BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

RanchoTuVu A circus in 1950's communist Czechoslovakia makes a dash into the US zone. Being circus people, they have no ostensible political priorities, but the owner, who also dresses up as a clown (Frederic March), seems to have been pushed to take the drastic measure because the communist party functionaries led by Adolphe Menjou find his overall attitude lacking in any discernible commitment. March's daughter in the film is the striking Terry Moore who has fallen for a mysterious circus laborer played by Cameron Mitchell. March's wife is sexy Gloria Graham. The two of them (Moore and Graham) both add a lot. The film makes the distinction in this circus between the artists and the workers. The communists want a workers' paradise and seem to try to make the circus toe the line. The leader of the circus workers is played by Richard Boone, whose part has bought into the communist ideology. The circus midgets also play vital roles in this film, which does not waste any of its actors. The black and white photography matches the stereotypical drab lives in the communist sectors. Menjou, as the communist party leader, is on to March, but, being Menjou, he too becomes a target of operatives in his own party. Directed by Elia Kazan, the film is a real surprise. The overall plot to escape with the circus reaches a well drawn out ending, with even the circus elephants making the dash west.

ltangen Thanks to all who have recommended this movie. My husband and I have watched it 2 or 3 times on Turner Classic Movies in the past few months and each time I am completely drawn in. The total tension between jovial, carefree circus music and antics on the outside totally belie the palpable terror and desperation on the inside make the final scene pure gold. This reminds me of the 2006 movie, The Lives of Others (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/), which speaks to the same soul- crushing hopelessness under the tyranny of communism.I would like to know more about the real story this movie was based on. The screenplay writer certainly has a lot of hits to his credit.

jotix100 "Man on a Tightrope", the 1953 film directed by Elia Kazan surprises for the way the director working overseas, mainly in Austria and Germany, was able to capture the atmosphere of the Cold War during the years after WWII. Based on a Neil Paterson story, "International Incident", it was adapted for the screen by Robert Sherwood. Unfortunately, this picture is not seen often enough these days, but it is worth a view by fans of Elia Kazan because it shows him at the top of his form.We are taken to the Cernik Circus, a third rate enterprise, whose owner, Karel Cernik is planning an escape to the West from a an Iron Curtain country, in this case, Czechoslovakia. It was no easy task to try to flee any of those countries during that time. With great resolution Karel plans the way to do it, not without a lot of things that get in the way of the escape.Frederick March, one of the best actors of that period, plays the older Cernik with great conviction. Gloria Grahame is his flighty wife, who at the end recognizes the courage of a husband she didn't seem to care for. A young Terry Moore is Tereza in love with Joe Vosdek, played by Cameron Mitchell. Richard Boone has an excellent opportunity in which to shine."Man on a Tightrope" should be seen by serious fans of the great director Elia Kazan, as it will reward the viewer.

Sleepy-17 Kazan, in his "A Life", describes this movie mostly in terms of early-morning bonding with his crew, but while it contains far fewer emotional lightning-bolts than most Kazan films, it also contains some incredibly poetic violence. Even though it's hard to tell if it's just hastily staged or artistically muted, one shot of a sentry being killed just below the screen is both intimate and shielding. The battle scenes are exciting, short, and brilliant. Kazan takes no credit at all, saying that much of the film was devised by producer Gerd Oswald and cinematographer Georg Kraus. Strange and sparse, this is a very interesting film.