Baxter is behind his desk, director Billy Wilder used dwarf actors and specially designed furniture. Billy The wool coat Fran wears in various scenes was actually Audrey Wilder's (wife of Billy Wilder). Billy Wilder also used the character name Sheldrake in Sunset Boulevard. [1950]. Billy Wilder originally thought of the idea for the film after seeing the film ‘Brief Encounter’ [1946] and wondering about the plight of a character unseen in that film. Shirley MacLaine was only given forty pages of the script because Billy Wilder didn't want her to know how the story would turn out. Shirley MacLaine thought it was because the script wasn't finished. Paul Douglas was cast as Sheldrake but died before filming began.Cast: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, David Lewis, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Naomi Stevens, Johnny Seven, Joyce Jameson, Willard Waterman, David White, Edie Adams, Dorothy Abbott (uncredited), Bill Baldwin (uncredited), Benny Burt (uncredited), Lynn Cartwright (uncredited), Fortune Cookie (uncredited), Mason Curry (uncredited), Frances Weintraub Lax (uncredited), David Macklin (uncredited), Ralph Moratz (uncredited), Joe Palma (uncredited), Edith Simmons (uncredited) and Hal Smith (uncredited)Director: Billy WilderProducers: Billy Wilder, Doane Harrison and I.A.L. DiamondScreenplay: Billy Wilder and I.A.L. DiamondComposer: Adolph DeutschCinematography: Joseph LaShelle, A.C.E. (Director of Photography)Image Resolution: 1080p [Black-and-White]Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 [Panavision]Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio, English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo AudioSubtitles: English SDHRunning Time: 125 minutesRegion: Region B/2Number of discs: 1Studio: United Artists / Arrow FilmsAndrew's Blu-ray Review: While it may be hard to imagine now, but the film ‘THE APARTMENT’ [1960] actually shocked some moviegoers upon its initial release. The problem wasn't the central premise; it was an ambitious office worker performs dubious favours in exchange for career advancement, but the actual treatment of it, but in the hands of writer-director Billy Wilder and his collaborator I.A.L. Diamond, `THE APARTMENT’ became a razor-sharp farce that equated corporate success with immorality. Actually, filmmakers in communist Russia viewed it as an indictment against capitalism. The central character Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter is actually little more than a pimp for upper management while the girl of his dreams, elevator-operator Fran Kubelik [Shirley MacLaine], is a demoralised working girl whose solution to a failed love affair is to commit suicide. These are not the most wholesome characters in the world and we're talking about the hero and heroine! However, as played by Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, Bud and Fran not only win the audience's sympathy but also charm them in the process. The most astonishing thing about The Apartment is how Billy Wilder manages to keep the tone light and playful while exposing the worst aspects of Manhattan corporate life, from the drunken office parties to the casual adultery committed by married employees. Despite these controversial elements, the film racked up ten Oscar nominations and won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director of 1960.‘THE APARTMENT’ marked the first time Shirley MacLaine had worked with Billy Wilder and she quickly discovered that her habit of occasionally improvising or changing dialogue was not welcome. For example, she delivered a wonderful take of a scene set in the company elevator but it had to be re-shot when Wilder discovered she had omitted one word of dialogue. Still, Billy Wilder was sufficiently impressed with her acting to cast her in the lead role of ‘Irma la Douce' [1963]. `THE APARTMENT’ also won Shirley MacLaine her second Oscar nomination as Best Actress, and the first time was for `Some Came Running' in 1958.Getting ahead in life can be rather difficult. With the business world seemingly rigged, many desperate individuals will try just about anything to catch a break or find a leg up, leading to some pretty creative strategies. The protagonist of Billy Wilder's ‘THE APARTMENT,’ is one such desperate, but crafty individual, and in order to climb the professional ladder he resorts to some decidedly out-of-the-box thinking. A masterful blend of comedy and pathos, the film presents a charming, entertaining tale of romance that isn't afraid to tread into some surprisingly dark subject matter. Led by Jack Lemmon's effortless, everyman charisma, and Shirley MacLaine's heart-breaking allure, the film easily stands the test of time, putting most, similar modern efforts to shame.Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter [Jack Lemmon] is a low level employee at a big insurance company who dreams of rising to the top of the corporate world. In order to make his ambitions a reality, he has devised a devious little scheme to win over the good graces of his superiors, by letting his bosses use his apartment for their various adulterous affairs. The plan works like a charm, and soon Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter [Jack Lemmon] is invited to meet with the company's head honcho, Jeff D. Sheldrake [Fred MacMurray]. It turns out Sheldrake wants to utilise Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter's unique services as well, and not wanting to pass up the potential for a big promotion, he seizes the opportunity. Unfortunately, the situation takes a dramatic turn when Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter discovers that Jeff D. Sheldrake's romantic partner is none other than the building's lovable elevator attendant, Fran Kubelik [Shirley MacLaine]. After he develops feelings for Ms. Fran Kubelik, and then Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter begins to rethink his strategies, and must ultimately choose between business and love.The true genius of the film revolves around its perfect mixture of comedy and drama. The main plot features a delightfully subversive sense of humour that presents a cynical satire on corporate America. Highly influenced by the great Ernst Lubitsch, Wilder gives his characters playful, unique personalities and biting, memorable lines of dialogue. In sharp contrast to many modern comedies, the humour is given time to develop and breath, with Wilder often lingering on shots, letting Jack Lemmon draw out and build extra bits of amusement. While all of the comedy works brilliantly throughout, the movie actually takes a very dark turn at its half way point, and somehow Wilder is able to balance the tones without skipping a beat. In fact, not only does the drama not end up clashing with the comedy, it actually turns out to be incredibly effective and powerful. A certain downtrodden malaise casts over the second half, showering the proceedings in a sobering mist that draws some very realistic characterisations while still maintaining an ultimately life affirming charm. It's a truly remarkable juggling act, and Billy Wilder makes it all seem so easy.One particular scene becomes a great example of the film's oscillating, but perfectly harmonious tones. At an office Christmas party, Ms. Fran Kubelik is given some bad news about her precarious relationship with Jeff D. Sheldrake. Depressed and sombre, she runs into Baxter who enthusiastically shows her his brand new office. Baxter carries on, trying on a silly hat with a playful smile while acting like a giddy fool. All the while, Fran Kubelik continues to wallow in sadness on the complete opposite end of the emotional spectrum. The manner in which the dialogue and interactions are written and performed almost makes it seem like the characters are in two completely different films. Jack Lemmon appears to be in a light-hearted comedy and Shirley MacLaine is clearly in a drama, but somehow they come together, and it works beautifully.In the included special features, it's revealed that the director feared Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter might prove unlikeable to audiences, but honestly I'm not really sure what Billy Wilder was worried about. It's nearly impossible for Jack Lemmon to seem unlikeable, and as Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter the actor absolutely wins over viewers. The character is a classic lovable loser, a lonely "schnook" with a good heart that makes some poor decisions. Jack Lemmon plays up all the right comedic and dramatic beats, and demonstrates a great talent for physical comedy. As memorable as Shirley MacLaine is, might actually be the real scene stealer and her performance as Fran Kubelik is irresistible and very touching. Her sadness is palpable, and Shirley MacLaine underplays the emotions with heart-breaking restraint, revealing devastating bits of anger and sorrow through simple glances and fleeting lines of dialogue. The pair has incredible chemistry and make for one of cinemas most lovable on screen couples.Billy Wilder injects a surprisingly strong visual style into the proceedings. Opting for a very wide 2.35:1 [Panavision] aspect ratio, the director often uses the full scope of the frame. Character placement and blocking take advantage of the added space, enhancing bits of drama and comedy. There is a great economy of shots on display as well, with the director choosing to cut to new angles only when functionally necessary or dramatically important. Many scenes feature relatively long takes with wide masters. The film is home to stark, noir influenced lighting, which helps to set it apart from typical comedies, bolstering the narrative's unique blend of tones. Production design is also top notch, with some inventive forced perspective set construction used to exaggerate the business world's dehumanizing grip. In addition, the apartment itself takes on a life of its own, becoming a cosy retreat from the movie's harsh corporate environment.'THE APARTMENT’ is a true classic, a perfectly balanced masterpiece that celebrates love's joys and heartaches with wit and insight. The film has inspired many imitators and has become the prototypical romantic dramedy that all subsequent releases aspire to be. Truly ahead of its time, the movie actually feels fresher today than the majority of its numerous modern copycats. Through the story