Wisconsin Death Trip (film)
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''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 Michael Lesy (born 1945) is an American non-fiction writer. His books, which combine historical photographs with original writing, include '' Wisconsin Death Trip'' (1973), ''Real Life: Louisville in the Twenties'' (1976), ''Bearing Witness: A Phot ...
. The film dramatizes a series of macabre incidents that took place in and around
Black River Falls, Wisconsin , settlement_type = City , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = Black River Falls Wisconsin Downtown2 WIS54.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Looking west at ...
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
Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company ...
, orating contemporaneous newspaper articles written about the occurrences. Original music for the film was composed by
DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996. Biography Early years (1989–1995) DJ Sh ...
, with original piano music for the closing credits by 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 The Telluride Film Festival (TFF) is a film festival held annually in Telluride, Colorado during Labor Day weekend (the first Monday in September). The 49th edition took place on September 2 -6, 2022. History First held on 30 August 1974, t ...
in September 1999 before being released theatrically at New York City's
Film Forum Film Forum is a nonprofit movie theater at 209 West Houston Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. It began in 1970 as an alternative screening space for independent films, with 50 folding chairs, one projector and a $19,000 annual budget. Kare ...
in December 1999. It premiered on
Cinemax Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent ...
on July 4, 2000. In the United Kingdom, the film was shown on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
as part of the documentary series ''
Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
'', who had originally helped finance the project. ''Wisconsin Death Trip'' was largely met with critical praise, 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 Eigil Bryld () is a Danish cinematographer. He is famous for his work in such films and TV shows as ''House of Cards'' (2013), ''In Bruges'' (2008), '' You Don't Know Jack'' (2010), ''Becoming Jane'' (2007) and '' Kinky Boots'' (2005). Life and ...
won the award in the category of Best Photography.


Plot

Between 1890 and 1900 in northern
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, a series of bizarre events begin to occur amongst the local population (largely
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
,
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
, and
Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...
immigrants) after the closure of several
mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...
s in the area, in conjunction with a collapse of the local economy and liquidation of banks. Several infants are abandoned by their parents, while a
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...
epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics of infectious ...
claims the lives of numerous children. A local schoolteacher, Mary Sweeny, is institutionalized after going on a rampage breaking the windows of numerous homes and buildings while under the influence of
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
. Meanwhile, a young deaf and mute boy shoots his little sister to death with a pistol. The wife of a German immigrant is mysteriously found frozen to death six miles outside of
Black River Falls , settlement_type = City , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = Black River Falls Wisconsin Downtown2 WIS54.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Looking west at ...
, after mourning the death of her own child. In
Brandon Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name *Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Q ...
, two young boys ambush a farmer and murder him with a shotgun before taking over his home. The elder brother, John, flees after the crime is discovered, and a manhunt ensues. Once captured, John is sentenced to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, a Norwegian teenage girl commits suicide by drowning herself in a lake near
Kenosha Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenosh ...
; her suicide note reveals she was physically abused and over-worked by her parents. Several other young jilted lovers commit suicide by hanging and other methods. Anna, a young Polish girl, is discovered to be a serial arsonist responsible for burning multiple properties down. Numerous young adults in the region face a number of turmoils, and commit violent acts of varying degrees: A father bludgeons his infant son to death before attempting to murder his wife, and later, a young man shoots a woman to death when she refuses his marriage proposal, before turning the gun on himself.
Religious delusion A religious delusion is defined as a delusion, or fixed belief not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence, involving religious themes or subject matter., cited in: Religious faith, meanwhile, is defined as a belief in God or a religi ...
also plagues the local communities: John Isaacson holds the members of a Christian meeting at knifepoint, believing himself to be vanquishing Satan. Shortly after, a German immigrant intentionally starves his livestock to death, and blames it on
witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
es he believes are preying upon him. Mrs. Dutton, of La Crosse, believes herself to be
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
reincarnated, and a Mrs. Lawson, believing herself to be haunted by Satan, drowns her three children in a lake in
St. Croix Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...
. In Brockway, a woman claiming to be a world-renowned French opera singer named Pauline L'Allemand arrives from Chicago to claim a land she has allegedly inherited. With her son, Edgar, she builds a home and stages a series of live performances that are compromised by her
false teeth Dentures (also known as false teeth) are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and are supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable (removable partial denture or ...
. Her disheveled state leads locals to believe she may be an imposter. Pauline's mental state deteriorates, and she begins hearing voices and claiming to be in communion with spirits. After Edgar steals cement to repair their dilapidating house, the two are put on trial, during which Pauline engages in incoherent rants and espouses
anti-Catholic Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...
conspiracy theories, leading her to be declared legally insane and institutionalized at Mendota Hospital. While numerous business ventures collapse in tandem with the economy, adulterous affairs amongst the region's middle-aged residents lead to further violence and murder. A
tramp A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round. Etymology Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English ''t ...
murders several servant girls while attempting to commit robbery before killing himself. Meanwhile, Mary Sweeny is released from the psychiatric hospital, and continues to travel aimlessly throughout the region, committing further destruction of windows, including at an Eau Claire train station. Pauline L'Allemande eventually escapes from Mendota and disappears. She resurfaces later in Chicago, and claims to have been tormented in Mendota by a ventriloquist performing acts in the room next to hers. A number of contemporary events from the mid-to-late-20th century are juxtaposed against those of the 1890s, including the crimes of Wisconsin natives
Ed Gein Edward Theodore Gein (; August 27, 1906 – July 26, 1984), also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was an American murderer and body snatcher. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, ga ...
and
Jeffrey Dahmer Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (; May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994), also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who killed and dismemberment, dismembered seventeen men and boys ...
.


