Customer Reviews

Apt Pupil

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This movie quickly disappeared from the theaters, which is really too bad, because it's an excellent film. Those reviewers who disliked it because it didn't have enough "Stephen King" have missed the point. Good horror doesn't always depend on lots of supernatural gore. Sometimes the most frightening things are the terrible possibilities we find within ourselves -- if we dare to look. Much of this film consists of psychological games, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying. If you have ever wondered how ordinary good citizens (like yourself???) could have ended up serving the Nazi genocide machine, then this movie is a chillingly real answer. An excellent study in how seemingly moral people can be manipulated by fear and seduced by power.

What starts out as an honor student's curiousity about a dark chapter in history soon degenerates into cruelty and manipulation on both sides. The student begins by blackmailing an old Nazi war criminal into telling him all about the concentration camps -- and that means EVERYTHING -- or else he will turn him over to the authorities. The old Nazi, fearing arrest, complies. But the boy soon goes beyond curiousity, as he begins to enjoy having absolute power over another human being. At this point, the student is the sadist, and I actually found myself feeling sorry for the old man. But wait -- the Nazi still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the tables are soon turned... To tell you more would be a spoiler. Just remember: when you dine with the devil, the spoon is never long enough.

Once upon a time many years ago, a fictional French baroness smirked as her paramour pronounced his undying devotion to his Lady Fair: his dedication to her, his wonderment in the face of her not inconsiderable charms. His---Love.

To which she replied, tartly: "Love---I don't like the word 'Love'. I prefer the word 'Cruelty'.

So do I. And so does the world, if the genocide raging through Africa is any kind of case in point. We live in a world where terrorists ram planes into skyscrapers because of grievances, and the question raised by our 'elites' is not "how do we destroy these barbarians", but rather a whining, sniveling "why do hey hate us?"?

Is not Cruelty, then, our due?

The real question is not why the Holocaust happened, but, in the words of Max von Sydow's artist in "Hannah and her Sisters", why it doesn't happen more often. "Apt Pupil" is one of the most harrowing, horrifying, repulsive films I have ever watched.

The blood doesn't flow like claret and the gore doesn't cake the walls, but a warning: "Apt Pupil" is not for the faint of heart.

That said, Singer has an exceedingly subtle touch with distills one of Stephen King's best short stories into an engaging and particularly nasty piece of cinema that bores deep into the fundamental cruelty that feeds and nourishes human evil.

Tod Bowden (played with understatement and sublime nastiness by Brad Renfro) is a high school student who discovers that an elderly German man---who might just be an infamous Nazi war criminal---is living in his quiet Southern California neighborhood. Bowden confronts his reclusive neighbor, presents evidence of his past as the notorious Gestapo officer Kurt Dussander (impeccably played by Sir Ian McKellen, in a kind of decrepit stepladder of Evil), and by degrees blackmails, coerces, and ultimately flatters the old man into telling him about his atrocities during the war.

The movie that follows is a superbly paced and increasingly psycho-sexual ballet between the boy and the old Nazi, who is at once Bowden's mentor, idol, victim, and catalyst. Both Renfro and McKellen are so perfectly cast and so competent in their roles that the viewer is made uneasy by the way the two seem to feed off each other, glutting themselves with stories of past horrors---and growing stronger with the telling.

Particularly awful is the scene where Bowden buys Dussander an SS costume as a 'present', and then cajoles him into dressing in it and marching. What initially begins as an embarrassed reluctance to even don the uniform turns into a manic peformance, and as Bowden demands that Dussander stop, the old man whispers "be careful boy---you're playing with fire." Indeed.

Isn't it amazing how the grey terrible ringlets of age, the coils of venerability, fall off, boiled down to the core of a psychotic creature willing, able, and gleeful---to maim, torture, and destroy?

The brilliance of "Apt Pupil" is in the way the film distills the essence of cruelty, particularly in two scenes. While I will not spoil the film by talking about either scene, both involve McKellen and Renfro in acts of shocking, amoral, sociopathic savagery to a wounded bird and a cat.

