Unveiling the Untold Story: A Cinematic Exploration of Trump's Rise to Power

As the 2022 presidential election looms, a controversial new film, "The Apprentice," is set to hit theaters, promising to shed light on the early years of Donald Trump's ascent to power. Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Vanity Fair journalist Gabriel Sherman, the R-rated dramatization has already sparked intense pre-release controversy, with the Trump campaign denouncing it as "pure malicious defamation." However, Abbasi insists that his intention was not to create a political "hit job," but rather to present a nuanced, anthropological character study of the former president.

Lifting the Veil on Trump's Formative Years

Mentorship Under the Ruthless Roy Cohn

"The Apprentice" charts the young Trump's rise to the top of the New York City real estate industry, under the guidance of the ruthless McCarthy-era attorney and fixer, Roy Cohn. The film delves into the Machiavellian tactics that Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong) imparts to his protégé, Trump (portrayed by Sebastian Stan), including the importance of relentless attacks, denying everything, and never admitting defeat. This dynamic lays the foundation for Trump's later political persona, as the film draws a direct line between Cohn's bare-knuckle tactics and the former president's approach to power politics.

Exploring Trump's Personal Struggles

Abbasi and Sherman's film also attempts to pull back the curtain on the private lives of their characters, exploring Trump's fraught relationship with his demanding father, as well as the grief he experienced after the death of his alcoholic older brother, Fred. The filmmakers also delve into Cohn's own personal turmoil as he grapples with the AIDS-related complications that ultimately claimed his life in 1986.

A Scathing Portrait Emerges

Despite Abbasi's insistence that the film presents Trump "not as a caricature or a crooked politician or a hero or whatever you might think, but as a human being," the movie paints an often scathing portrait of the former president. The film includes a graphic scene depicting a dramatized sexual assault by Trump against his first wife, Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova), as well as sequences chronicling his marital infidelities and his efforts to conceal his use of plastic surgery.

Navigating the Controversy and Securing Distribution

The controversy surrounding "The Apprentice" has been intense, with the Trump campaign denouncing the film as "pure fiction" and "election interference by Hollywood elites." However, veteran film executive Tom Ortenberg, whose company Briarcliff Entertainment acquired the distribution rights, has taken a decidedly different stance, viewing the film's release as a "moral imperative" in the face of the major studios' reluctance to touch the project.

Exploring the Enduring Influence of Political Theater

Abbasi, the film's director, believes that "The Apprentice" has the potential to "genuinely surprise people" and hopes that voters considering the "character" of the two major candidates will engage with the movie's themes. He sees the film as a commentary on the enduring influence of political theater in the United States, a phenomenon that he believes has been present for a long time in the country's history.As "The Apprentice" prepares to hit theaters, the debate surrounding its merits and its potential impact on the upcoming election is sure to continue. Whether the film succeeds in providing a nuanced, anthropological perspective on Trump's rise or is perceived as a scathing political attack, it promises to be a thought-provoking and controversial addition to the cinematic landscape.