Directed by:
Bryan SingerScreenplay:
Brandon BoyceCinematography:
Newton Thomas SigelComposer:
John OttmanCast:
Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro, Bruce Davison, Elias Koteas, Mickey Cottrell, Joe Morton, Jan Tříska, Michael Byrne, James Karen, Joshua Jackson, Heather McComb (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
After a brief lesson in history class, star pupil Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) becomes obsessed with Hitler and his followers. Through extensive research, he discovers that the infamous Kurt Dussender (Sir Ian McKellen) has been hiding out, living a normal life in his own neighborhood. But instead of reporting Dussender to the authorities, Todd decides to use him to gain further knowledge...everything that the history books won't tell him. But who ends up using whom, and what happens when a susceptible young mind encounters true evil, leads to a surprising, taught, and unsettling suspense film. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (12)
I haven't read the book by Stephen King, but I'm seriously considering it after that near-perfect two hours. An impressively made psychological thriller about a twisted fascination with the Third Reich that eventually escalates into a real crime. The atmosphere is really thick in places (the shower scene) and that Jan Tříska – he's just a cherry on top. 4.5 stars
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Master Waltz by Bryan Singer and Ian McKellen. All you have to do is admire how the director magician manages to step over the abyss that traditionally divides attractiveness and depth in Hollywood. Singer's language is intelligible, yet full of emotion and atmosphere. Everything works civilly, precisely, expressively. The drama of the individual scenes is perfectly constructed, the constant overflow of "teacher x student" tasks keeps the intensity of the film at a high level and the drastic dream scenes only increase it. There is no doubt that there are more impressive portraits of evil in man, but Apt Pupil is rare in that it retains the attributes of a good American spectacle without undermining or being nice to Singer's homeland (the final composition of a newborn monster with an American flag in the second plan is almost provocative). Great credit again goes to the phenomenal Ian McKellen, behind whose mask of a kind old man resides incredible brutality... however, the English virtuoso is able to play even this role in such a way that Kurt Dussander does not seem monochromatic and schematic. Compared to the brilliant performance of the old master, the young pupil Brad Renfro still gives off a significantly weaker impression, but he also shows a considerable amount of skill and talent. Apt Pupil is an excellent film where everything fits the way it should. What I leave out in my rating, I add as a message: It is not history and ideology that are responsible for the evil in man. It is man himself.
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I paradoxically liked the film more than the book because it simplified the storyline and didn't "overdo it," making both anti-heroes much more civilized and natural in their depravity. Ian McKellen plays his fascist veteran brilliantly, and Brad Renfro is truly an apt pupil... The film maintains a modest line, with (almost) no affected scenes. The mutual probing of both adversaries and accomplices at the same time is a subtle psychological game that culminates in the final scene of complete transformation. Overall impression: 90%.
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A perfect movie, which unfortunately lacks the quality of the novella by Stephen King. Thanks to Singer’s precise directing and the excellent acting in the first part of the movie this doesn’t present a problem, but unfortunately it does in the second part. The atmosphere (the absolute peak of which is the chilling scene with forced marching in the living room) of an unorthodox relationship of a pupil and a teacher is spoiled by the classic thriller plot, which we’ve seen hundred times before and will see many more times again.
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The novella “Apt Pupil" from the compendium “Different Seasons" (which also contains “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption") describes the story of a twisted high school kid interested in the things that went on in Nazi torture rooms during the Second World War. It’s his greatest hobby. One day he comes across Kurt Dussander, who used to be head of a concentration camp in Patin. The kid starts to blackmail him and demands that Kurt tells him stories of those days, in exchange for his silence. Stories of torture and killing Jewish prisoners... It’s very clear that Bryan Singer has great respect for Stephen King. He faithfully transferred the atmosphere from the book to the movie and adapted the story pretty damn well. I was little disappointed with the ending which is more hinted at and more “happy-ending" like, while in King’s version it is tougher and overall comes across better and more realistic. If I hadn’t read the book before seeing the movie, I would have been happier with it. But I was pleased to see Jan Tříska who gave an excellent performance in his small role and also David Schwimmer in a rather unusual role of Ed French aka Rubber Ed. :)
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Gallery (49)
Photo © 1998 Tristar Pictures
![Apt Pupil - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/159/872/159872184_6d635d.jpg)
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