Cast


Style

''Wisconsin Death Trip'' features a mixture of actual historical photographs of individuals and scenes from the events depicted, along with black-and-white reenactments featuring actors. The reenactment footage contains no dialogue. Director James Marsh stated that he felt the book was "unfilmable", and chose to utilize its photographs juxtaposed with reenactments of the stories presented: The film's visual style was intended to carry the content of the film; as Marsh said: "I wanted to convey in the film the real pathos contained in a four line newspaper report that simultaneously records and dismisses the end of someone's life." In his book ''Adaptation and the Avant-Garde: Alternative Perspectives on Adaptation Theory and Practice'' (2011), scholar William Verrone cites ''Wisconsin Death Trip'' as an example of an
avant-garde film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...
. Verrone describes the film as a "hodgepodge of collage and assemblage, a fertile mix of appropriated text and image that results in a somber study of real-life hardship and depredation". Writer
Ramsey Campbell Ramsey Campbell (born 4 January 1946) is an English horror fiction writer, editor and critic who has been writing for well over fifty years. He is the author of over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them winners of literary awa ...
classifies ''Wisconsin Death Trip'' as a horror film.


Production


Development

Documentary filmmaker James Marsh began developing a docudrama film adaptation of
Michael Lesy Michael Lesy (born 1945) is an American non-fiction writer. His books, which combine historical photographs with original writing, include '' Wisconsin Death Trip'' (1973), ''Real Life: Louisville in the Twenties'' (1976), ''Bearing Witness: A Phot ...
's 1973 nonfiction book of the same name after moving to the United States in 1995. Prior to this, Marsh had produced works for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
series ''
Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
''. The BBC provided
seed money Seed money, sometimes known as seed funding or seed capital, is a form of securities offering in which an investor invests capital in a startup company in exchange for an equity stake or convertible note stake in the company. The term ''seed'' ...
to help finance ''Wisconsin Death Trip'', and Marsh also acquired funding from a
Norwegian American Norwegian Americans ( nb, Norskamerikanere, nn, Norskamerikanarar) are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the ...
immigrant fund in the United States. Marsh met with New York-based film producer Maureen Ryan, who agreed to produce the feature despite it having "no obvious commercial prospects and a tiny budget provided by the BBC". According to Marsh, the film took approximately four years to develop between its initial production and filming.


Filming

By Marsh's account, ''Wisconsin Death Trip'' was a protracted process: "I did it in episodes. I'd shoot in one season. And then reflect on what I'd done and go shoot some more the next season. Then run out of money. Then go back again." To shoot the reenactment footage featured in the film, Marsh hired Danish cinematographer
Eigil Bryld Eigil Bryld () is a Danish cinematographer. He is famous for his work in such films and TV shows as ''House of Cards'' (2013), ''In Bruges'' (2008), '' You Don't Know Jack'' (2010), ''Becoming Jane'' (2007) and '' Kinky Boots'' (2005). Life and ...
, with whom his wife had attended school in Denmark. Approximately nine-and-a-half weeks of shooting occurred over a year-and-a-half period throughout Wisconsin, in the cities of Green Bay,
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
, Cassville, and Appleton. A total of 65 local actors were employed to perform in the reenactment footage. Marsh took advantage of numerous preserved historical homes and other sites in Wisconsin to shoot the film, as they contained "historically correct, sometimes priceless antiques" that matched the necessary period setting. He stated that the crew was granted permission to shoot at "almost every historical site that we requested," and that they offered a nominal donation in exchange for the historical site managers' allowing them to film there. Two different scenes were filmed at the site of a preserved steam locomotive in
Eagle, Wisconsin Eagle is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 1,950. The village is located within the Town of Eagle. History The town's name comes from an 1836 incident when pioneer Thomas Sugden and t ...
.


