'' Tall : The American Skyscraper and Louis Sullivan '' is a 2006 documentary film by Manfred Kirchheimer that attempts to tell the story of how Louis Sullivan designed skyscrapers . The film begins by placing the viewer in late 19th century Chicago just after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 . The film takes the viewer through the early development of skyscrapers with archival photos , music and narration . It ends by focusing on the decline of Louis Sullivan . The documentary met with mixed reviews that generally liked the artistry of the documentary but found the storytelling lacking
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Tall: The American Skyscraper and Louis Sullivan