Man On Wire

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Man On Wire

February 6th 2009 01:55

Man On Wire (2008), an English-American co-production, is an utterly compelling documentary about one man's obsession and the friends and accomplices who assisted him in realising a nightmarish dream. To most it was a death wish, but to Philippe Petit, it was destiny.

By the sheer fact that the doco deals quite openly with one of my greatest fears: extreme heights, makes it a perfect inclusion for my nightmare blog. This is quite obviously at the “high art” end of my criteria. A superbly constructed and beautifully realised documentary about French acrobat Philippe Petit’s infamous “artistic crime of the century”; his 1974 wirewalk between the two towers of the World Trade Center.

Director James Marsh cuts between archival footage of Petit and accomplices preparing the incredibly ambitious stunt in France, dramatic re-creations with actors of the lead-up and instigation of the event in Manhattan, and all the key players individually recounting and reflecting back on what an extraordinary and monumental achievement it was.

Philippe Petit reflects on his high art

Petit describes as an adolescent in the waiting room of the dentist and reading a magazine and being transfixed by an article – and artist’s illustration – about the beginning of construction on what would become the tallest buildings in the world: the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Right there and then a dream was born for Petit.

Man On Wire Philippe Petit Sydney Harbour Bridge

Petit's Sydney Harbour Bridge walk in 1973

In 1974 Petit spent eight months preparing the crucial plan and execution that would culminate in his 45-minute “dance” across a wire carefully harnessed from one tower to the other early one overcast morning in lower Manhattan. It was a logistical feat just to trick officials into getting all the gear and accomplices into the two giant buildings.

Man On Wire Philippe Petit World Trade Center edge

Petit surveys the distance between the tops of the two towers in 1974

It’s a shame I didn’t get to see the movie on the big screen where it demands to be seen, but even on my 40” widescreen home monitor the images of Petit venturing out into the void that is between the north and south towers was enough to make my toes curl. My fear of heights has intensified as I’ve got older (odd, but true), and what Petit did that day, over 400 metres above ground with only a balancing pole, slippers on his feet and the steeliest of concentration makes me break out into a cold sweat. If I have nightmares tonight, I’ll know why.

A recreation of one of the event's pivotal moments

After Petit had decided enough was enough (but not before he taunted New York’s finest who tried to nab him each time he came close to getting off the wire), he was promptly arrested, and charged with “trespassing and disorderly conduct” (ha!). Later he was given a psychiatric evaluation, and eventually released, but not before officials insisted he give a free exhibition of his talents … on terra firma.

One of the scariest images of the whole documentary

What bowled me over however, apart from the inspired lunacy of the entire event, was during a montage of the climactic act; archival footage from the ground of Petit walking the wire, photos taken by his accomplices from the top, and even one it appears taken by Petit himself from the middle looking straight down (I almost went dizzy and had to look away!), his chief accomplice and fellow Frenchman Jean-Louis Blondeau describes watching Petit’s expression change from stern concentration to a smile part way across the wire as Petit embraces the completion of his dream. Erik Satie’s melancholic piano masterpiece Gymnopedia No. 1 plays and Jean-Louis begins to cry, the nostalgic profundity of the moment (and of a friendship that ended) overwhelms him … and I too began to weep in empathy.

The crowd in awe, Petit's girlfriend in the centre holding binoculars to chest

Man On Wire (the title is taken directly from the police report description) is based on Petit’s own book To Reach The Clouds and the DVD also features a short film about Petit’s 1973 walk between the two Sydney Harbour Bridge north towers. Although the feature doco is a magnificent reminder about one of the most amazingly fearless feats of human acrobatics, it is also a poignant date stamp on the legacy of the World Trade Center; filmmaker James Marsh manages, whether it was intentional or not doesn't matter, to kill too birds with one stone (please excuse the somewhat crude analogy).

Man On Wire Philippe Petit walks the walk

Petit talks the talk, then walks the walk

NB: If Man On Wire doesn't win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature I'll do the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb.

Mission accomplished, fait accompli

Here's the trailer:

Man On Wire DVD is courtesy of Madman Entertainment, many thanks!

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

3 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

February 6th 2009 02:28

Would I be showing my age if I said that I vaguely remember this happening?

Definitely something I want to see..

Comment by Anonymous

February 6th 2009 02:31

Curious thing:1970's there was a Blondeau
& inthe 150's,“The Great Blondin” went to the USA in 1855.[1] He especially owed his celebrity and fortune to his idea of crossing the gorge below Niagara Falls on a tightrope, 1100 feet (335 m) long, 160 feet (50 m) above the water. This he accomplished, first on 30 June 1859, a number of times, always with different theatric variations: blindfold, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on stilts, carrying a man (his manager, Harry Colcord) on his back, sitting down midway while he cooked and ate an omelet.[ wikipedia]