When I watched the scenes, I had an epiphany---the source of depravities like the Holocaust, or the Stalinist purges, or the genocide in Rwanda has never been about race, or religion, or politics, or tribe---all of it stems from a dark desire by some men to inflict brutality on the weak, for no better reason than they derive pleasure from doing it.

Because they can get away with it. Because they take all they can grab.

This philosophy underscores "Apt Pupil", and is, in my opinion, the reason the film succeeds so well at painting a realistic picture of human horror. Renfro's Tod Bowden is not a young Nazi; like the killers at Columbine High School, he is a bored coward with too much time on his hands and a decidedly cruel streak.

The acting is excellent throughout, with David Schwimmer (of Friends) perfectly cast as hapless Jewish high school guidance counselor, and Elias Koteas taking on yet another repulsive role as one of McKellen's vagrant victims. Like "American Psycho", "Apt Pupil" is not an exit, and the film offers no easy answers, leaving the uneasy viewer with a disturbing coda which prompts a question: is cruelty a force that can be harnessed for power?

And ultimately, in an empty universe, where the voice of God is silent, why not?

JSG

I have always regarded Apt Pupil as one of Stephen King's greatest and most compelling pieces of fiction. The film adaptation was a long time coming; years ago, a version starring Ricky Schroeder as Todd Bowden was stopped just as production began, and rumors and speculations about a possible movie frittered around for years-until 1998. While this movie is not quite as powerful as King's novella and substitutes a brand new conclusion to the story, it is still an incredible exploration of evil. Brad Renfro is effective as the disturbingly curious Todd, but it is Ian McKellen's superlative performance as Dussander/Danker that makes this movie an unforgettable psychological thriller. I also like to pay tribute to animals who contribute their talents to films without even a mention in the credits. There is a cat that appears in one powerful scene of this movie, conveying vivid emotions of curiosity, helplessness, and fear before delivering a truly frenzied, physically impressive, action-packed performance of high caliber indeed.

Todd Bowden is an intelligent, fairly normal teenager whose interest in the Third Reich mutates into a dangerous obsession when he locates and identifies an old German war criminal living in his own neighborhood. Confronting the old man, he convinces him to admit who he is, promising him that he will tell no one his secret as long as Dussander does one thing for him. Todd wants to know everything about the Holocaust, what Dussander did, how he did it, how he felt, etc. A very strange bond develops between this odd couple, each character holding information that could destroy the other's very world, each seeking to gain the upper hand; it is a power struggle between two ruthlessly cunning individuals. As time goes on, both Dussander and Todd begin to change, affected by the evil that is their constant topic of conversation. The tension builds up throughout the film, culminating in a very satisfying conclusion (although I still prefer King's original conclusion).

This is not a horror movie so much as a movie about horror and, in particular, obsession. There are some disturbing events in the movie, and one has to question which character is more evil than the other. It is difficult to really like either leading character, but one is intensely interested in the final outcome that must inevitably come; true evil can be hidden only so long. When I first learned of this movie's release, I was thrilled to finally see the story brought to life, yet the movie seemed to come and go with little fanfare. This is one of the best Stephen King adaptations out there, and I feel this movie deserves much more attention and acclaim than it has received. The message of Apt Pupil speaks to everyone, not just horror fans, providing a very real warning about the dangers of obsession. Evil can be borne anywhere, even in the heart of Middle America.

Based on a Stephen King novel, `Apt pupil' directed by Brian Singer tells the story of a hunted Nazi who is identified by a sixteen year old student. The student rather than reporting to authorities his discovery, attempts to blackmail the old man: he won't tell anyone if he tells him stories from the dead camp he was in charge of.

This incredible thriller takes some surprising twists as the story unfolds. The acting is superb, Ian McKellen as Dussander (the Nazi fugitive) and Brad Renfro deliver some of the most disturbing sequences of the film, from the stories being told by McKellen (excellent flashback scenes) to the sequence in which he wears the Nazi uniform again, the performance delivered by these two actors is one of the highlights of the film.

