Blog #3 - The Apartment

The Apartment was a very interesting read. I found myself picking up on very minute details that I was intrigued by. I was curious to why they kept detracting information about each individual characters based on such small nuances. For instance, Fran was an individualist because of the flower she wore on her uniform (a rebellious act defying the rules and regulations of her job.) Mr. Sheldrake was a family man because of his picture of his two boys on his desk. Why did they defer such large character traits based on such minute details? Was there any particular reason?

Aside from that, I was pleased with the overall screenplay. The commentary, the story, and the dialogue was light and interesting. They would have important conversations display both characters' dialogue on the phone, but when it was an unimportant and uninvolved character, they would only include the main character's dialogue, avoiding the deferment from the story, as well as allowing the audience to figure out the subtext. This was a subtle technique that provided a useful centralization for the story. I felt the ending could have been explained a little more, rather than ending so abruptly, but it seemed necessary after further thought. 

In conclusion, I was confused by a few techniques used by the writers, but overall the screenplay offered a good and unique story that was easy to follow. There were several classic characters that were relatable, and even a story that was relatable. I enjoyed reading the screenplay.

Discussion Questions:

1.) As mentioned in my review, why were small nuances such as a flower on Fran's uniform translated into her being an "individualist"? More examples were mentioned above.

2.) Is making a relatable character participating in relatable events critical in writing a good screeplay?

-Drew Barontini