Gus Van Sant Reflects on Pasolini, Generational Divides, and New Thriller Dead Man's Wire
In an exclusive interview, acclaimed director Gus Van Sant opens up about his latest film, Dead Man's Wire, a wry thriller that dramatizes a notorious 1977 hostage case. The film, which stars Bill Skarsgård and Colman Domingo, explores themes of media frenzy and systemic injustice, cutting between a volatile captor and the circus surrounding him.
A Case That Echoes Across Generations
The story centers on Tony Kiritsis, an Indianapolis businessman who, convinced he was cheated in a real estate deal, took a mortgage broker employee hostage for 63 hours in February 1977. Kiritsis attached a wire from a shotgun trigger to the hostage's head, demanding $5 million and an admission of guilt, with the standoff's final moments broadcast live on television.
Van Sant, now 73, was unaware of the case at the time, having just graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design without a TV or newspaper subscription. However, external events during pre-production brought the film's themes sharply into focus. In December 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan, with 27-year-old Luigi Mangione set to stand trial this summer, allegedly referring to the health insurance industry as "parasitic."
"We realized it was going to influence the way people would receive the film. And it has," Van Sant notes, highlighting the parallels between this David-and-Goliath story and his movie.
Generational Perspectives on Violence and Justice
The director observed a stark generational divide in responses to the Mangione case. "My assistant at the time, who was in his mid-20s, said he thought there should be a statue erected to Mangione in Central Park," Van Sant reveals. "We started talking about the differences between how people of his age viewed it – some thinking Mangione was a hero – and what people of my generation thought, which is that it was murder."
This divide has spawned a cultural phenomenon, with radical filmmaker Bruce LaBruce planning a "Luigi Mangione sex cult movie" and Luigi: The Musical set to open in New York during the trial. Van Sant acknowledges Mangione's model-esque looks likely fueled the sensational reaction, quipping that he "could have earned him the lead in a Pasolini film."
An Early Encounter with Pasolini
Van Sant's cinematic journey includes a memorable meeting with Italian maestro Pier Paolo Pasolini in July 1975 in Viterbo, central Italy, where Pasolini was editing his final film, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. As a young student, Van Sant expressed his ambition to transfer literature's ability to show thoughts through time into cinema.
"Pasolini said he thought my ideas were pointless," Van Sant laughs, recalling the lost-in-translation exchange. Despite this, he believes those early ideas eventually informed his career, particularly after discovering Hungarian auteur Béla Tarr's work, which inspired his experimental phase with films like Gerry.
Casting and Directorial Style
Dead Man's Wire features Bill Skarsgård as Kiritsis, a casting choice that contrasts with the real-life middle-aged "schlub." Van Sant explains, "We had plenty of old, ugly guys, but I thought Bill would work well." He notes Skarsgård's own experience with height insecurities mirrored Kiritsis's "small-man syndrome."
Actors like Casey Affleck and James Franco have described Van Sant as "a mystery" and a director who "seems like he's doing so little," yet his calm patience has made him an ideal interpreter of sensitive subjects, from Columbine in Elephant to Kurt Cobain in Last Days.
Legacy and Current Projects
With a career spanning over 40 years, including queer landmarks like My Own Private Idaho, mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting, and Oscar-winning biopics like Milk, Van Sant remains a maverick voice. His recent work includes directing most of Ryan Murphy's TV series Feud: Capote Vs the Swans, but Dead Man's Wire marks his first movie in seven years.
As the interview concludes, Van Sant, swaddled in a rust-red puffer jacket, reflects on his enduring influence. "I was trying to effect this change in cinematic vocabulary," he says, a goal that resonates in today's era of user-generated content where traditional rules are often ignored.
Dead Man's Wire is set for release in UK cinemas from 20 March, promising to spark conversations about justice, media, and the generational chasms that define our times.
