Apt PupilIt takes a lot to make a good, successful Stephen King adaption. More times than not, the adaptions fall flat, not because of Stephen King, but because of the way they are presented. King himself is a very talented writer, and it's the way he presents his material that makes it frightening. It isn't just the subject, as some people like to believe. Most of King's film adaptations fall into two categories: really, really bad or great film making. With every The Shining (both TV and film versions) and The Shawshank Redemption, there's a The Mangler or Maximum Overdrive (though, frankly, the latter one was a guilty pleasure for me as a child--not anymore, however).
But there really haven't been any that land in just the "good" category. Until now. APT PUPIL, directed by Bryan Singer, is loaded with atmosphere and consistency in tone, but there is something missing. At first, I couldn't put my finger on it. Singer's direction was sure-handed and rather unique, and the acting was top-notch. I came to the conclusion that it was definitely the screenplay, written by newcomer Brandon Boyce, an old friend of Singer's. It's not hard to see why Singer would choose Boyce, as he has a knack for humorous dialogue. But plot-wise (I'm not sure whether to blame King or Boyce on this one), APT PUPIL is a rather slow film.
APT PUPIL begins with an impressive credits sequence which sets up the film quite well. Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) is at the top of his high school class. He gets straight A's in virtually every class. He's the pitcher for his school's baseball team, and he is just starting a relationship with a young woman. Everything appears to be working out for him. During one week, Todd is taught about the horrors of the Holocaust in his history class. Wanting to know more, he goes to the library and studies... and studies... and studies more. He becomes infatuated with the horrific events, especially the ones they don't teach in school.
Taking the bus, Todd notices an old man who seems to look like a man in one of his photographs. He does extensive research on the old man, and then confronts him. Kurt Dussander (Ian McKellen) is an immigrant from Germany who is holding a dark, disturbing secret: he was an SS Officer during the Holocaust, and he's now wanted by the FBI. Under the assumed name of Arthur Denker, Dussander has been living quietly and peacefully--until a young boy shows up on his front porch. Todd blackmails Dussander into telling him the stories of the Holocaust in exchange for his silence. "You're playing with fire," Dussander tells him. Todd doesn't seem to understand the fact that fire spreads, and it will.
After hearing some of the stories, Todd wakes up from nightmares, sweat drenching his sheets. In one horrific scene (which also conjured up some controversy prior to the release of the film), Todd stands in the showers of his gym and watches in terror as the teenagers change into old men, preparing to be gassed. Soon enough, he begins to realize that the stories he is being told are producing a negative effect on him. At the same time, Dussander experiences the same side effects, as the memories come flooding back. I've probably already said too much, so I'll stop with the plot there.
A lot of criticism has been made over the fact that the film uses the Holocaust in a derogatory way (which is rather ironic, if I might say). But APT PUPIL is not about the Holocaust. It's about the evil in everyday people. The Holocaust merely serves as the igniter, the first step towards pure evil. It's the catalyst. Todd's slow evolution into evilness is portrayed extremely effectively on screen. But about halfway through the film, the pacing slows to a virtual halt, and the momentum is lost. Blame Brandon Boyce (or King) for this one, as the plot is the only thing holding the film back. Everytime the film makes a bold jump into new territory, the screenplay makes it necessary to tone it down. But Boyce does a good job in the dialogue department, which mixes terror with humor. Thankfully, Boyce does not feel it necessary to rely on "shock" moments. There are many graphic scenes in the film, but overall, they all serve the forward movement of the story.
One question remains towards the end of the film, and lingers afterwards: why? Why would this straight A student become so darkly fascinated with the Holocaust? Instead of telling us the answer, the film smartly leaves it up for interpretation. Questions unanswered at the end of the film are always there to be mulled over. Sometimes they are completely unintentional, but here (as in my favorite film of this year, Dark City), the screenplay lets us have something to consider. Is Todd the representation of all the good in the world and how pure evil can destroy it simply by overpowering it via stories or conversations? My personal theory is that Todd became fascinated with the unknown, and it came to rule him. Questions are always left unanswered in school, and that's Todd's motivation. Of this catastrophic event, the school only teaches parts. One of the best scenes in the film has Todd watching as a teacher erases a pie chart of the victims killed in the Holocaust. You can literally see his fascination peaking.
Director Bryan Singer handles all of this with the sure-handedness of a very talented film maker. His first feature film, Public Access, was good enough to give him another chance with a second film. With that film, he literally became an audience's favorite. The Usual Suspects was an unexpected surprise, and it shot Singer to the top of Hollywood's best directors. With APT PUPIL, he proves he still has talent, especially at drawing a conclusion. Many directors of suspense films such as this skimp on the ending, giving us the "happy" conclusion that plagues Hollywood's motion pictures. Singer ends on a depressing note, which fits with the rest of the film. And Singer may be one of the very, very few who can actually make the ending more and more suspenseful and then explodes in a masterpiece of film making. Editor/composer John Ottman worked on The Usual Suspects, and you can tell that the two will become great together (and maybe not so great apart). Ottman's score is surprisingly minimalistic, but it's his editing that shines through this time (in The Usual Suspects, both matched each other superbly). Just look at the opening sequence for proof. Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel also does a fantastic job, giving the film a brooding atmosphere with some stunning visuals. One of the great shots includes a deep focus framing of a telephone with a bloody fingerprint, and Todd's father standing in the background.
As Todd, Brad Renfro solidifies himself as a great actor (note: I did not say child actor), and will go on to great things in the future. Renfro began his career with a very successful turn in The Client and then proceeded on up. Here, he is able to display various emotions, all leading up to a clash of internal "good vs. evil." But it is Ian McKellen who steals the film and runs with it. McKellen is one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, and he merely proves why here. With an Oscar worthy performance, McKellen transforms APT PUPIL from mediocre to genuinely surprising. His performance is the essential ingredient; had he not worked in the role, the film would have been a dismal failure. And really, it's only McKellen and Renfro throughout the film's entirety. Elias Koteas makes an appearance as a homeless man who spots Dussander. Joshua Jackson continues to impress with a small role as Todd's best friend. The most recognizable is David Schwimmer as the guidance counselor. At first, the audience laughed. Then, they realized he was doing a very good dramatic performance. Who knew? The cast carries the film on its shoulders and gives it a status most horror films wish they could achieve: scary without being schlocky.
The screenplay is really the only letdown. But that's not to say it's all bad. Drawing from a successful and talented horror writer, Boyce has managed to capture some very impressive writing into an unbalanced script. When he's good, he's great. When he's bad, he's not good. He never enters the 'horrible' stage of writers, which is a blessed event of this type of movie. He gives the film a nice arch with some great character development, but I seem to believe that this is mostly because of King and not Boyce. The subject matter is graphically dark, and shows just how evil can spread. Everyone has a dark side, and if it becomes stimulated, disastrous things can happen. The climax of the film as Todd is approached by his counselor is a stunning achievement in writing. It's a shame that the first thirty minutes can't be as entertaining.
APT PUPIL is rated R for strong and unsettling graphic violence, scenes depicting the horrors of the Holocaust, strong language, some nudity (full frontal of teenage boys became the film's main controversy during production, though it's really just a quick glimpse and not worth noting) and sex. This is one of the better Stephen King adaptions to come from Hollywood, and it's refreshing to see. Just this side of great, APT PUPIL is good entertainment for when you are feeling morbid and dark yourself. If you want a happy film, definitely skip this one. For those, like Todd Bowden, who want to explore the dark side of life, hurry and check of this film.