Okay, minor correction: WWII has virtually nothing to do with this story, given it takes place in 1984. Stephen King's Apt Pupil, which is part of the novella collection Different Seasons (alongside the stories that inspired The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me), is a valid example of how you don't need things to be openly supernatural to have a good scary tale: a "human" incarnation of pure evil will do just as fine, and few images are more effective than those of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis during WWII. However it's worth a watch for great direction by Singer and a good lead by McKellen. Overall it is a flawed film because it doesn't go as far as it should nor does it manage to totally sell the characters to us. The direction is great and features plenty of great shots throughout the film. Singer was always going to have a tough time following the amazing Suspects, but here he does pretty well. As a film in it's own right it's OK but it doesn't quite convince and has an uneasy tone to it. It's hard not to compare this to the book and beside that it pales slightly. An actor of Koteas shouldn't have done such a minor role but Schwimmer gives a good performance that isn't his usual 'Ross' thing again. McKellen is perfect in the lead role and he manages to be larger than life. However he does manage to keep his changes semi-realistic without descending into being OTT or turning into a cartoon character. Brad Renfro is good but I can't help but compare him to the character in the book and see his short fallings. The ending is different from the book but I'm in two minds if it works better or not. Dussander himself is well crafted but his descent into evil doesn't go far enough to be truly captivating. The plot is interesting but the depth Todd sinks to isn't convincing as half of it is forced on him and the other half he seems to embrace it. Treating the film as a separate entity it isn't bad but it happens too quickly and doesn't go deep enough. The film does a good job but makes many changes that will disappoint those who know the book. Having read the short story prior to the film being made I knew that this was going to be a difficult subject to bring to the screen. However the relationship changes both Dussander and Bowden, bringing evil to the surface in both of them. Bowden offers not to turn Dussander in if he agrees to tell him what it was like to carry out the crimes he did during the war. Young high school student Todd Bowden uncovers that an old man in his neighbourhood is really Nazi war criminal Kurt Dussander under the name of Arthur Denker.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |