Apartment Zero
Encyclopedia
Apartment Zero is a political thriller from Argentina
. Directed by Argentine-born screenwriter Martin Donovan and starring Hart Bochner
and Colin Firth
, the film is suffused with homoerotic
overtones and moments of black comedy
. The film was produced in 1988 and premiered at film festival
s throughout 1989.
in Buenos Aires
. Adrian is emotionally repressed, prone to suspicion and paranoia, devoted to old movies and to his mother, who resides in a nursing home
, suffering from dementia
. Adrian visits her frequently, holding conversations which as her illness progresses become increasingly one-sided. Adrian is a tenant in a rundown apartment building; he lives in apartment 10, although the 1 is missing from his door (hence the film's title). Apart from his mother, the core of his emotional life is movies--specifically classic American movies and stars. Apartment Zero opens with a shot of Adrian in his theater, watching the final scene of A Touch of Evil
.
As his theater, Cine York, loses more and more money, Adrian advertises for a roommate to share his apartment. After several unsatisfactory applicants he meets the handsome, charming, and macho American Jack Carney (Bochner). Adrian is clearly attracted to Jack and Jack is clearly aware of it. Jack agrees to take the room. They quickly settle into a domestic routine, with Adrian taking over laundry and cooking duties for Jack and Jack joining Adrian for films at his cinema. They also begin to bond emotionally.
In contrast to Adrian's standoffishness, Jack establishes relationships with several of the neighbors, a rather odd bunch. Adrian, upset and jealous, lashes out at Jack, telling him that the neighbors aren't to be trusted. Despite Adrian's jealousy Jack continues to socialize with several of them, including becoming sexually involved with a female neighbor (with implications that he's similarly involved with two of the male neighbors as well).
Claudia, the ticket seller at Adrian's cinema, is involved with a political committee that's investigating a series of murders that bear a striking resemblance to those committed by members of death squad
s that operated in Argentina dating back to the 1970s.
Adrian learns that Jack has been lying about being employed with a local computer company and becomes paranoid that Jack is spying on him but at the same time terrified that Jack will leave him. He searches Jack's room and finds a number of photographs of Jack in paramilitary garb. When Jack returns, a highly agitated Adrian begs him, "If that's a mask, either take it off now or leave it on forever." Jack calms him but his own suspicions are aroused when he realizes that Adrian's been in his room.
Despite being himself apolitical, Adrian allows Claudia's committee to use his theatre to view footage of death squad members. Adrian watches some of it and is horrified to see the same sign in the film as appeared in some of the photos of Jack he'd found earlier. Jack, realizing that Adrian is growing more suspicious, falsifies Adrian's passport
and prepares to leave Argentina. Unfortunately for him, the passport is expired and he can't leave. Jack picks up a gay
man at the airport and goes to a hotel with him, where he murders him for his passport--but then makes a hash of trying to paste his own photos into the dead man's passport.
Meanwhile, Adrian is devastated by the death of his mother.
Claudia spots Jack in a death squad photo. He's identified as "Michael Weller" and listed as dead, but was identified only by his papers and a ring.
Adrian gets drunk and creates a disturbance in his apartment, concerning his neighbors. The following morning a television report of the murder of a young man ironically leads the neighbors to think that Adrian has done something to Jack. That evening, the neighbors confront Adrian, forcing their way into his apartment and physically attacking him. Jack--unsuccessful in solving his passport problem--returns just then and soothes and tends to the badly injured Adrian.
As Adrian attends his mother's funeral, Claudia comes to the apartment and recognizes Jack. Adrian returns to find Claudia dead at Jack's hands. Jack tries to charm him, telling him "let me clean up and I'll put the mask back on, OK?" A clearly unhinged Adrian, as terrified of losing Jack as he is horrified by the murder, helps Jack dispose of the body. On the way out they run into one of the neighbors and Jack says he's leaving for California
in the morning.
After they dump the body, Adrian suggests they really go to California together and Jack enthusiastically agrees. Back at the apartment Adrian changes his mind and goes for Jack's gun in the living room. Jack comes out of his room and Adrian runs back toward his. Jack realizes what's happening and they both go for the gun. Jack gets the upper hand and begins strangling Adrian, but can't go through with it and lets him up. Adrian again goes for the gun and he and Jack struggle again. With the gun pointed at him and with Adrian's finger on the trigger, Jack says "Do it" and the gun goes off.
Some days after, Adrian is having dinner when a neighbor comes to the door seeking Jack's address in California. Adrian says he hasn't heard from him and shuts the door. He returns to the table and pours two glasses of wine, one for himself and one for Jack's corpse, which he has kept and sat at the table.
