| Wisconsin Death Trip | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Wisconsin_Death_Trip_(film).jpg) Original promotional artwork | |
| Directed by | James Marsh |
| Screenplay by | James Marsh |
| Based on | Wisconsin Death Trip by Michael Lesy |
| Produced by |
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| Narrated by | Ian Holm |
| Cinematography | Eigil Bryld |
| Edited by | Jinx Godfrey |
| Music by | |
Production companies | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 76 minutes[1] |
| Countries | |
| Language | English |
Wisconsin Death Trip is a 1999 docudrama film written for the screen and directed by James Marsh, based on the 1973 historical nonfiction book of the same name by Michael Lesy. The film dramatizes a series of macabre incidents that took place in and around Black River Falls, Wisconsin in the late-19th century. It utilizes silent black-and-white reenactment footage contrasted with contemporary color footage of the region, along with voice-over narration by Sir Ian Holm, orating contemporaneous newspaper articles written about the occurrences. Music featured in the film includes DJ Shadow and John Cale.
Marsh began developing a documentary film adaptation of Lesey's book after moving to the United States in 1995. The film was produced over approximately four years, with Marsh intermittently shooting the reenactment footage on location in Wisconsin over a one-and-a-half-year period. The film opened at the Telluride Film Festival in September 1999 before being released theatrically at New York City's Film Forum in December 1999. It premiered on Cinemax on July 4, 2000. In the United Kingdom, the film was shown on the BBC as part of the documentary series Arena, who had originally helped finance the project.
Wisconsin Death Trip was largely met with critical praise,[3] particularly for its cinematography, though some film critics criticized its structure and inclusion of modern-day footage. The film received several accolades, including two BAFTA Television Award nominations; cinematographer Eigil Bryld won the award in the category of Best Photography.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (December 1, 1999). "Film Review; How a Town in Wisconsin Went Mad". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin Death Trip". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022.
- ^ "Wisconsin Death Trip". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 18, 2022.