Man On WireReleased 1 August 2008
Sheffield Showroom and other Independent cinemas. Buy the DVD here
This is a docu-film charting the 1974 exploits
of French wire- walker Philippe Petit as he prepares and attempts
to walk along a length of wire strung between New York’s twin
towers. The film follows Petit from the early daydreams of the plan,
to it hatching into reality. The video of a young Petit strolling
casually juggling along a wire between the Notre Dame spires is certainly
impressive and does add an extra element of awe, and helps highlight
the dangers involved in Petit’s plan to commit "the artistic
crime of the century". The re-enactments of Petit and his friends
smuggling the equipment into the Twin Towers, well created by director
James Marsh, add a heist-like feel to the film, and create a growing
excitement of the 'will he, won’t he' variety.
Perhaps most shocking about the story was the way he was treated in a typically humourless fashion by the NY police who, upon finally getting Petit off the wire (after 45 minutes, and 8 crossings from tower to tower), hurl him down a flight of concrete stairs, causing him to hit his head. Petit relives this with a cheeky smile on his face, and describes his exasperation at the frequent question "why did you do it?" Try as you might, having watched the film, it is hard to not find yourself asking the same question.
The footage of earlier Petit efforts such as the Notre Dame crossing and walking across a wire along the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is amazing, and it would have been good to see more actual film of the Twin Towers 'performance', rather than still photographs. Also missing from the film is a description of exactly how he and his friends managed to put all the wires into place, and of what happened to his loyal core of friends who help him in his exploits.
Philippe Petit comes out of the film in the egotistical fashion of someone who has made a film about themselves. The stunt breaks up his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, but Petit does not recount this with much emotion at all. His exploits made him an overnight sensation amongst the media and the public and in seeing Petit revel in the attention, maybe the question "why" is answered after all.
John Stanley
Back to Index
Perhaps most shocking about the story was the way he was treated in a typically humourless fashion by the NY police who, upon finally getting Petit off the wire (after 45 minutes, and 8 crossings from tower to tower), hurl him down a flight of concrete stairs, causing him to hit his head. Petit relives this with a cheeky smile on his face, and describes his exasperation at the frequent question "why did you do it?" Try as you might, having watched the film, it is hard to not find yourself asking the same question.
The footage of earlier Petit efforts such as the Notre Dame crossing and walking across a wire along the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is amazing, and it would have been good to see more actual film of the Twin Towers 'performance', rather than still photographs. Also missing from the film is a description of exactly how he and his friends managed to put all the wires into place, and of what happened to his loyal core of friends who help him in his exploits.
Philippe Petit comes out of the film in the egotistical fashion of someone who has made a film about themselves. The stunt breaks up his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, but Petit does not recount this with much emotion at all. His exploits made him an overnight sensation amongst the media and the public and in seeing Petit revel in the attention, maybe the question "why" is answered after all.
John Stanley
Back to Index