Apt Pupil (1998)

I like movies based on Stephen King novellas. Occasionally I like films based on King's novels (e.g., The Shining), but two of my favorite films based on King's writings are Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. Apt Pupil is based on a King novella and directed by Bryan Singer, the innovative director who gave us The Usual Suspects. Throw in a leading role for the rising star Brad Renfro (The Client, Sleepers) and a supporting role by British veteran actor Ian McKellan, and what more could a guy want? Plausibility, for a start. Not having read King's novella, I am not sure if I should blame him or rookie screenwriter Brandon Boyce, but the flaws in the film are in the story.I often tell students in my film classes that there is no greater "sin" in filmmaking than to take a story worth telling and tell it poorly. Apt Pupil is about a bright 16-year old high school senior who becomes fascinated with the holocaust. Long after the subject has passed in his history class, Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) continues to read and research. As a result of his intensive research, he becomes convinced that a reclusive neighbor is Nazi war criminal Kurt Dussander, former commandant of several concentration camps. Todd gathers evidence (including fingerprints and photos) and when he has assembled irrefutable proof confronts his neighbor with his past. Rather than turn Commandant Dussander in, however, Todd wants to blackmail him--not for money, but for stories. Todd wants to know "what they won't tell us in our classes." Todd wants to know what it felt like; he wants to hear the stories. Somewhat predictably, the evil from the past works its way into the present and becomes a cancer on the soul of both characters.The basic premise of the film is interesting, the acting is excellent, and there are some nice touches in terms of cinematography. What keeps this generally good film from being a really good film is three plot points that are too contrived to elicit the willing suspension of disbelief in the viewer. The device that Dussander uses to turn the tables on Todd is a bit thin. Even thinner are two subsequent identifications that become problematic for Dussander. With a little more work I think the writers could have accomplished the necessary twists and turns in a manner that was not so thoroughly implausible.In spite of this, the movie is engaging and certainly disturbing. It is disconcerting to realize that the human capacity for evil is so easily invoked. In light of recent hate crimes, the message of the film is an important one. I had hoped for something like The Usual Suspects meets The Shawshank Redemption. In the end, Apt Pupil is better than average, but a bit short of what it could have been.

more than a good adaptation, it is a real useful history lesson. about Nazi regime. about the temptation of the evil. and about teenagers. like each Stephen King adaptation, it is far to be the expected one. nuances, details are lost. but the message becomes more clear and dark. because it has the chance of a good director and perfect actors. because Ian McKellen explores in wise manner entire potential of his character. and Brad Renfro redefine the portrait of typical teenager, the passion about a subject, the curiosity, the conversion in part of chosen theme. story of confrontation, with equal forces, it is one of the most useful films for a young man to understand the essence of totalitarian regime. and that does it more than a good film.

Top high school student Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) uncovers his elderly neighbor Arthur Denker (Ian McKellen)'s secret identity as Nazi war criminal Kurt Dussander. Instead of turning Dussander in, Todd blackmails him to recount stories of the Holocaust and his inner Nazi is revived. Todd's grades go down and his interest in life suffers. School counselor Edward French calls him in and Dussander pretends to be his grandfather. Dussander turns the tables on him claiming to pull him down with him if the authorities are called in. Todd starts to study again and go out with friends. Then Dussander raises the stakes.This film based on Stephen King's story has its creepiness. Renfro and McKellen do their roles well. After McKellen goose-step in the Nazi uniform, I expected him to convince Todd to his Nazi ways. It would be great for him to persuade Todd to hate. I don't buy his threat to pull him down with him because the situation is easily explained. It makes Todd a lot dumber than I want him to be. Instead of threats, it would be more compelling to lure him by reasoning. As soon as Dussander made the threat, any reasonable kid would go to the cops to spin the story his way and preempt any story that Dussander would tell. It's creepy but I never bought all the way in on this movie.

Sadly whatever made the novel good is lacking in this adaptation.Apt Pupil is a movie that feels like a new director took over every five minutes with a different idea of where the movie should go. It creates a vortex that sucks up any chance at emotional connection to the characters or overall film.What little plot there is gets rushed. There are several times when the film is too lazy or simply incapable of properly showing passages of time so it simply cuts to black 'X weeks/months later..' screens.Poor editing destroys any chance to introspect on the conversations between Kurt and Todd. One moment Kurt will be describing Holocaust victims defecating on themselves in the gas chamber and then abruptly a basketball is on screen and Todd is at school in gym class. Then a moment later his friend is talking about dates and parties in the locker-room.The on screen chemistry between Kurt and Todd is that of a wet paper-towel. The characterizations feel wrong and not in an interesting way. Think of an adult being scared of a baby. That's basically what you get. Kurt, a former SS officer who worked in both Bergen-Belsen and the notorious Auschwitz camp shrinks constantly away at Todd who is nothing but an angsty spoiled emo teenager. The movie would've been far better served with a more aggressive stance from Kurt, especially when the movie is attempting to show how evil and 'badass' the Nazis were.Even without any sort of chemistry and with Kurt being blackmailed and forced to dress up for Todd, he abruptly takes a shine to him ala Miyagi style and impersonates being his Grandfather to the guidance counsellor and the movie shifts into Todd's school life and trying to get his grades up.Then it shifts back to them hating each other. Then abruptly Kurt, who is a wanted fugitive who has intelligently and carefully concealed his identity for decades and lived a law-abiding life in the US decides to stab someone.None of it makes much sense and we care even less to figure out why because he doesn't like Todd and Todd seems to be a blossoming sociopath who doesn't like anyone except himself.Ultimately I feel like what I watched was a boy's masturbatory fantasy about having his own private SS officer to dress up, interrogate and harass mixed in with odd and boring clips of teenage high school angst.Not good for a movie that bills itself to be basically a Nazi thriller.