As a survivor of sexual assault and someone who has always been passionate about cinema, I found myself grappling with the graphic scene depicting Donald Trump’s assault of his then-wife Ivana in “The Apprentice.” Initially, I was taken aback by its inclusion, but given the subject matter, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Approximately midway through the movie “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi, a controversial biopic chronicling the early career of Donald Trump, takes an unexpected and potentially off-putting turn for some viewers. Up until this point, the storyline primarily explores the dynamic between Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of Trump and his mentor, Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong with a chilling depiction that seems to have originated the sinister gay stereotype (though it may well be true).
In a somewhat surprising turn, I didn’t anticipate encountering an explicit depiction of domestic violence in the form of a graphic sexual assault within the context of The Apprentice. However, considering the dark and complex nature of the storyline, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. The scene occurs approximately halfway through the movie, as Ivana endeavors to rekindle intimacy in her marriage with Donald, whose deep-seated insecurities have hardened into abhorrent misogyny. In an attempt to bridge their differences, Ivana offers Donald a self-help book on pleasing women, but he dismisses her, asserting that he is no longer attracted to her at all. This leads to a heated altercation, culminating in Donald physically and violently assaulting his wife. While this description might appear repetitive, it’s important to note that depictions of sexual assault in media are becoming less common, and the ones that do occur tend to be more subdued, making this scene particularly striking.
Similar to most situations in the TV show ‘The Apprentice’, this particular scene is derived from a real-life incident. The scriptwriter of the film, Sherman (also a professional journalist), shared with Entertainment Weekly that he had his lawyers review the script carefully to steer clear of any legal issues stemming from the notoriously litigious former president. He explained that he submitted an extensively annotated draft of the script to his lawyers, detailing where the information was sourced and how the scenes were dramatized. Essentially, the scene is backed by thorough research based on a sworn deposition given by Ivana Trump during her divorce proceedings with Donald Trump, in which she referred to the incident as a “violent assault”.
In Harry Hurt III’s 1993 book titled “The Lost Tycoon“, he detailed the deposition and the alleged assault. Prior to its publication, Trump’s team published a noticeable statement from ex-Mrs. Trump, in which she recanted her earlier accusations.
“During 1989, there was an instance where Mr. Trump and I engaged in marital relations. His behavior towards me during this encounter differed significantly from how he usually treated me within our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated because the affection and care that he typically showed me were absent. However, when I said it was a ‘rape,’ I did not mean it in a literal or criminal sense.
In the movie, The Apprentice takes Ivana’s testimony quite literally, which leads to a particularly shocking and contentious moment – a scene that stands out even among Roy Cohn’s strange collection of frogs.
Making Sense of the Most Disturbing Scene in The Apprentice
Growing up as a movie enthusiast in my teenage and young adult years, I frequently found myself advocating for scenes in films and TV shows that dealt with similar themes. Sexual assault is an abhorrent act that causes immense harm to victims, leaving them scarred for life. It seems inauthentic to me if such acts are essential to a character’s storyline but are treated lightly. If the purpose of movies is to foster empathy, shouldn’t sexual assault be portrayed as the despicable act it truly is? Shouldn’t filmmakers strive to depict such scenes in a way that evokes an appropriate emotional response from viewers? Though I engage less frequently with the debate around graphic rape scenes these days, and fortunately, there are fewer instances of them to discuss, as someone who has gone through sexual assault and believes in the power of art to inspire empathy, I continue to grapple with these questions.
In “The Apprentice,” a dramatic shift occurs; while earlier, it was a dark comedy centered around two questionable characters, it transforms into a chilling thriller. This transformation serves to unsettle viewers, as it breaches the tacit agreement between the film and its audience that the events depicted are fictional and harmless. However, this scene and the latter part of “The Apprentice” carry an additional layer of significance, as they forcefully remind us that Donald Trump is not merely a character or political bogeyman, but a real person.
For these reasons alone, depicting the sexual assault of Ivana Trump feels imperative. It’s a pivotal scene that makes the second half of The Apprentice more impactful, transforming the film from a white-collar political fable into a visceral warning. And the scene is based on Ivana Trump’s sworn deposition; it wasn’t invented to up the narrative stakes. At the same time, the moment is so disturbing and so violent that, like many viewers, I can’t help but wonder if it could’ve been softened in the editing room – a question that seems almost ridiculous to ask about depicting a heinous act of gendered violence. Of course it should be horrible. It is horrible.
The TV show “The Apprentice” serves as a stark reminder that beneath the amusing verbal blunders and chaotic capitalized rants on social media, which we often find entertaining to mock, lies a truly detestable individual whose actions carry real-life impacts. I still ponder over this movie’s impact, asking: Is this scene essential? My response isn’t straightforward. However, I can assure you that the film has left an indelible impression on me since I watched it. At the very least, it achieves its purpose.
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2024-10-11 22:37