"The location is a character in its own right in this movie". How many times did you hear an actor or director utter words to that effect in a promotional interview? It is a tried and tested way to play up the setting (or set design) of a movie, a clichéd comment that has become a staple of film promotion.
I don't know if the makers of The Apartment (1960) ever used the same line to describe its eponymous locale. But in this video essay, the apartment really does get the starring role. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine have cleared the way for the rooms themselves to shine... All human presence has been scrubbed from Billy Wilder's movie.
Some viewers' gaze may feel at ease in this vacant apartment. Other viewers will feel the need to fill its void with memories of Wilder's movie, or with emotions of their own making.
For more about this video essay and for detailed credits, please visit filmscalpel.com/the-apartment
