Man on Wire (2008)

Last week, James Marsh's Man on Wire won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The film tells the story of Philippe Petit, a French wirewalker, who walked on a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center on August 7th, 1974.

Man on Wire is structured as a collage of flashbacks where we are shown how Philippe Petit's did the unthinkable. The film opens up with short summations of the Frenchman's personal history as well as his instant fascination with the World Trade Center. We also see how the two towers are built, the men involved with the construction as well as fragments from the press coverage before and after they are officially opened for business.

Later on, we are introduced to a motley crew of characters that will eventually assist Phillipe Petit with his project. It took me awhile to understand why anyone would do for Philippe Petit what they did, but as the story progressed, I began to realize that these men were simply rebels looking for someone, or something, to lead them. In 1974, the Frenchman's desire to conquer the two towers of the World Trade Center did the trick.

Further into Man on Wire, Philippe Petit explains how he trained for his memorable performance. We also learn a great deal about the technical challenges he and his accomplices had to overcome. The documentary then shows us the endless trips Philippe Petit did between France and the United States. We are also showed how the entire crew managed to fool the security guards at the World Trade Center and, eventually, get their gear delivered.

The final act of Man on Wire captures an event that I am having a difficult time describing to you in simple words; the visuals are that unbelievable. On August 7th, 1974 Phillipe Petit walked eight times on a tight-wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Those who assisted the Frenchman were in tears; those who were lucky enough to see the event could not believe their eyes.

Having seen Man on Wire twice now, I can tell you that this film is an experience that is impossible to forget. It is both fascinating to behold and at the same time, at least as far as this writer is concerned, blood-curling. I don't know how one could look at what Philippe Petit did and not be moved by it. Whether you see his performance as the act of a wizard, or as the grand achievement of a madman, he remains someone that will be admired for as long as the World Trade Center is remembered.

Finally, it will be unfair if I did not reveal to you that Man on Wire also made me feel very sad. In it, you won't hear 9/11 mentioned at all, but it is impossible not to think about it when you see the construction footage in the very beginning of the film. Philippe Petit does not talk about 9/11 either. It would have been interesting to hear what he has to say, given his history with the Twin Towers, but I must assume that out of respect for those who lost their lives on that terrible September day, he chose not to mention the tragedy.