The final scene shows Adrian's cinema, with a fairly large crowd--all men--pouring out--apparently the lean days are over. That's because the cinema is now a porn theater. And we see Adrian, who has never throughout the film gone out in public without a suit and tie (and umbrella), leaving the building wearing a tee-shirt and Jack's black leather jacket, smoking a cigarette--all just as Jack used to do.
or double is a recurring motif of Apartment Zero. Adrian and Jack bear a physical resemblance (which Jack planned to exploit to escape the country). A character comments that Jack is a double of someone from his past. Jack and "Michael Weller" are a doubled pair, as are Jack and the murdered gay man. By film's end, instead of Jack becoming Adrian, Adrian instead has become Jack.
Another motif is classic films, especially films which have some connection to gay culture
. Adrian runs a revival house. He and Jack play a movie game together frequently. Adrian's apartment is decorated with framed portraits of movie stars, including a number who were, or are perceived as being, gay
or bisexual (including James Dean
and Montgomery Clift
). Adrian's choice of films also reflects a gay interest, including a Dean film festival and Compulsion
, based on the Leopold and Loeb
murder case.
Cinema of Argentina
The cinema of Argentina has a tradition dating back to the late nineteenth century, and continues to play a role in the culture of Argentina....
. Directed by Argentine-born screenwriter Martin Donovan and starring Hart Bochner
Hart Bochner
Hart Matthew Bochner is a Canadian film actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.-Life and career:Bochner was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Ruth , a concert pianist, and actor Lloyd Bochner...
and Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, the film is suffused with homoerotic
Homoeroticism
Homoeroticism refers to the erotic attraction between members of the same sex, either male–male or female–female , most especially as it is depicted or manifested in the visual arts and literature. It can also be found in performative forms; from theatre to the theatricality of uniformed movements...
overtones and moments of black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
. The film was produced in 1988 and premiered at film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s throughout 1989.
Plot
Adrian LeDuc (Firth) is the owner of a revival houseRevival house
A revival house or repertory cinema is a term for a cinema that specializes in showing classic or notable older films . Such venues may include standard repertory cinemas, multi-function theatres that alternate between old movies and live events, and some first-run theatres that show past...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Adrian is emotionally repressed, prone to suspicion and paranoia, devoted to old movies and to his mother, who resides in a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
, suffering from dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
. Adrian visits her frequently, holding conversations which as her illness progresses become increasingly one-sided. Adrian is a tenant in a rundown apartment building; he lives in apartment 10, although the 1 is missing from his door (hence the film's title). Apart from his mother, the core of his emotional life is movies--specifically classic American movies and stars. Apartment Zero opens with a shot of Adrian in his theater, watching the final scene of A Touch of Evil
A Touch of Evil
"A Touch of Evil" is a song by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, from their 1990 album Painkiller. It is the only song on the album that was co-written by producer Chris Tsangarides who wrote the song's guitar riff, while the rest of the song was written by the main songwriting team of Rob...
.
As his theater, Cine York, loses more and more money, Adrian advertises for a roommate to share his apartment. After several unsatisfactory applicants he meets the handsome, charming, and macho American Jack Carney (Bochner). Adrian is clearly attracted to Jack and Jack is clearly aware of it. Jack agrees to take the room. They quickly settle into a domestic routine, with Adrian taking over laundry and cooking duties for Jack and Jack joining Adrian for films at his cinema. They also begin to bond emotionally.
In contrast to Adrian's standoffishness, Jack establishes relationships with several of the neighbors, a rather odd bunch. Adrian, upset and jealous, lashes out at Jack, telling him that the neighbors aren't to be trusted. Despite Adrian's jealousy Jack continues to socialize with several of them, including becoming sexually involved with a female neighbor (with implications that he's similarly involved with two of the male neighbors as well).
Claudia, the ticket seller at Adrian's cinema, is involved with a political committee that's investigating a series of murders that bear a striking resemblance to those committed by members of death squad
Death squad
A death squad is an armed military, police, insurgent, or terrorist squad that conducts extrajudicial killings, assassinations, and forced disappearances of persons as part of a war, insurgency or terror campaign...
s that operated in Argentina dating back to the 1970s.
Adrian learns that Jack has been lying about being employed with a local computer company and becomes paranoid that Jack is spying on him but at the same time terrified that Jack will leave him. He searches Jack's room and finds a number of photographs of Jack in paramilitary garb. When Jack returns, a highly agitated Adrian begs him, "If that's a mask, either take it off now or leave it on forever." Jack calms him but his own suspicions are aroused when he realizes that Adrian's been in his room.