of lonely Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter, Billy Wilder tells the tale of a simple "schnook" who learns how to be a real "mensch," illuminating all of the cynical and heart-warming realities of life along the way.Blu-ray Image Quality – Arrow Films provides an absolutely stunning beautiful black-and-white 1080p encoded image transfer in the awesome 2.35:1 [Panavision] aspect ratio. Authentic to the filmmaker’s intentions, this is a wonderful, nicely preserved image transfer. The print is in fantastic shape, mostly in the opening shots. A light layer of grain is visible throughout giving the image a pleasing, natural filmic image quality. Clarity is really good, revealing all of the little, painstaking production details. Bill Wilder utilises the widescreen frame to its full advantage, and the transfer does a very nice job of showcasing his understated, economical, but still artful compositions with nice instances of depth. Contrast is very nice and high resolution, featuring bright whites that pop out of the screen and deep inky blacks that really show off the “film noir” influences lighting design. 'THE APARTMENT' shines very nicely on this exclusive Blu-ray disc release faithfully, as well as consistent image transfer imagery. With very little signs of damage or age, the image carries a clean, mostly pristine look throughout that should more than please fans. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.Blu-ray Audio Quality – Arrow Films provides us a choice of either a 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio or the far superior 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. Resisting the urge to spruce up the original mono elements too much, this is a respectful remix that does the film justice. Dialogue is very clear and full throughout and with no signs of crackle or hiss. The audio sound remains faithful to the film's mono roots but has been opened up slightly in subtle but effective way. Speech and other effects are occasionally spread out directionally where appropriate and soft echoes of music and ambient sounds hit the rear speakers in a very nice way. The wonderful film music score comes through with nice fidelity demonstrating pleasing range with no distortion. Low end activity is minimal, but for a film of this calibre that is to be expected. Balance between all of the audio elements is handled well. While I usually prefer to view the film in mono to retain their original track, but this 5.1 remix is so subtle and unobtrusive that I didn't mind it at all and gave a much warmer audio experience and is a vast improvement and definitely shows no major signs of age or distortion, this is a very solid track and a vast improvement over the original mono audio track.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this Blu-ray release.Original uncompressed 1.0 LPCM Mono AudioOptional Remix in 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioOptional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingAudio commentary with Film Producer and Historian Bruce Block: Bruce Bloch informs us that it was a United Artist’s production No.5901 and principal photography started on the 17th November, 1959 in New York City, where they filmed for four days, and because of the severe winter weather, continued filming in Hollywood and wrapped on the 12th February, 1960 and had a 64 day shooting schedule and there were two alternate titles for the film, one was ‘Who Has Been Sleeping In My Bed’ and the other title was ‘Someone Has Been Sleeping In My Bed’ and Billy Wilder felt ‘THE APARTMENT’ was a much more appropriate title. The star of the film with the big New York skyline was an homage to King Vidor’s film ‘The Crowd’ and is also about the insignificant one small guy in the big city. When we first see Jack Lemmon arrive at his apartment, Bruce Block reads out the script that how different it is to what you view in the film, especially when Jack Lemmon enters his apartment. We find out that Billy Wilder hates American television and shows this when Jack Lemmon turns on his television while eating his TV dinner, where you get the abhorrent over the top commercial television announcer and viewing too many adverts spoiling the flow of watching a TV programme. With the actor Fred McMurray who is called Sheldrake, well Billy Wilder uses this name in two of his other films which was ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and ‘Kiss Me Stupid.’ Bruce Bloch informs us that Billy Wilder had a theory with screenwriting tips, by saying, “The cinema going public is very fickle, and you have to be aware of the fact that they can turn on you any minute, and you need to grab them by the throat and never let them go, and you must have a clean line of action for your leading character, and you have to know where you are going at all time with the story, the more subtle an elegant you can make a point, the better you are as a writer and if you have a problem with act three, the real problem is act one, and if you use voice overs, don’t describe what the audience is already seeing, add to what they are seeing.” Bruce Block informs us that Billy Wilder preferred shooting his films in the studio system, especially on a film studio lot than filming on location, because he had much more control of the situation and could shoot his films much quicker, and he would be able to stay of schedule, and he never missed a day’s shooting schedule, and especially stayed well inside his budget, which made him a very honourable reliable director for the studio executives. On top of all that Billy Wilder would always say that he was not egocentric or indulgent, and in that way he has no troubles with the head of the studio. Billy Wilder always says there are three kinds of working atmospheres on a film set, the first kind is a church like mood, where you are doing something very important, the second type of working atmosphere on the set is bedlam and confusion, and the movie is a by-product of the chaos of what is going on, and the third type of working atmosphere on the film set, was the concentration camp, where any tiny little thing might disturb the reigning genius, which must be avoided at all cost, and of course Billy Wilder hated all three types of working atmosphere on a film set. As we get to the final scene where Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are sitting on the couch, we finally get the pay off with the two actors, who finally realise they have both finally found what each are seeking out of life in the end and not trying to chase dreams that in reality will never happen and were of course they realise what they were seeking was there all the time and Billy Wilder gets the final ending that is so perfect for this film, which is a total happy ending that is to the point and not drawn out. Bruce Bloch’s audio commentary was featured on the M-G-M’s original Blu-ray release and has been carried over to this much improved and far superior Blu-ray disc. While Bruce Bloch’s audio commentary cannot rival the sort of personal commentary that Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon, or Shirley MacLaine might have offered, but it is still well worth listening to if you admire this film or Billy Wilder’s work. Having said that, there are times throughout the audio track when Bruce Bloch describes the onscreen action by stating the obvious all the time, instead of rather offering an ongoing analysis of the action we view or relaying pertinent information about the production values of the film in general that we view onscreen.Special Feature: The Key to ‘THE APARTMENT’ [2017] [1080p] [2.39:1 / 1.78:1] [10:12] Here we have a new appreciation of the film ‘THE APARTMENT’ by film historian and film critic Philip Kemp, that was recorded exclusively for Arrow Academy, and informs us that it is a great pleasure for him to talk about this brilliant Billy Wilder film, which he feels it is the greatest film that this director has ever directed. Philip Kemp also feels the film has all the elements of negative attitudes of life in general, but also has big slices of good comedy thrown in for good measure. But Philip feels the Management are the worst culprits, who are greedy, treacherous, self-serving demi gods, who are totally misogynous dinosaurs and of course the ultimate status symbol ids the key to the executive wash room. Philip also feels Billy Wilder chose the right main actors to appear in the film, especially the three main characters, which was a stroke of genius. We find out the film was edited in three weeks and all that was left was three feet of unused film. As we get to the end of this special feature, Philip quotes a fellow film critic Jonathan Romney about the film ‘THE APRTMENT’ in saying, “It is once joyous and painful, a masterpiece of companionate cynicism” and Philip says, “I couldn’t agree more, “ and so ends this very short and interesting special feature.Special Feature: Select Scene Commentary [2017] [1080p] [2.39:1] [8:37] Here again we have a new appreciation of the film ‘THE APARTMENT’ via an audio commentary while viewing some selected scenes by film historian and film critic Philip Kemp, that was recorded exclusively for Arrow Academy. The first scene we view is the bar in New York City on Christmas Eve, where sad C.C. Baxter is picked up by the dumb blonde, who is also a very lonely person, in the guise of Mrs. Margie MacDougall [Hope Holiday]. The next scene we view is the one we view in C.C. Baxter’s apartment with Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray, where Fran Kubelik finds out that Jeff D. Sheldrake was just using her for his own selfish needs and where find out Fran Kubelik is vulnerable like all of us. But overall Philip Kemp again feels that the three main actors Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray were perfect characters for Billy Wilder’s film.Special Feature: The Flawed Couple [2017] [1080p] [1.78:1] [20:24] With this brand new video essay by filmmaker David Cairns on the collaborations between Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon, explores the many films that that director and actor worked together. David points out the scenario in the film ‘THE APARTMENT’ is all about loneliness, especially in New York City. David also talks about the actors Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine characters in the Billy Wilder film ‘Irma la Douce’ [1963], which he feels their characters were very tame compared to their characters in ‘THE APARTMENT.’ David also feels the Billy Wilder films like ‘The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘Kiss, Me Stupid,’ The Fortune Cookie’ and ‘AVANTI’ do not quite match up the film ‘THE APARTMENT,’ especially as jack Lemmon is only partially involved in all the corruption going on, but when C.C. Baxter finally falls in love, he certainly grows a spine, and he maybe just about to become unemployed, and finally gets what he really wants, without using someone, because there is sweetness in Billy Wilder’s world, and especially sometimes on the side of the good guy.Special Feature: A Letter to Castro [2017] [1080p] [2.39:1] [13:23] Here we have a brand new interview with Hope Holiday, that was recorded exclusively for Arrow Academy. As we view the scene in the New York bar with Hope Holiday and Jack Lemmon, explains that she acted exactly as described in the script and how Billy Wilder guided her in wanting to her perform the scene in a certain way. Before the Billy Wilder film Hope Holiday had performed in another film and was very despondent and very disillusioned with Hollywood and headed home to New York where she lived with her Mother, but through circumstances decided to once head back to Hollywood to try her luck again, and through a stroke of luck got a part in the Billy Wilder film, and again the scene in the New York bar had to act as a Brooklyn bar fly and the scene where Hope Holiday was firing the straw paper covers at Jack Lemmon, did a poor job and where you see Jack Lemmon receiving those straw paper covers was actually done by a male assistant. But what Hope Holiday liked about appearing in the film, is that she was paid $500 a week and was a total honour to appear in the film, and was star struck about Jack Lemmon, who Hope Holiday said was such a nice guy and a joy to work with. Hope Holiday was invited to the Premiere in Hollywood and invited 10 of her friends and wanted to have them applaud the scenes she appeared in, but instead the whole of the audience did so automatically and got very emotional by the whole experience. But what really upset Hope Holiday was all the male critics condemned the film for being immoral, especially with all the men cheating on their wives, but Hope Holiday was in awe with the film and felt it was a wonderful experience in her career, and especially being directed by Billy Wilder, as Hope Holiday says he was the best director she had ever worked with.Special Feature: An Informal Conversation with Billy Wilder [1995] [480i] [1.37:1] [23:17] Here we are presented with an archival interview from THE WRITERS GUILD FOUNDATION Oral Histories series. At the start of this special feature we get a brief narration from Jack Lemmon about the life and times of the director Billy Wilder, from his childhood upbringing in Vienna in 1908, but with the onslaught of Adolph Hitler and rise of the Third Reich, Billy Wilder became an immigrant into the United States of America and settled down in Hollywood in 1933. Jack Lemmon also informs us of the many films that Billy Wilder has produced, but it wasn’t until 1957 that he started his long term collaboration with the screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond until the sad loss of this screenwriter in April 1988. But eventually we finally get to view the personal interview with Billy Wilder, and goes into great detail on the process and thinking on how he will tackle any forth coming projects when directing a film. The only negative aspect of this special feature is the terrible image quality and very rough audio quality you experience.Special Feature: Restoration Showreel [2017] [1080p] [2.39:1] [2:20] Here we are informed that the film ‘THE APARTMENT’ has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned at 4K resolution at EFILM Digital Laboratories facility in Burbank, California. The film was graded and restored at R3Store Studios, London. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches and damages frames were repair using a combination of digital restoration tools and techniques and instances of picture instability and density fluctuation were also improved. So what you get to view is different scenes from the film, and first you get to view the UNRESTORED scene and then you get to view the same scene RESTORED. But while you view the restoration, it is completely silent.Theatrical Trailer [1960] [1080i] [2.39:1] [02:19] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE APARTMENT,’ but sadly what you view is not as good quality as the film, as you get lots of speckles and scratches.Special Feature: Archival Features: 01. Inside ‘THE APARTMENT' [2007] [1080p] [2.39:1 / 1.78:1] [29:36] This special “making-of” featurette, includes interviews with Shirley MacLaine, executive producer Walter Mirisch, and many others that were involved in the film. If you are a big fan of the ‘THE APARTMENT’ film then you will certainly enjoy this special feature as it gives you a good idea of what went into the process of the production was like as well as several behind-the-scenes stories. There are plenty of very good stories told here and I really liked hearing about Billy Wilder's directing style and his way of handling actors. There are very good stories told from those who worked on the film, especially how a big Hollywood scandal in the 1950s with an affair that involved the producer Walter Wanger who shoots American film producer Jennings Lang and gave the impetus of a story outline to inspire the film ‘THE APARTMENT’ and the film historians do a very nice job in talking about the film's place in film history.02. Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon [2007] [1080p] [2.39:1 / 1.78:1] [12:47] Here we have a short really beautiful archive profile of the actor Jack Lemmon and takes an all-too brief look at the film's male lead. With this special feature we get a lovely personal tribute to the magic touch that Jack Lemmon managed to bring to his roles with a lot of the focus being on the film ‘THE APARTMENT.’Finally, ‘THE APARTMENT' is a genuine and absolute total masterpiece of the rarest kind of film quality that perfectly marries humour and drama into such a beautifully insightful and entertaining package. Billy Wilder screenplay is so poignant, as well as character driven and it is so wonderful to add this to my ever increasing Billy Wilder Blu-ray Collection. Very Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

How have I missed this film all these years? What a gem it is, managing a complex but believable insight into the ordinary (but cynical) lives of people surviving metropolitan office life. The bad guys aren't entirely bad and the good folks aren't entirely good and there are so many times when the protagonist ought to do himself a favour but instead turns away at the last moment, it is frustrating, painful and all too real. Unlike Hollywood movies of the time (and increasingly since), this isn't dumbed down or sugar coated but still manages to deliver satisfaction. I've never seen Jack Lemmon better, nor more appropriately cast. Shirley McLaine positively glows and the rest of the supporting cast are all near perfect too. Hats off to Billy Wilder for masterful direction. No wonder it won an academy award and it is worth all of my 5 stars here. Loved it!

I know this film is regularly on TV but it is so good, I had to buy it for myself so I can watch it any time and revel in Jack Lemmon's inimitable timing, his command of comedy, and Shirley Maclaine's ingenuous portrayal of the lift operator seduced by a senior company member. The two of them are so compatible as actors, quirky, unconventional both in the characters they play and the way they play them. The compatibility brings extra spice to the ad libs, the quick repartee between the two which sparks off the screen. Choosing to film in black and white rather than colour means the viewer is never distracted from the charismatic presence of these two fantastic actors.This is a perfect movie with a perfect ending. For anyone who hasn't seen it, you are missing one of the greatest film comedies every made. It certainly deserved its Oscar!

Best actors, nit as good as I remembered!

winning three personal Oscars, for film, direction and screenplay, but afterwards it was downhill all the way, with the possible exception of his remake of 'The Front Page', with the perfect casting of the odd couple Mattau and Lemmon in the Hildy Johnson and Walter Burns roles.Some rather moralistic critics were offended by the sleazy plot but the public took it to their hearts.Wilder claimed to have been inspired by a scene in 'Brief Encounter' but in that film the flat is used for a romantic tryst without the owner's knowledge and when he discovers the intention he makes his distaste and disapproval clear and requests the return of the key,The curious case of Fred MacMurry, a bland performer who 'accidentally' managed to appear in two Wilder masterpieces because no leading man wanted to appear as a murderer in 'Double Indemnity' and the initial choice for Mr. Sheldrake had a fatal heart attack before filming.If, as I believe, 'Double Indemnity' is the greatest ever film noir, then 'The Apartment' is probably the best bitter-sweet comedy ever made.

The film itself and the restoration have been covered elsewhere, so I'll focus on the Limited Edition BD from Arrow Films. I was skeptical whether it would be worth the price as I have been disappointed by these "special editions" in the past. This time I was not disappointed.The packaging is well constructed. The slipcase is very solid as it's the glued together type, not the flimsy folded cardboard type like with most box sets.The essays in the book are well worth reading. I especially enjoyed the one by Neil Sinyard which greatly enhanced my appreciation of the film. About half the book (81 pages by my count) are photographs, both film images and stills. Many of these are of Wilder on the set with Lemmon and MacLaine, which provide a good impression of how they worked together (see for example the beautiful shot of Wilder and Lemmon on pp. 130-31). Interesting information about the restoration is also included. The book binding is of good quality.Arrow should be encouraged to apply this approach to more classic films.