film american thriller film directed starring based 1980s southern california high school student discovers fugitive nazi war criminal living neighborhood pseudonym obsessed acts holocaust persuades share stories relationship published king collection producer sought adapt film 1980s actors invited play died filming began loss financing led production shut minutes usable footage existed production revived rights returned king petitioned author opportunity film king support singer filmed california director shortened storyline reduced violence changed ending singer called study cruelty serving vehicle capacity evil million production lawsuit filed extras alleged told strip naked shower scene lawsuit determined merit film released united_states canada october mixed reviews million main actors won minor awards performances plot southern_california year old high school student discovers elderly neighbor reality fugitive war criminal hiding justice threatening turn police teenager fascinated nazi atrocities world war forces share disturbing stories like working nazi camps felt participate genocide things purchases uniform costume shop forces wear spends time old man grades suffer loses interest girlfriend bad grades parents turn nazi young boy studying restore grades threatening expose boy parents poses grandfather goes appointment school counselor talking war crimes affects old man young boy attempts kill cat gas oven fails attacks escapes takes great pride unbelievable turnaround going near straight matter weeks night tries kill earlier seen uniform heart attack calls finishes job calls ambulance hospital recognized death camp survivor sharing room arrested prior israel graduates school gives speech saying great achievements arose dissatisfaction desire better dig deeper civilization greatness scene montage home searched corpse found basement briefly questioned relationship manages convince police knew old man true identity hospital hears group neo nazis demonstrating outside hospital realizing identity compromised commits suicide giving air french learns man met school grandfather war criminal confronts silence threatening accuse making inappropriate sexual advances expose publicly homosexual cast stars nazi war criminal hides america pseudonym described composite ghosts world war based real life individual attracted role impressed singer saw role nice difficult singer enjoyed film invited actor role character language written originally german singer felt complex personality contribute character director said choosing felt combine complexity german character create character evil garner sympathy enjoyable audience watch stars alongside year old discovers criminal past singer auditioned couple young men chose year old saying intense real intensity wanted convey end picture vessel portraying manipulative character temporarily influenced said people worried state mind said performance trip people kind leave job singer described impression character don believe minute pure driven snow capacity blackmail old man obviously search going good hard step innocence think needed taken new place new direction school parents environment weren particular individual came drugs rape probably good guy kind bad guy exist lot people realize plays high school guidance counselor attached role known comedic role television impressed actor performance los_angeles stage production decided cast counselor critical analysis obsession holocaust obsession holocaust result paternal bond nazi war criminal high school student bonds common themes works king portrayal evil appears require active illicit bond male role father father younger innocent individual role biological initiated sin film year highlights addition overtones time american history holocaust treated week long course little time tempered self questioning motivations obsession holocaust key plot device past hold present film opening sequence shows treats history history evidenced head brief overlapping nazis studying history alive perpetrators victims sense natural tendency undesirable behavior language serves vehicle corruption tells horrific stories service fictional death camp listening stories extension evil exhibits sharing stories lead past present key motifs film door opened shut referring confession following orders unable hold motif conveyed scene forces uniform march commands continues marching despite stop premise poem apprentice uses magic lacks skill stop scene literal turning point film highlighted retelling face evil represented film labeled innate subterranean way dangerously boundaries homosexuality nazi structured sexual series introduced normal versus monstrous versus homosexual healthy versus sick additional versus victim reflects film hidden tensions roles powers set film set film removes leaves intact underlying central characters film connection male holocaust victims portrayed central characters onscreen time frequently framed close proximity intensifying intimacy punctuated contact monstrous demonstrated focus body opening scene bedroom stormy night camera lighting youthful body similar female body films like depiction creates simultaneously dangerous endangered ties gives uniform wear march orders student demands heightened film dominant tells tried nice way don want fine hard way want editing style nazi march scene marching uniform reacting march shots reaction low angle reflects sexual difference characters bearer sexual gaze object gaze cutting arrangement images scene speeds march tells stop sped shot reverse shot radically structure power loses control power production previous production attempt published collection producer optioned feature film rights met actor play war criminal mason died july production result heart attack producer approached role burton died august year production film began cast year old cast year began direction film script written brother weeks filming production suffered lack funds production company film placed hold sought revive production opportunity came year later aged considerably film work minutes usable footage abandoned direction read pupil years old director wanted adapt film singer asked friend screenwriter write script adapting recalled writing process thought great actually people pretty house talking script completely didn work writing sample original option expired sued rights singer provided king draft script copy singer film publicly released impressed singer king optioned rights director arranging compensated film released singer said king ultimate response film despite changes source material stephen loved think captured mood piece director appreciated able stephen king horror film supernatural terror character driven terror