Despite being himself apolitical, Adrian allows Claudia's committee to use his theatre to view footage of death squad members. Adrian watches some of it and is horrified to see the same sign in the film as appeared in some of the photos of Jack he'd found earlier. Jack, realizing that Adrian is growing more suspicious, falsifies Adrian's passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
and prepares to leave Argentina. Unfortunately for him, the passport is expired and he can't leave. Jack picks up a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man at the airport and goes to a hotel with him, where he murders him for his passport--but then makes a hash of trying to paste his own photos into the dead man's passport.
Meanwhile, Adrian is devastated by the death of his mother.
Claudia spots Jack in a death squad photo. He's identified as "Michael Weller" and listed as dead, but was identified only by his papers and a ring.
Adrian gets drunk and creates a disturbance in his apartment, concerning his neighbors. The following morning a television report of the murder of a young man ironically leads the neighbors to think that Adrian has done something to Jack. That evening, the neighbors confront Adrian, forcing their way into his apartment and physically attacking him. Jack--unsuccessful in solving his passport problem--returns just then and soothes and tends to the badly injured Adrian.
As Adrian attends his mother's funeral, Claudia comes to the apartment and recognizes Jack. Adrian returns to find Claudia dead at Jack's hands. Jack tries to charm him, telling him "let me clean up and I'll put the mask back on, OK?" A clearly unhinged Adrian, as terrified of losing Jack as he is horrified by the murder, helps Jack dispose of the body. On the way out they run into one of the neighbors and Jack says he's leaving for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the morning.
After they dump the body, Adrian suggests they really go to California together and Jack enthusiastically agrees. Back at the apartment Adrian changes his mind and goes for Jack's gun in the living room. Jack comes out of his room and Adrian runs back toward his. Jack realizes what's happening and they both go for the gun. Jack gets the upper hand and begins strangling Adrian, but can't go through with it and lets him up. Adrian again goes for the gun and he and Jack struggle again. With the gun pointed at him and with Adrian's finger on the trigger, Jack says "Do it" and the gun goes off.
Some days after, Adrian is having dinner when a neighbor comes to the door seeking Jack's address in California. Adrian says he hasn't heard from him and shuts the door. He returns to the table and pours two glasses of wine, one for himself and one for Jack's corpse, which he has kept and sat at the table.
The final scene shows Adrian's cinema, with a fairly large crowd--all men--pouring out--apparently the lean days are over. That's because the cinema is now a porn theater. And we see Adrian, who has never throughout the film gone out in public without a suit and tie (and umbrella), leaving the building wearing a tee-shirt and Jack's black leather jacket, smoking a cigarette--all just as Jack used to do.
Motifs
The doppelgängerDoppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
or double is a recurring motif of Apartment Zero. Adrian and Jack bear a physical resemblance (which Jack planned to exploit to escape the country). A character comments that Jack is a double of someone from his past. Jack and "Michael Weller" are a doubled pair, as are Jack and the murdered gay man. By film's end, instead of Jack becoming Adrian, Adrian instead has become Jack.
Another motif is classic films, especially films which have some connection to gay culture
LGBT culture
LGBT culture, is the common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. It is sometimes also referred to as Queer culture. The term gay culture, though not synonymous, is sometimes also used though this may also apply specifically to the culture of homosexual men.LGBT...
. Adrian runs a revival house. He and Jack play a movie game together frequently. Adrian's apartment is decorated with framed portraits of movie stars, including a number who were, or are perceived as being, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
or bisexual (including James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
and Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
). Adrian's choice of films also reflects a gay interest, including a Dean film festival and Compulsion
Compulsion (film)
Compulsion, directed by Richard Fleischer, was a film made in 1959, based on the 1956 novel Compulsion by Meyer Levin, which in turn was based on the Leopold and Loeb trial. It was the first film Richard D. Zanuck produced.- Plot :...
, based on the Leopold and Loeb
Leopold and Loeb
Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr. and Richard Albert Loeb , more commonly known as "Leopold and Loeb", were two wealthy University of Michigan alumni and University of Chicago students who murdered 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks in 1924 and were sentenced to life imprisonment.The duo were...
murder case.
Awards and nominations
- Cognac Festival du Film Policier Critics Award winner and Special Jury Prize - Martin Donovan (1990)
- Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
Golden Space Needle Award for Best Film (1989) - Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic) nomination (1989)