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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1985
Runtime1h 29m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationG
GenresDocumentary, History
Votes1
DirectorMichael Blackwood
WritersFrances Fitzgerald
TypeFeature Film
Rating9.0 out of 10
Cast7 credited
Also Known AsEmpire City
About Empire City
A film essay contrasting the modern metropolis with its "golden age" from 1830-1930, with the participation of some of New York's leading political and cultural figures. Made at a time when the city was experiencing unprecedented real estate development on the one hand and unforeseen displacement of population and deterioration on the other. Empire City is the story of two New Yorks. The film explores the precarious coexistence of the service-based midtown Manhattan corporate headquarters with the peripheral New York of undereducated minorities living in increasing alienation.
Directed by Michael Blackwood, Empire City leans on a strong ensemble — Donald Trump, Ed Koch, Jane Jacobs — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1985.
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