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The Worst Film Ever

Just perfect...

Admirable film.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

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.

(Some Spoilers) One of the best depiction of Communism coming out of post-war Hollywood "Man on a Tightrope" shows what happens to a country taken over by band of mindless bean counting bureaucrats who feel that they have all the answers to all the country's, and worlds, problems and anyone who thinks otherwise is an enemy of the state that's to be liquidated or imprisoned. Trying to make a living as a circus master which is the only job he ever had Kanel Cernik, Fredrick March, is hamstrung by the Communist system controlling his country the Czecoslovkian People's Repubic.With the country's controlling communist party running everything Karel's circus is having a hard time staying afloat with it being nationalized and it's many fine and entertaining circus acts, as well as performers, shut down or fired. All this because their being too capitalistic, so the Communist state party says, in their themes. This insane policy is formulated and followed by both the local commissar Fesker, Adolphe Menjou, and his boss only known as The Sergeant, Phillip Kennealy. Two by the books butt-kissers who's always trying to one up each other in order to gain favor with their superiors in both Prague and Moscow.Just about having all he could take from his Communist masters Karel together with a numbers of his troupe including his wife and daughter Zema & Tereza, Gloria Grahame & Terry Moore, decide to make a break for it with the entire circus and its animal performers across the Czech/Austrian border. To gain complete surprise, from the Czech broader guards, it's decided by Karel to make this very daring and dangerous escape in broad daylight a time when it would be least expected.We soon find out that Commissar Fesker has knowledge of the planned escaped from someone inside the circus troupe and just as he's about to clamp down on it, by giving Karel a permit in order to force his hand, he's overruled by the arrogant and power hungry Sergeant. Sargeant with his action unknowingly gives Karel all the leeway he needs to make make, with his entire circus family, his breathtaking run for daylight and freedom, across the Iron Curtain.Unbelievably tense and exciting movie that keeps you glued to your seat until the final credits as Karl Cernik and his band of circus performers, together with his wife and daughter, make their way to the very border of Austria. Within yards of the border Karl & Co. then go for broke as the startled guards on both side of the border, the American and Czech, are left almost too paralyzed to either help, in the case of the Americans, or prevent, the Czech, them from doing so. Karel who during the entire movie was anything but a hero in his dealing with both the Communist government officials and his wife Zama makes up for all his inadequacies by preventing his planned escape from being foiled by a traitor inside his circus. Karl shot and bleeding to death prevents the advancing Communist government troops and police, by insisting to be the last man out, from overtaking his circus performers and family. Thus not only forcing them back to their native country but to either curtain death or a Soviet concentration camp-like gulag in the wilds of Siberia.Unlike the many anti-Communist movies that came out of Hollywood back in the 1940's and 1950's "Man on a Tightrope" is as watchable now as it was back then in 1953. The movie shows what Communism really is, a rotten and degrading system, and how it in its anti-humanistic and bankrupt economic philosophy was destined to have a total and complete collapse and meltdown some forty years later more then proved that point.

This is a particularly fine film, but the other users missed an item that I would like to mention.Namely, communism or, rather, the specific type of communism which was practiced within the old Soviet Empire, was a subtle poison to the human spirit.In a critical scene, just before the fatal run across the border, the Circus manager questions a roustabout about his betrayal of his community(the Circus) and everyone whom he ever knew there. This man, with a straight face, announces that he and the other manual laborers are the heart and essence of the circus. Along with the movie audience, the manager(played by veteran actor Frederick March) is shocked that anyone could convince himself that people come to see him and his fellows, not the aerialists, not the lion tamer nor even the clowns.There are no paranoid political rants here, but that form of communism is "busted" for its "divide and conquer" tactics. People took appalling risks to flee communism and this film gives the viewer part of why they were willing to take them. I couldn't imagine then and I can't imagine now that "a higher standard of living" was the reason for this.

This is an interesting movie about the members of a circus troupe trying to flee Communist domination while battling amongst themselves. Adolphe Menjou is spectacular as a down-on-his-luck government functionary. Gloria Grahame is chilling in her scenes. Richard Boone and Cameron Mitchell lend professional support.