Man in Red Bandana

Studio: Verdi Productions
Directed by Matthew J. Weiss

Sep 06, 2017 By Zach Hollwedel Web Exclusive

September 11, 2001 will be forever etched in the American psyche as the day the towers fell. U.S. citizens were attacked on United States soil in New York, Pennsylvania, and Arlington, Virginia. Nearly 3,000 people died in the direct attacks. One of them was a 24-year-old equities trader named Welles Remy Crowther; he would become better known as the Man in the Red Bandana.

Matthew J. Weiss’ directorial debut documents the life, last day, and legacy of the young investment banker whose actions 16-years ago have grown – justly – to folkloric proportions. A native of Nyack, New York, Crowther idolized his father, a member of the volunteer fire department and who always carried in his back pocket a red or blue bandana. Welles took to carrying a red bandana in his own pocket from an early age. The unmistakable identifier went everywhere with him; Welles wore it under his helmet while playing hockey, in his pocket when at school, and even carried it with him when he joined the same volunteer fire department as his father. After the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, over a dozen people would come forward to tell their individual stories of being saved by a man in a red bandana.

Gwyneth Paltrow narrates, as Weiss uses archival footage and interviews, illustrations, and first-hand accounts to track Crowther’s heroic actions on that terrible day. Survivors who owe their life to the young man describe the emergence of the bandana-wearing man in a smoke filled hallway nearly 80-stories above the ground. Through their accounts, newspaper articles, and the persistence of Crowther’s parents in tracing their son’s final day, Weiss paints the picture of a selfless young man whose actions would posthumously inspire foundations, charity races, sporting events, songs, and so much more. It is unfortunate that the quality of the documentary is not on par with the poignant and honorable nature of its subject. At times, choppy editing and each interview’s low production quality threaten to distract from the overall message of the film. Despite some cinematic shortcomings, Man in Red Bandana is a moving and inspiring tribute to an American hero.

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