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Apt Pupil

Composed and Produced by:
John Ottman
Conducted by:
Larry Groupé
Orchestrated by:
Larry Groupé
John Ottman
Frank Macchia

Label:
RCA Victor
Release Date:
October 13th, 1998

Also See:

Incognito
The Usual Suspects
Urban Legends: Final Cut
Cruel Intentions

Audio Clips:

2. Main Titles (0:34), 171K apt_pupil2.ra

6. The Speech (0:30), 150K apt_pupil6.ra

16. Recognition (0:29), 145K apt_pupil16.ra

21. End Titles (0:30), 150K apt_pupil21.ra

Availability:

  Regular U.S. release, but badly out of print and difficult to find.


Awards:

  None.








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Apt Pupil

Audio | Availability | Viewer Ratings | Tracks | Viewer Comments | Notes & Quotes
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  New Price: $42.99

  Sales Rank: 380458

  Avg. Rating: 5.00

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Filmtracks Recommends:

Buy it... if you're eager for one of John Ottman's most intellectual efforts to combine brute, orchestral force and clever, troubling underscore.

Avoid it... if you seek identical music to the score's title theme as heard on the composer's Cruel Intentions compilation.



Filmtracks Editorial Review:

Ottman
Apt Pupil: (John Ottman) One of the more obscure collaborations between director Bryan Singer and composer/editor John Ottman, Apt Pupil was adapted from the same collection of Stephen King novellas as Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. Its disturbing, modern tale involves a teenage boy who discovers that an elderly man who lives near him is actually a Nazi SS officer in hiding. In return for keeping the old man's secret, the boy forces him (Dussander) to recount the glory of the Third Reich. The two manipulate each other in a cat and mouse game of psychological enticement, with the film often fading back into scenes of 1941 horrors. John Ottman's involvement with the picture was first and foremost that of editor, for it is this duty that Singer had employed of Ottman first. The project had proven difficult for Ottman given time constraints and a decision to take the editing process digital halfway through the endeavor. By the time Ottman reached the time to compose the score, his energy had been drained, and it was by the mere luck of a midnight thematic inspiration that the title theme for Apt Pupil was born. The score's role in the film would be even more complex than in any of Ottman's other sohpisticated assignments. Not only would the dark and romantic elements dear to Ottman's heart play their parts, but the score would also have to raise the terror of the Holocaust in such a way as to seem almost attractive to modern ears. A militaristic edge would be necessary for Dussander's glorious recollections, and an elevated magnititude of grandeur would be used to explain the boy's (and the audience's) fascination with Dussander's life. Thus, Ottman's usual, often understated themes of clever complexity would have to be integrated into a scheme that could explode with historical power when called upon. The intellectual horror in Apt Pupil would be different from the Urban Legend stock variety.

To this end, Ottman's achievement for Apt Pupil is an admirable success. As is typically the case in all of his scores, Ottman's unique orchestral voice speaks through whatever genre he is writing for. The rich, harmonious touch with which he weaves his creative instrumentation is unparalleled in Hollywood at the moment, and this same voice is clearly evident in this score. Several elements of music that were commonly accepted in Germany (or specifically by Nazi culture) at the time are embraced by Ottman here. The title theme is established in a waltz rhythm that dances lightly and ominously thoughout the score. During moments of heightened moments, the waltz rhythm gives way to a full-fledged militaristic march, complete with explosive snare performances. Ottman is also sure to utilize the solo viola (or violin) as part of his waltz's theme. This solo string would offer the tempting, hypnotic elegance to the Nazi lifestyle that Dussander portrays. A fuller string ensemble ranges from simple, harmonic statements to wild ramblings of dissonance. A deep choral mix further builds the male-dominated Nazi structure of power, and Ottman even inserts a tolling bell for a few significant accents. Perhaps the least effective creative touch in the Apt Pupil score is the chant of "Extradite" (by Ottman and members of his crew) during the finale cue, with the underpowered vocals begging for more substance. The highlight of the score, predictably, is the title theme, for which Ottman wastes no time pulling out all of the dramatic stops. With a churning, rhythmic progression similar to Howard Shore's The Fly, the massive Germanic theme pounds with ominous choral and brass thunder. It is this theme that many fans would claim was lifted in 2003 for use in Marco Beltrami's Terminator 3. One of the weaknesses of Apt Pupil, however, is that the same level of brute force is never realized within the score itself. For Ottman collectors, the out-of-print Apt Pupil album remains a striking addition to the collection, but most casual fans will be satisfied by the title theme inclusion on the composer's Cruel Intentions compilation. ****

Purchasing Options: Amazon.com (New or Used), eBay/Half.com (Used)




   Viewer Ratings and Comments:



   Track Listings:
Total Time: 45:30

    • 1. Phoenix Pictures Presents (0:18)
    • 2. Main Titles (3:25)
    • 3. "I'm Busy" (1:03)
    • 4. The Chamber (1:38)
    • 5. The Stories (2:48) - missing track on packaging (originally track 8)
    • 6. The Speech (2:06)
    • 7. "I want to hear about it" (1:54)
    • 8. Playing with Fire (2:04)
    • 9. Cat Bake* (1:37)
    • 10. It Never Goes Away (2:14)
    • 11. The Tables Turn (2:45)
    • 12. Rite of Passage (1:51)
    • 13. Curiosity (1:29)
    • 14. An Ailing Heart (2:52)
    • 15. Cleaning Up (1:04)
    • 16. Recognition (2:54)
    • 17. A Question of Power (2:13)
    • 18. Fowl Play (1:09)
    • 19. Extradition (4:38)
    • 20. An Apt Pupil (0:50)
    • 21. End Titles (2:36)
    • 22. Das ist Berlin** (1:38)

    *"Cat Dance" portion composed by Larry Groupé
    ** Written by Leo Leux, Matthias Hen, Hans Hannes and Bruno Balz; Performed by Liane and the Boheme Bar Trio
   Notes and Quotes:

    The insert includes a note from the director about the score.







All artwork and sound clips from Apt Pupil are Copyright © 1998, RCA Victor. The reviews and notes contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications. Audio clips can be heard using RealPlayer but cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 9/11/03, updated 9/14/03. Review Version 4.2 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 2003-2008, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved.