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Sep 4, 2020 · Primal Fear focuses on Chicago Defense Attorney Martin Vail (Gere) as he tries to prove the innocence of Aaron Stampler (Norton), a 19-year old altar boy accused of murdering a Catholic archbishop ...
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Aaron Stampler, also known as Roy, is the main antagonist of William Diehl's 1993 novel Primal Fear and its 1996 film adaptation of the same name.
He was portrayed by Edward Norton, who also played Derek Vinyard in American History X, Steve Frazelli in The Italian Job, Eric Byer in The Bourne Legacy, Jack Teller in The Score, Nova in Alita: Battle Angel and Miles Bron in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Stampler is a 19-year-old altar boy for Archbishop Richard Rushman, the popular Archbishop of Chicago. He appears meek and frightened, with a severe stutter, and alludes to having had an unhappy childhood with his abusive father in Crikside, Kentucky.
When the Archbishop is brutally murdered, Stampler is found nearby covered in his blood, and is arrested for his murder. Defense attorney Martin Vail takes his case, eager for the publicity. He is set against his ex-girlfriend, Janet Venable, who is under pressure from District Attorney John Shaughnessy, a friend of Rushman's, to convict Stampler and have him executed. Stampler insists that he is innocent, and that he "lost time" (blacked out) and woke up covered in Rushman's blood. He then says that he often "loses time" when put under great stress.
While investigating the case, Vail finds a videotape of Rushman forcing Stampler, his girlfriend Linda and some of his fellow altar boys to have sex with each other. When Vail confronts him, Stampler flies into a rage and literally becomes like another person; his stutter vanishes and he becomes a violent sociopath who calls himself "Roy". When "Roy" tells him that he killed Rushman after "Aaron" begged him to protect him, Vail realizes that Stampler has dissociative identity disorder.
At first, Vail doesn't want to change Stampler's plea, knowing that insanity is hard to prove. However, during the trial Vail goads "Roy" into coming out; "Roy" then attacks and chokes Venable until the bailiff drags him out of the courtroom, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial. Stampler is sentenced to a mental institution rather than prison, and Vail becomes the most famous lawyer in Chicago for helping him beat the murder charge.
When Vail tells Stampler about the judge's decision, Stampler thanks him and asks him to make sure that Venable's neck is all right. Vail realizes that Stampler couldn't have known about Venable's injuries if he had "lost time" as he claimed, and confronts him. Stampler then reveals that the DID had been an act, and that he had known exactly what he was doing when he murdered Rushman; he also says that he killed Linda.
Stunned, Vail states there was no Roy, but Stampler corrects him that it was always Roy, and it was the persona of Aaron that never truly existed. Aaron gleefully brags about having gotten away with murder as a disillusioned and shocked Vail walks away.
•Edward Norton made his film debut in Primal Fear. His performance as Stampler garnered critical acclaim and he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Aug 12, 2022 · In the 1996 movie Primal Fear, the opening scene shows the altar boy Aaron Stampler running away from the cops after murdering an archbishop. He's eventually caught and brought into custody. Incident 1: The defense attorney Martin Vail decides to help Aaron and he plays a crucial role in getting Aaron a verdict leaning to his side at the end ...
Apr 14, 2014 · Character Analysis: Aaron Stampler. By: Brian Cotnoir. CHARACTER: Aaron Luke Stampler from “Primal Fear” (1996) Aaron Stampler was a young simple boy with a severe stutter that was born in the small town of Cold Creek, Kentucky. When he was 18-years-old he left home and ended up as a beggar on the streets of Chicago.
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Mar 9, 2017 · In Primal Fear, Aaron Stampler had multiple personality disorder.In court, this was brought up by just one non-expert witness (with no proof), and just once did Aaron Stampler actually show his other persona, in court, after which he is sent to a hospital, and is seemingly not being convicted and punished as a murderer.
Aug 9, 2021 · Later, the boy, Aaron Stampler, is discovered while hiding underneath the rail tracks. We come to know that this guy is an altar boy for Rushman’s orphanage Savior House. The case is pretty much closed, with a suspect with his hand steeped in blood, a murder weapon connected to the suspect, and matching fingerprints at the crime scene.
Jan 30, 2024 · In this article, we will delve into the enigmatic ending of “Primal Fear” and explore seven interesting facts about the film. 1. The Twist Ending: Exploring Aaron’s Split Personality. The film’s climax reveals that Aaron Stampler suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), commonly known as multiple personality disorder.
