The film “The Apprentice” is the story of the making of Donald J. Trump. It’s a story of the student becoming the master—or in our case—the leader of the free world. The film invites us on Trumps journey from a young man eager to find his place in the world, to a business tyrant as he begins to resemble the Trump we know today.

The Ali Abbasi movie *The Apprentice* (2024) chronicles the rise of the man we know as Donald Trump—a real estate mogul, ruthless business man, and the 45th and 47th president of the United States. Foto: Markus T. Hovland / PRESSET.

Synopsis

We’re in New York, in the early 1970s, and Donald Trump is just a few years out of university, and looking to make a name for himself. He is young, eager, and has his eyes set on the Manhattan real estate business when he meets the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn. Cohn sees a promising young man, Trump sees a man with knowledge, skills, and incredible talent for manipulation. They begin a friendship that leads us through the next 20 years of Trumps life as he grows out of his youth and naiveté, and into the devious nature we’d only previously seen in Roy Cohn. What we're left with is a thorough understanding of what made Donald Trump the man we know today, and a feeling of unease regarding the people in power of one of the most powerful nations in the world.

Jeremy Strong (Roy Cohn) and Sebastian Stan (Donald Trump) in *The Apprentice* (2024). Photo/Copyright: Briarcliff Entertainment © All Rights Reserved.

Not a hit-piece

The film premiered at Cannes film festival in May 2024 but didn’t hit theatres until October, premiering in Norwegian cinemas on the 18th of October. The story centers around Donald Trump and how he got his start in 1970s New York real estate. Given its story — and being released in cinemas only weeks before the U.S. presidential election — it hasn’t received the warmest of welcomes. Many hail the film, calling it a “hit-piece”. Trump's own lawyers even issued a cease-and-desist letter. The filmmakers and lead actors themselves have maintained that it is not a hit-piece, instead maintaining that it actually makes a real effort in providing an empathetic insight into Trump’s life. What is being scrutinized isn’t necessarily Trump himself, but rather the environment that shaped him, the underbelly of America, its corporate world. The film uses the relationship between Trump’s and Cohn to discuss the effects of corporate America. The real story is not about becoming a mogul; it is a game of chess wherein Trump and Cohn merely are pieces.

A character led story

When we first meet Cohn, he is sly, cunning and anything but “watered-down”. Blinded by the promise of freedom and ideals of American democracy, Cohn stands in stark contrast to Trump, who is portrayed as something of a dreamer. Early in their relationship, Trump is, though somewhat terrified of him, also fascinated with Roy Cohn and his ability to get his way. For the first half of the film, there is a clear imbalance of power between the two. Trump spends most of his time seeking Cohn's approval and hanging on his every word. Cohn shares his three rules to success with Trump:

“Number one: attack, attack, attack.
Number two: admit nothing and deny everything.
And rule number three: no matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat.”

— Roy Cohn

The real Donald Trump may be different in many ways from the Trump see in *The Apprentice* (2024), but there are still many similarities and parallels to be drawn between the two. Collage: Markus T. Hovland / PRESSET.

Though he at first appears apprehensive to Cohn’s methods, he understands that Cohn knows this world well, and will help him meet his somewhat unattainable goals. It is through Cohn's influence and encouragement that we see the young Trump begin to resemble himself as we now know him.

Around the halfway mark, their dynamic begin to shift. At this point Trump is more settled in his businesses and his personal life; he’s growing into himself more. This in turn affects his relationship to Cohn. It is subtle as first, but a clear development. As Trump becomes more self-assured, Cohn's hold on him weakens. Cohn’s position weakens, and it all culminates towards the end of the film, when it is revealed that Cohn is HIV-positive. He is very ill. Both his physical shape and his business position weakens, and his friendship with Trump starts to unravel.

As the story comes to its end, Trump has fully transformed. No longer the timid boy he once was, he has become the world he feared. He is tyrannical in business, abusive to his wife, dismissive of his family, and utterly self-obsessed. In some ways the student has become the master; Trump has taken traits from Cohn, surpassed him, and left him in the dust to die. However, where Cohn was a master manipulator, Trump is a five-year-old in a bulldozer. Roy Cohn levelled the ground, Donald Trump had it paved and put up a parking lot.

Jeremy Strong’s performance as Roy Cohn is as golden as his apprentice Trump. Photo/Copyright: Briarcliff Entertainment © All Rights Reserved.

Lead performances

Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong) and Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) are the main characters, and the actors’ performances are the driving forces of the film. Sebastian Stan does Donald Trump, not as a cheesy impression or a bad joke. Since his presidency, few are unfamiliar with a Donald Trump impression, usually orange and overdone. Stan has said that he made a conscious choice to move away from this, “the essence was more important than the likeness”, he says. And he balances this beautifully. His physicality and mannerisms change along with his character development. Any time a certain aspect gets more obvious, it’s never out of place or without reason. His security in himself and grandiose expressions come as a clear consequence of how the character has evolved; Stan balances “how Trump” he feels throughout the film and situations with an incredible attention to the details of the story.

Jeremy Strong’s performance, famous for his role as Kendall Roy in Succession, is a particular highlight in the film. Strong becomes Roy Cohn, and delivers in every aspect of his character. His intensity always has an air of desperation, and his calculating nature clearly derives from feelings of fear and uncertainty. His portrayal is so deeply personal, especially towards the end, as Cohn begins to struggle, he brings the emotional depth that Trump now lacks. Trump is more secure than ever, and the contrast between their respective archs – as you see Cohn realize he’s been abandoned, and forced to live off his former friend’s scraps – is so heartbreaking you end up aching for the man that caused the corruption he now suffers from, in the first place.

Final thoughts

In some ways, the story is about how Trump and Cohn switch roles; they take each others places. Although one ends up on top as the other ends up dead, there is no real winner. We see the corruption of one man, and the destruction of another. There is no trace of hope or happily ever after in their endings. We’re left with a deeper understanding of who they were and how they became the people we know today. The message is perhaps to meet others with empathy, to remember that we’re all products of our environments. However, for us there are no hopeful parting words. Their after is our now, and for what the results of them will have to say for us, we will have to wait and see.

Review: The Apprentice (2024)