The Apartment (1960)

How many movies about hetero-patriarchy and office politics do you know? Well, Billy Wilder's The Apartment is one of the few that come to my mind. It might be to stretch it a bit too far to desribe it in this way, but there's something true about it, regardless of the lighthearted tone of the film. The anti-hero of the story is called C.C. Baxter and what gives him a place in the world is the fact that he has an apartment ... that he borrows to his sleazy bosses who want a fuck-pad for their girls. He wants to change jobs and does whatever it takes. He climbs the career ladder while being practically homeless.  The film focuses on the loneliness that this career-climbing requires. The film really manages to bring out the sleaziness of these elderly guys and their need to take care of their business in a practical, low-key way. Visually the film is a treat as well. The office looks gloomily sterile; a place where nobody can be at home. Endless rows of desks, harsh light, anonymous space. Idle chatter by the elevators. This is contrast with the apartment, the home - that is no longer a home. Jack Lemmon is quite great as the mousey Baxter - he lends some warmth to the figure. The viewer is always on his side. The comical twists and turns feel a bit outdated: there is the neighbor who assumes that Baxter is some big-shot Cassanova because of the sounds that can be heard through the walls. Etcetera. But interestingly, the romantic plot of the film doesn't just add to the lightheartedness, but has a critical side as well: Baxter and the girl he fancies share the idea of making "a practical deal" by sacrifizing certain things. In general The Apartment is a pleasant movie ... about hetero-patriarchy and the dreadful lies of "meritocracy" in the office.