Apt Pupil is Not a Normal Blog Choice for Me
Apt Pupil is not a usual for me to blog about. I mean that it’s not B quality, isn’t horror, and isn’t Sci-fi. According to IMDB, this movie is a thriller more on the psychological end. Certainly, after watching for the second time, I agree with their categorical classification. As noted, this was the second time I’ve watched this movie and that’s why I did. I couldn’t find anything appealing this night and remembering that this movie was good, I watched with the intention of blogging. Apt Pupil is one movie that I remember being advertised on TV during its theatrical release. Let’s dive into this chilling tale.
Plot, Budget, & Interesting Trivia
We’ll cover the plot of Apt Pupil quickly. A young man named Todd Bowden, who will become the valedictorian of his class, uses his curiosity and intellect to uncover a Nazi war criminal who is living undercover in his neighborhood. He befriends the man, against his will, and forces him to tell him stories about his activities with the German army. The old man does and soon the two become involved in a competition of psychological manipulation. This skill transfers to other characters and situations too. Finally, the Nazi is discovered and after a release from the hospital will be transported back to Israel for a trail and execution. The two’s conversations seem to unlock evil that is present within both, and you even see the boy, Todd Bowden, become manipulative, cunning, and evil himself as the film develops.
Apt Pupil, from the beginning, clearly had a great budget and better resources than most of the movies I watch and blog about. According to IMDB, the budget for this movie was 14 million and the movie was based on a novella by Stephen King. When watching this, I didn’t realize King’s involvement but that helps me understand why it is as good as it is. You can read more information about this movie here. While we’re referencing IMDB, you can read more reviews on this movie on their site here. With the point being made that this film is good, worth watching, and well done, let me begin penning my thoughts.
Interesting Philosophical Ideas in Apt Pupil
There was a lot of thought that went into this movie. Again, Stephen King was involved so that’s no surprise. One scene that stood out to me involved some detectives questioning Tommy about his involvement with the Nazi. At one point, Tommy had to read an important letter to the Nazi because of his poor eyesight. This was cover for him to visit and help clean up the drifter’s murder. The detectives asked if the letter was in German or English. Naturally, I expected him to say English, but he said German. Of course, they then asked if he spoke German and he said “no” and explained that he had read his best and the Nazi was able to follow. Had he said English, they would have wanted to know what it said. This was a smart move on the part of Tommy Bowden.
Philosophically, I was interested in this movie and an idea it presented. The old man who was a Nazi warns Tommy Bowden that he needed to be careful that he was playing with fire essentially. After this point in the movie, you begin to see the darker side of the old Nazi come out. For instance, he attempts to burn a stray cat in an oven and eventually and calmly murders a drifter. The drifter, a homosexual, who thinks he is going to trade a relationship for money and alcohol says, “I’ve done this before” to ease the tension. Nazi standing behind him says, “me too” as he shoves a stiletto in between his shoulder blades. Hearing the old man’s stories is disturbing too. I imagine there is some accuracy to the details. There’s an eeriness to this movie and it holds your attention in its entirety.
My Complaints
The only complaint I have about this film is the beginning. It’s almost like the move starts with Tommy Bowden knowing the man’s identity too quick with no explanation of what clued him in or why he even went on the hunt. Something in this area would have helped the movie but, it is still an excellent movie. If you like psychological thrillers, you need to see this one. I also found myself wondering how often this really happened. You know that kids somewhere discovered WWII veterans from the German army. This would have been no different that American or British veterans. I know I spent time talking to my grandfather about his involvement in WWII. The Mossad discovered Eichmann from one photograph. Of course, he was on the list. Every enlisted soldier probably didn’t make this list though.
Tutelage is Over, Closing Thoughts on Apt Pupil
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Got a movie you want to recommend for a blog? Leave your thoughts or suggestions in the comments. What are your thoughts on Apt Pupil? Are there any other good psychological thrillers that you recommend? I remember another called Swimming Pool that I need to rewatch. This genre really isn’t my focus but, I’m always interested in a good blog topic. Let me know something in the comments. Also, please like this blog.