A story of how evil may present in the less expected ways and how a teenager falls under the clutches of the Nazi killer he thought he had under control. The directorial style of Singer is all over the film, the score composed by John Ottman is the perfect complement in some of the key scenes. Some of Singer `regulars' are here on brief cameos and there is the special appearance of David Schwimmer (even though he tries to portray a serious character, the stigma of Ross Geller won't leave him) Bottom-line, an excellent thriller filled with surprising twists, excellent sequences from the Nazi's dead camps and a shocking ending.

The DVD comes in both Widescreen and Full screen versions. Special features in the DVD are a `making of' documentary, cast and bios and the theatrical trailer. English 5.1 and Dolby surround available with subtitles in English only.

There are a few Stephen King adaptations that are good, though most missed the mark. I thought Bryan Singer's vision of "Apt Pupil" left in (and left out) everything that was approprate. I admire Ian McKellan no end, and he did not disappoint. I always thought that Brad Renfro's auspicious debut in "The Client" would lead to great things. Here, he succeeds. It's a layered performance of unsettling discovery, conflict & resolution...and a few surprises. Elias Koteas, in a small role, was best of all. His role as street person/hustler was complete, and I must admit that his final scene lef me a bit unsettled, very sad. I will not blab anyhing away, but I thought this to be a fine and very upsetting film. I'm somewhat amused at the controversy involving Singer's shower room scene, where he asked a number of young males to appear nude (they signed affidavits of approval). No one really cared, except one guy sued him for misreprentation or whatever. (How humiliating was that for him?) This was a 1998 film. Brian de Palma's "Carrie" with Oscar-nominee Sissy Spacek (1976) had a brutal shower scene, full-frontal, the whole 9 yards, and nobody made issue. Nudity doesn't bother me, if it makes sense. I don't understand the fuss.

Presently working on "History in Stephen King's books", I am studying, in great details, The Dead Zone and Apt Pupil. Insofar as the books and the films are concerned, The Dead Zone is marvellous, because the film does not in any way distort the book. Cronenberg has done a beautiful job. The film gives a visual dimension to the book and hence enriches it in a way. But with Apt Pupil, there are so many twists and changes that the book is difficult to recognize in the film. We do not find the progressive and absolutely total degradation of both Mr Denker and Todd. Todd does not kill vagrant people in the film. Mr Denker only kills one wino. He even fails with the cat. The boy, Todd, is not cornered as he is in the book, cornered by his conscience and by the police and his guidance councelor, as he is in the book. He becomes vicious but his degradation is far from being finished and he can survive and even prosper in our society with his new agressive domineering attitude. He might even be seen as a winner. In the book he is a loser. We lose the essential lesson: to get involved with those crimes, at a certain age, if it is not done with care and distanciation, in a discursive way, with aware adults, it leads to degradation because evil is catching and there is no remedy, no medicine to cure it. I guess that we can maybe enjoy the film, if we do not know the book, even if the swiftness of the film erases most details and most dark corners in the tale. I definitely prefered the book. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities IX and II

This much we all know about Stephen King: first is the fact that he turns out 900-page books every 2 or 3 days. The second is that some are made into movies - which, by and large, haven't all been that well received. Apt Pupil, on the other hand, falls into a different category. Based on one of King's novellas, this little story translates quite well onto the big screen - helped out by fine acting and inspired direction.

Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) is a bright youth with a kinky mind who begins to suspect that a particularly heinous kind of evil resides in his white-bread suburban neighborhood. It turns out that one of the community's senior citizens, Kurt Dussander, is actually a Nazi war criminal. Instead of telling the authorities however, the boy decides to blackmail the old guy and, with Nuremberg-like zeal, he collects enough historic and forensic data to convince Dussander he knows his true identity. Then, perhaps motivated by an evil that lurks in his own heart, the kid proceeds to pump the ancient monster for detailed accounts of his atrocities.

The disturbing relationship between old man and boy is alone compelling enough to sustain our interest. But as the two begin to engage in a psychological dance of wills, we start to grasp that the stakes in this mind game may be higher than we first supposed. Our focus fixes on Todd, who, as the balance of power between the two shifts, realizes that the price of the knowledge he seeks may be his very soul.

Part of the film's chill is generated by director Bryan Singer's knack for showcasing a King trademark - the frightening juxtaposition of true evil with the seemingly prosaic quality of everyday life. Blessed with an obviously good screenplay, Singer maintains a surprising amount of tension throughout, with adept manipulation of scenes revealing the story's twists and turns. Credit for this also goes to the actors - McKellan's goose-stepping scene develops goose bumps, as we catch a glimpse of the unspeakable evil lying behind his character's watery old eyes. And Renfro is both photogenic and effective as a disturbed adolescent with more brains then conscience.

If there is a problem with Apt Pupil, it is that the film is mildly in love with itself - becoming especially drawn out near the end. Some might also find the ending a bit anticlimactic.

Overall though, you won't be disappointed - and might even develop a tendency to gaze a bit longer than usual at the next old man you see on a bus.

This is a Stephen King adaption to film that really works. It has a different ending that is well done. Most King films are far inferior to the book. This movie is on par with the book. King's "Apt Pupil" is located in his book of 4 stories with the title "Different Seasons."

"Apt Pupil" is full of suspense and is well acted. There is a psychological battle between a young man and an old man that is absolutely chilling. The story has twists and turns that can not be anticipated. It is not a formula movie but it is a creative work of art. It is an ambitious investigation into the nature of evil.

APT PUPIL

(USA/France - 1997)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Super 35)
Theatrical soundtracks: SDDS-8 / Dolby Stereo SR

Based on a Stephen King novella first published in the 'Different Seasons' anthology in 1982, Bryan Singer's masterful thriller - his immediate follow-up to the cult favorite THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995) - is a virtual two-hander between venerable Brit actor Ian McKellen as a decrepit former Nazi living in seclusion in a small American town, and young Brad Renfro (THE CLIENT) as a budding sadist whose unhealthy interest in the Holocaust sends him directly to McKellen's door, having recognized him from old photographs which betray his prior identity. Forced to recount the details of his murderous past to the boy, who threatens to expose him otherwise, these two deeply unpleasant characters begin to awaken long-dormant mutual impulses, with inevitably tragic consequences...

Superbly acted, especially by the two leads, and directed by Singer with exquisite grace from Brandon Boyce's tightly-constructed screenplay, the film explores the ways in which history affects the present, and how the seeds of genocide can blossom unexpectedly from within the most ordinary - seemingly benign - circumstances. When Renfro asks McKellen how it felt to kill people, he's actually testing his own capacity for unimaginable evil, and one suddenly understands how the Holocaust was possible, and how a similar atrocity could easily happen again, even in the most 'civilized' society. Despite first-class performances and production values, the movie wasn't a box-office success, partly because we're invited to sympathize with an unrepentant monster and his all-too-willing disciple. David Schwimmer, Elias Koteas, Bruce Davison and Joshua Jackson are featured in brief supporting roles.

NB. Similar territory is explored in Agustin Villaronga's extraordinary thriller IN A GLASS CAGE (1986), a Spanish masterpiece in which a former Nazi doctor is visited at his isolated home by one of his victims, a young man whose experiences as a child in the concentration camps have unleashed all kinds of monsters from his broken mind. However, whereas the shocks in APT PUPIL are tethered by the commercial dictates of an R-rating, Villaronga's film is absolutely uncompromising and will horrify the uninitiated.

A smart high-school student (Brad Renfro) obessesed with the Holocaust and he recognizes a former Nazi Officer (Ian McKellen) hiding from the law and living in America. The student blackmails into sharing ths details of his death camp atrocities.

Directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men) brings a Deep story-telling, style and Strong Performances by McKellen and Renfro. One of the best adapations from a Stephen King (Dolores Claiborne, Misery) novel. Watch Quick for Novelist:Stephen King. DVD`s has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer (Pan & Scan also alivable) and an strong Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is a well made underrated film. Super 35. Grade:A.