Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire: The 1977 Hostage Crisis & Its Modern Echoes
In February 1977, Indianapolis businessman Tony Kiritsis took drastic measures, holding a mortgage broker hostage in a desperate attempt to reclaim what he believed was rightfully his. The ensuing 63-hour standoff, complete with a rigged shotgun wired to his hostage’s head, captivated the nation and became a bizarre, unsettling spectacle. Now, the story is being revisited on the big screen with Gus Van Sant’s release, Dead Man’s Wire, starring Bill Skarsgård and Colman Domingo.
The case has already been the subject of a 2018 documentary, Dead Man’s Line, and a thriller podcast, American Hostage, featuring Jon Hamm as the DJ who broadcast live interviews with Kiritsis during the crisis. Van Sant’s film promises a wry thriller that dissects both the volatile captor and the media frenzy that surrounded the event, with Domingo portraying the DJ and Myha’la playing a television journalist frustrated by the limitations placed upon her reporting. A cameo by Al Pacino as the mortgage company boss adds another layer of intrigue.
Van Sant, known for his diverse filmography encompassing queer cinema (My Own Private Idaho, Milk), mainstream successes (Good Will Hunting), and arthouse explorations (Elephant), initially had no awareness of the Kiritsis case. “I didn’t have a TV or a newspaper subscription,” he explained. He was immersed in the art world, having recently graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and spent time in Europe, including a pivotal encounter with Pier Paolo Pasolini in in Viterbo, Italy, while Pasolini was editing his controversial film, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Pasolini’s untimely death just four months later cast a long shadow over Van Sant’s early career.
During their meeting, Van Sant attempted to articulate his cinematic aspirations to Pasolini, expressing a desire to translate the fluidity of literature into film. “I said I thought literature could effortlessly show thoughts and ideas travelling through time whereas cinema was just figures talking. I said I wanted to transfer what literature could do into film.” Pasolini’s response was blunt: “He said he thought that was pointless.” Van Sant recalls with a laugh.
By the time Kiritsis enacted his plan, Van Sant had relocated to Los Angeles. He describes his surroundings today as idyllic, speaking from his porch overlooking the mountains and a clear blue sky. He embodies a calm demeanor, a characteristic that has become a hallmark of his approach to complex and often unsettling subjects. His work consistently explores themes of alienation, loss, and societal discord.
Van Sant’s career trajectory has been marked by a willingness to experiment with cinematic form. He credits Béla Tarr, the late Hungarian auteur, with influencing his approach to filmmaking. Tarr’s long takes and rejection of conventional editing techniques resonated with Van Sant’s own desire to challenge cinematic norms. “I always wanted to play with the way films were cut. Rules about continuity bothered me,” Van Sant said. “Now everyone is filming their own stuff and posting it online, and they don’t know or care about those rules. But Béla changed things by simply not cutting. The shots went on and on.”
The timing of Dead Man’s Wire’s release has taken on added resonance in light of a recent, eerily similar event. In , UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Manhattan. The alleged shooter, Luigi Mangione, reportedly cited grievances against the health insurance industry. Van Sant recognized the parallels between Mangione’s case and the Kiritsis story, anticipating that it would shape audience reception. “We realised it was going to influence the way people would receive the film. And it has.”
The response to the Thompson shooting revealed a generational divide, with some younger observers viewing Mangione as a folk hero. Van Sant’s assistant, in his mid-20s, reportedly suggested erecting a statue in Mangione’s honor. This sparked a conversation about differing perspectives on the case, with Van Sant noting that older generations were more likely to view it as a straightforward act of murder.
The Mangione case has also attracted a surprising level of fandom, with elements of queer and camp aesthetics emerging within the online community surrounding the case. Radical filmmaker Bruce LaBruce has announced plans to direct a “Luigi Mangione sex cult movie,” and a musical adaptation, Luigi: The Musical, is scheduled to premiere in New York to coincide with Mangione’s trial this summer.
Van Sant acknowledged the role of Mangione’s physical appearance in fueling the public fascination. “He’s remarkably model-esque. If he looked different, there probably wouldn’t have been as sensational a reaction. He still carries that with him; he has a fan club.”
The casting of Dead Man’s Wire itself reflects a similar dynamic. The real Tony Kiritsis was described as unremarkable in appearance, a stark contrast to Bill Skarsgård, who portrays him in the film. Van Sant acknowledged the discrepancy, noting that Skarsgård’s height differed from Kiritsis’s stature, but ultimately believed Skarsgård would deliver a compelling performance.
Van Sant’s films often explore the fringes of society and the complexities of human behavior. His ability to approach sensitive and controversial subjects with a detached yet empathetic perspective has earned him critical acclaim and a dedicated following. His recent work includes directing episodes of Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote Vs the Swans, marking a return to television after a seven-year hiatus from feature films and nearly two decades since his Oscar-winning biopic, Milk. Dead Man’s Wire represents a potential resurgence for the director, offering a timely and unsettling exploration of desperation, media manipulation, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.