The Revelation Perth International Film Festival will get off to an enthralling start when it kicks off with Dead Man’s Wire, the latest film from director Gus Van Sant.
On a cold February morning in Indianapolis in 1978, Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) heads to an appointment with powerful financier M.L. Hall (Al Pacino). When he arrives, he discovers that Hall is away on vacation, and instead he is asked to meet his son Richard (Dacre Montgomery).
Kiritsis outlines how he believes he has been cheated out of profits in a land deal. To turn the tables, he pulls out a shotgun, wires it to Richard’s neck, and kidnaps the banker. As they walk out of the office building, they are surrounded by police, but the officers allow him to pass and even provide a patrol car.
With Richard driving and a shotgun fixed to his neck, Tony remains polite and conversational, sharing how much he enjoys listening to local radio DJ Fred Temple (Colman Domingo) – the voice of Indianapolis. Following behind them are scores of police cars and reporters from a local television station.
Holed up in his apartment, Tony speaks with the police chief and the county prosecutor, and even calls his favourite radio DJ to share his story. As the siege heads into its second day, authorities get the older Hall on the phone, but he refuses to apologise over the land deal and says that if Kiritsis kills Richard, he will mourn his son’s death.
The politeness between the kidnapper, his victim and the authorities gives the story the tone of a black comedy – except it is all true. Locked in the apartment with the world watching, the two men begin to talk and compare their lives. Outside, people call into the radio station, declaring Kiritsis a hero of the people.
Dead Man’s Wire comes from director Gus Van Sant, who first established himself with indie films including Mala Noche (1985), Drugstore Cowboy (1989) and My Own Private Idaho (1991). His career has also included more mainstream works such as To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester and Milk, alongside distinctive films like Elephant, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, and Paranoid Park.
Van Sant fills the film with talented actors, including Cary Elwes as police detective Michael Grable and Myha’la as reporter Linda Page. John Robinson, who starred as one of the school shooters in Elephant (2003), plays John, a TV cameraman. Kelly Lynch, who starred in Drugstore Cowboy (1989), plays Mabel Hall, the wife of Al Pacino’s character.
The film features an impressive soundtrack with music from Deodato, Gil Scott-Heron, Roberta Flack, Donna Summer, Harpers Bizarre and Barry White. At its core is a story that makes us think about how we treat each other, how we air our grievances, and how we seek attention when we feel wronged.
Dead Man’s Wire will open the Revelation Perth International Film Festival on Wednesday 8th July at Luna Leederville, and be replayed several times throughout the festival. Tickets are on sale now.
