The Apartment

Lisa is Max's former lover and a celebrated stage actress whose career and decisions drive much of the plot. She moves between distance and closeness, becoming the catalyst for others' actions and a touchstone for Max's longing. Her interactions with Daniel add an edge of danger and desire to the love drama. Her presence tests Max's ability to choose between memory and current commitments.

Max is a former bohemian who becomes a freelance writer in New York and Paris, then pursues a settled life with Muriel. He infiltrates Lisa's life by hiding in her wardrobe, illustrating his willingness to bend reality for love. His oscillation between longing and practicality drives the narrative and destabilizes the relationships around him. His choices raise questions about fate, memory, and the costs of escape.

Muriel is Max's fiancée, a bourgeois woman who embodies conventional security and social expectations. She represents the stabilizing force of reality, offering a contrast to the chaotic past Max seeks to reclaim. Her relationship with Max anchors the 'real' world at the story's start and end. The tension between her practicality and the lovers' dreamlike longing forms a central dynamic.

Alice is Lisa's best friend who becomes entangled with Max while secretly desiring him. She develops a dangerous fixation, disguising herself to resemble Lisa and manipulating events from behind the scenes. Her relationship with Lucien adds a parallel thread of loyalty and deception. Through Alice, the film probes how desire can lead to ethically murky choices.

Lucien is Max's loyal friend and Alice's partner, faithful but drawn into the tangled web of the lovers' shifting affections. He provides a steadier counterpoint to the drama, even as he is pulled into the escalating romance. His fidelity contrasts with the volatility around him, highlighting themes of trust and consequence. He remains a steady presence amid the chaos.

Daniel is a wealthy, older man pursuing Lisa, who may have sinister motives. The plot hints at murder as a means to claim her, adding a perilous edge to the romance. His actions culminate in a dangerous, explosive climax that abruptly shifts the narrative. Daniel embodies the dangerous lure of power and desire.

Madeleine is listed in the cast but the summary does not describe her role. She remains a peripheral figure within the ensemble, while the central action centers on Lisa, Max, Alice, Muriel, Lucien, and Daniel. Her presence adds to the film's social tapestry without being a focal point of the plot.

Jeweller is a minor character whose specific actions are not detailed in the summary. His inclusion signals a broader social setting, but the core plot remains focused on the romantic entanglements. This entry preserves the cast listing without asserting plot details.

Japanese Businessman is a minor figure in the cast; the summary provides no details about his involvement. His presence hints at the film's cosmopolitan milieu and the cross-cultural backdrop surrounding the Paris-New York axis.

Alain Beccaria is listed among the cast, but the summary does not describe the character's actions. The entry notes his existence in the cast without offering plot details.

Tsuyu Shimizu is a minor cast member; the summary provides no details about her involvement. Her inclusion illustrates the film's international cast and its network of relationships.