Dead Man’s Wire - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

GUS Van Sant has come up with a blistering crime drama with Dead Man’s Wire, a film based on true events from the late ‘70s that still has the ability to resonate today.

The story in question takes place in 1977, when Indianapolis businessman Tony Kiritsis (played by Bill Skarsgard) kidnaps a mortgage broker named Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery) and ties his neck with a “dead man’s wire” to his shotgun, which would therefore go off if police sharpshooters tried to kill him.

Kiritsis’ reason for doing this was that he had mortgaged himself to buy land he thought could be developed as a shopping mall, but fell behind with the loan repayments and became convinced that Hall and his fellow mortgage broker father (played by Al Pacino) were manipulating and exploiting the situation with secret designs on his land.

He therefore demanded compensation, as well as immunity from prosecution, and a direct apology from Hall Sr - even parading the hapless Richard in front of the TV cameras on the street, before then taking him back to his apartment for a tense stand-off that culminated in an equally surreal press conference, hosted by Kiritsis, that brought things to a head.

Van Sant’s movie recreates this story with an almost slavish attention to detail at times - so much so that it’s worth staying through the end credits to see just how much.

But he succeeds in creating both a fine ‘70s style thriller, in the mould of Dog Day Afternoon, with something that ought to hold sway with modern audiences given that the real villains of the piece are found to be the mortgage company and their greedy pursuit of profit.

Pacino’s company owner and patriarch is a particularly loathsome character, as established early on when he sends back a breakfast order because it didn’t meet certain [entitled] requirements. Later on, he refuses to apologise directly to Kiritsis for fear of implicating himself - even though his son is staring down the barrel (quite literally).

Given the role of corporations today (be they banks or tech giants), the journey [and plight ] of Skarsgard’s little man is certain to be cheered by all.

Not that Skarsgard plays him completely for sympathy, imbuing a certain ambiguity into his performance that leans towards edgy unpredictability and borderline delusion. There’s a nagging sense that Kiritsis could be his own worst enemy - albeit he treats his hostage fairly well.

Montgomery also deserves praise for imbuing his character with an equal ambiguity - often appearing like a genuine victim living under the shadow of a domineering, corrupt father. But a final scene also suggests otherwise - that he may be a part of the machine in spite of any PTSD he may be suffering.

There’s decent support, too, from the always reliable Colman Domingo, as laid-back radio DJ and phone-in host Fred Temple (who is based upon the real life Indianapolis radio star Fred Heckman, whom Kiritsis did actually call to broadcast his grievances), and from Myha’la, as fictionalised TV reporter Linda Page, who sees the story as a career opportunity.

Van Sant doesn’t delve too deeply into the psychology surrounding the incident - posing questions about Kiritsis’ sanity and Hall’s trauma rather than answers - but he seems content to let viewers’ form their own opinions, while gently nudging them here and there.

A last act summary of what became of both men will give rise to plenty of wry smiles, which will have begun to appear once the judge in the subsequent court case delivers the jury’s verdict.

Had Dead Man’s Wire actually been released in the ‘70s, we may well have hailed the film as an instant classic in the stylistic vein of Sidney Lumet or John Frankenheimer. As it stands, Van Sant has delivered a glorious throwback that classily recalls that era of filmmaking while maintaining an interesting relevance.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 104mins