singer spoke goal lot fun horror movies like scream know summer miss movies like shining movie sort spirit real horror movie singer described pupil premise study cruelty prepared film reading books like history book hitler willing confirmed beliefs nazi war criminals felt matter fact referred young interactions nazi war criminal start affect liked idea infectious nature evil notion anybody capacity cruel motivated properly think scary concept director perceived film holocaust believing nazi war criminal replaced mass murderer russia wasn cruelty ability awful deeds live empowered singer said end director sought avoid overt use nazi symbols attracted film idea collective terrible thing happened decades ago europe ocean time like beautiful southern_california suburban neighborhood singer turned directing opportunities films like devil success instead pursued dark subject matter came passion acknowledged retrospect pupil wasn supposed big success singer financially supported producer production company cast cast million paid pre production filming scheduled begin june financial disagreements singer start date pushed subsequently canceled singer production team stayed producer partner sought chairman rescued production financial backing production company company provided filmmakers million produce filming took place location california singer related rebelled suburban environment director high school football team pirates green gold team colors film saying projected childhood right southern_california editing composing served film editor music composer edited film found challenge create proper musical score recalled normally editor score scenes temporary music cds forth find worked film composer sought mix scores science fiction film military based comedy create said approach throw cat oven easy orchestra slam hammer hell hard manipulating story characters beginning laying rules certain repetitive thematic idea hear hear music turning tables makes remember scene hope people making connection tables turning forth scene editing composing duties wakes hospital television playing background explained intent scene thing going television open eyes hell added violins strings loud create unsettling sound recorded film score lawsuit filmed shower scene saturated horrific stories fellow students jewish prisoners gas chambers scene filmed california april weeks later year old extra filed lawsuit alleging singer forced extras strip naked scene boys years old later supported year old claim boys claimed trauma experience seeking charges filmmakers including emotional distress invasion privacy allegations boys filmed sexual local news shows national tabloid programs stirred controversy sexual crimes task force included local state federal personnel investigated incident attorney office determined cause file criminal charges stating suspects intent completing professional film quickly efficiently possible indication abnormal sexual intent civil case dismissed insufficient evidence scene filmed adult actors film finish time lawsuit reflected recent cultural concern nudity showers connected sexual erotic forms journal wrote ways accusation director crew members identified gay seen collapse gay identity gay sexual behaviour wholesale collapse nudity sexuality incident reflected cultural trend naked cause different forms distress threatening stability self subject subject ability perform result discomfort brings question displayed differences film begins junior high ends graduating high school film story takes place fully year high school years leading end story discovered nazi war criminal independently murder large number film murders condensed attempt kill singer sought reduce violence wanting appear repetitive unlike animosity jews explicitly displayed characters film dream sequence sixteen year old jewish virgin laboratory experiment guidance replaced film dream sequence sees shower gas chamber scenes reduced film encounter betty named film dreams betty concentration camp rape torture film brief encounter finds unable perform sexually high school counselor confronts student suspicions grandfather murders french cold blood shooting tree overlooking freeway results death hours later singer felt unable accomplish king ending told king ending reads beautifully measure killed film french suspects false relationship student threatening destroy rumor author wrote depicted screen consciously evil way book switch making ending brutal impossible makes ending darker reception previewed holocaust center assess feedback referencing holocaust positive response director proceeded film release originally scheduled released february film distributor moved release date autumn feeling belonged alongside minded films premiered venice film festival september commercially released october theaters united_states canada grossing million opening weekend placing ninth weekend box office film went gross million united_states canada considered critical commercial disappointment film successful singer previous film critics describing somewhat disturbing movie works thriller isn completely satisfying roger_ebert reviewing chicago_sun-times wrote film acted especially film reveals subject matter critic felt offensive material lacked social message overarching purpose found film later scenes new_york_times applauded production value direction liking newton shot cinematography edited work wrote performances actors play roles tensions horror grows gothic critic felt film approached end story noticeably called performances skin crawling felt complete film murphy wrote acting makes wish pupil art courage actually look evil awful abyss critic perceived pupil came conventional horror film touches singer direction characters subject matter entertainment_weekly saw hunted nazi thriller tilt thriller student teacher comes disturbing felt singer told story moral resonance patience needed past singer baroque cinematic touches visual film citing examples watching television musical piece bloody scene boston_globe called pupil compelling moral dimension enjoying duet smooth day found film framework realistic noted change pace sensing narrative pupil melodramatic devices film turn ordinary mundane critic concluded maintains bleak integrity pretending arrive remorse discussion chicago_tribune described good misses ultimate horror finding film weakness contrived bond wilmington called plot overly slick asking find nazi war criminal hometown instantly control accolades won best actor award tokyo international film festival performance won critics choice award best actor circle award best actor performance gods monsters awarded performance awarded film saturn award best horror film
Apt Pupil (film)