Release

''Wisconsin Death Trip'' was rejected for distribution by several European companies, who deemed it "morbid, distasteful and obsessed with the wrong aspects of human life", and the filmmakers' submission of it to the
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
series ''
American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...
'' was met with no response. The film screened at the
Telluride Film Festival The Telluride Film Festival (TFF) is a film festival held annually in Telluride, Colorado during Labor Day weekend (the first Monday in September). The 49th edition took place on September 2 -6, 2022. History First held on 30 August 1974, t ...
on September 5, 1999, where it was noted by a ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' critic that it "left people shaken". It subsequently was screened at the Venice International Film Festival the same year. The film was released in New York City at the
Film Forum Film Forum is a nonprofit movie theater at 209 West Houston Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. It began in 1970 as an alternative screening space for independent films, with 50 folding chairs, one projector and a $19,000 annual budget. Kare ...
on December 1, 1999. In the United Kingdom, the film was presented on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
documentary series ''
Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
'' in 2000. The film was released on the U.S.
pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...
channel
Cinemax Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent ...
on July 4, 2000.


Critical response

Jonathan Romney of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' praised the film as "always lyrical, sometimes blackly farcical, and sometimes terrifying, as it reveals the romanticized American frontier's true desperation". Dennis Harvey of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' similarly praised it as a "mordantly humorous, original work
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
makes a striking first impression", though he conceded that its structure becomes "repetitious after a while". Edward Guthmann of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...
'' provided an opposing point of view regarding the film's structure, noting that it moves "both symbolically and literally through the four seasons, sIan Holm's narration grows more alarmed, more troubled". Guthmann also lauded the film's soundtrack as "hypnotizing", noting the use of classical music by Johannes Brahms,
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
, Claude Debussy and Sergei Rachmaninoff, as well as the contributions from contemporary artists
Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...
, John Cale and Arvo Part. Stephen Holden of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' summarized the film as "a creepily enthralling document that illustrates the susceptibility to breakdown of what we think of as sanity and civilization," but was critical of the colorized contemporary sequences, feeling they were tonally inconsistent with the rest of the film. Walter Addiego of the '' San Francisco Examiner'' made a similar criticism, noting that the film "strays when it offers color footage of the town today, with the too-easy implication that some things never change". The ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
''s Michael Wilmington echoed a similar sentiment, describing the contemporary footage as "slightly sarcastic" in contrast to the "black and white evocations of a distant past that nag like recurring, dread-filled dreams". Though critical of Ian Holm's narration, which he characterized as consisting of some "cheap ironic shots" at modern American culture, ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' critic Jonathan Foreman praised the film's use of historical photographs, adding that the reenactment footage has "none of the cheesiness of reality-TV programs like ''
Unsolved Mysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries'' is an American mystery documentary television show, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Ka ...
'' and '' America's Most Wanted''. Indeed, they’re shot in such a way as to make acts of violence truly shocking". ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
''s Nathan Rabin wrote that the film plays like "both a cheap holiday in historical misery and an unclassifiable, uncategorizable exercise in morbid beauty, ndvividly captures the homespun horror of small-town 19th-century madness", but ultimately felt that the film was exploitative in nature.


Accolades


Home media

Home Video Entertainment released ''Wisconsin Death Trip'' on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in the United States on February 26, 2004. The disc includes a behind-the-scenes documentary, an audio commentary with Marsh, and several deleted scenes. Also in 2004,
Tartan Video Palisades Tartan is a British/American film distribution company, founded by US-based Palisades Media Group to take over the film library of film distributor Tartan Films after it folded in the summer of 2008. History Tartan Films, established i ...
released a
region-free A regional lockout (or region coding) is a class of digital rights management preventing the use of a certain product or service, such as multimedia or a hardware device, outside a certain region or territory. A regional lockout may be enforced ...
DVD in the United Kingdom which also contains the commentary and deleted scenes, though the behind-the-scenes documentary is not present.


References


Sources

* * * * * *


External links

* (archived via
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
) * * * {{James Marsh 1999 films 1999 drama films 1999 documentary films 1990s English-language films American avant-garde and experimental films American black-and-white films American drama films American documentary films Black-and-white documentary films British black-and-white films British drama films British documentary films Docuhorror films Documentary films about crime in the United States Documentary films about religion in the United States Films scored by John Cale Films set in Wisconsin Films shot in Wisconsin Folk horror films Wisconsin culture 1990s American films 1990s British films