In the acclaimed documentary Man on Wire, we get to accompany daredevil Philippe Petit on one of the greatest wire-walks ever: his 1974 spectacle high atop the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center.
As a child, Philippe Petit loved the thrill. It became his dream to walk a wire between the highest towers in the world. In Man on Wire, we get to accompany Philippe on one of the greatest wire-walks ever: his 1974 spectacle high atop the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center.
Seeing this film now, we can never put the haunting image of the towers out of our consciousness, nor can we escape the impact of the 9/11 tragedy. But far from tainting the experience, our memories give the film an added poignancy.
Using the technique of intertwining both staged and documentary footage, director James Marsh has created an extraordinarily realistic thriller. We accompany the guerilla-like team as they plan the assault, illegally enter the buildings, evade the guards, and rig the wire.
And then, magically, Philippe steps out on his two-hundred-foot steel cable, where for forty-five minutes he cavorts and dances, 1350 feet above the streets of Manhattan. Whether we think him daring or insane, Petit is an artist who provides a thrilling, transformative event that we are blessed to share with him in this film.
For his feat in Man on Wire, Philippe Petit was charged with and found guilty of “disturbing the peace”… for opening the door to dreams.