Man On A Tightrope (1953) :
Brief Review -
Another proof why Elia Kazan was the most revolutionary filmmaker of his time. A rebellious circus movie with an anti-communism theme. Whenever we speak about circus movies made in old Hollywood, we usually find comedies or tragic dramas. Specifically, we go back to Chaplin's Circus (1928), Lon Chaney's "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924), or other films you better know. Did we ever look at this circus theme as an insurrection? I did not. Elia Kazan has made many issue-driven films that brought revolution to society, and he was well aware of his actions. Only the man who made "Boomerang!" (1947), "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "On the Waterfront" (1954), and "A Face In The Crowd" (1957) could have made a film like Man On A Tightrope. It's a pathbreaking film for the theme it carries; no one in the world would ever imagine a circus film to be so serious and revolutionary. And it was based on a true story too! How amazing things fit here! The film is about a Czech circus owner and his entire troupe, who plan an escapade over the border to Bavaria. The attempt has a lot of difficulties, of course, but the clown is determined and would not look back at all. The concept is brilliant, as is the visualisation. Though it's a bit preachy and tedious on occasion. The pick-up is very slow, and the characters aren't that dangerous. The first interrogation scene looks pretty frightening, but soon we realise how it was staged and how that aggression was so fake. Zama's character was a total disaster. We are watching a serious film about freedom and communism, and there we have a woman who is more concerned about her own woman needs and her husband's machoism. So, it's flawed like that in several other scenes, but overall, it's a fantastic film-thanks to a mind blowing climax. Watch out for Fredric March's performance.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Another proof why Elia Kazan was the most revolutionary filmmaker of his time. A rebellious circus movie with an anti-communism theme. Whenever we speak about circus movies made in old Hollywood, we usually find comedies or tragic dramas. Specifically, we go back to Chaplin's Circus (1928), Lon Chaney's "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924), or other films you better know. Did we ever look at this circus theme as an insurrection? I did not. Elia Kazan has made many issue-driven films that brought revolution to society, and he was well aware of his actions. Only the man who made "Boomerang!" (1947), "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "On the Waterfront" (1954), and "A Face In The Crowd" (1957) could have made a film like Man On A Tightrope. It's a pathbreaking film for the theme it carries; no one in the world would ever imagine a circus film to be so serious and revolutionary. And it was based on a true story too! How amazing things fit here! The film is about a Czech circus owner and his entire troupe, who plan an escapade over the border to Bavaria. The attempt has a lot of difficulties, of course, but the clown is determined and would not look back at all. The concept is brilliant, as is the visualisation. Though it's a bit preachy and tedious on occasion. The pick-up is very slow, and the characters aren't that dangerous. The first interrogation scene looks pretty frightening, but soon we realise how it was staged and how that aggression was so fake. Zama's character was a total disaster. We are watching a serious film about freedom and communism, and there we have a woman who is more concerned about her own woman needs and her husband's machoism. So, it's flawed like that in several other scenes, but overall, it's a fantastic film-thanks to a mind blowing climax. Watch out for Fredric March's performance.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.