Man On Wire Review

A Documentary About Philippe Petit's Stunt On NY's Twin Towers

Aug 3, 2009 Gareth Harding

Man On Wire is fantastic documentary about one man's determination and cheek to achieve the greatest high wire stunt in history - between New York's twin towers.

James Marsh’s Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire is the staggering tale of Philippe Petit’s daring and highly illegal tight-rope walk across the World Trade Centre twin towers back in 1974.

Quite how this extraordinary feat was accomplished without detection or resulting in Philippe Petit’s death is quite unbelievable. You won’t be able to take your eyes away from this fantastic documentary. If Man On Wire was a Hollywood film you just simply wouldn’t believe it.

“I don’t have respect for people that walk on the wire with any kind of safety net. I don’t really like the fact that if you fall you die, but it’s part of what the wire is.”

Philippe Petit (imdb.com)

Man On Wire Plot Outline

Based primarily on Philippe Petit’s book To Reach The Clouds, Man On Wire explores the unorthodox life of the French artiste, from his early days as a street performer to his progression into the art of wire-walking (he was self-taught within one year), culminating in one of, if not the best stunts in world history.

It was a challenge that Philippe had set his sights on from an early age, having seen an article about the construction of the twin towers in a newspaper while waiting in a dental reception in his hometown. It is a moment that changed the young Frenchman’s life forever.

It would be the ultimate but un-thinkable goal for a high-wire performer, the twin towers would be the two highest buildings in the world in 1974 and would be pinnacle of Philippe’s career. From day one the towers represented a challenge to him that he genuinely believed he was born to accomplish, as his one time love Annie Allix puts it during the film - “It felt like the towers belonged to him. He couldn’t go on living without having tried to conquer those towers”.

The only problem was, Philippe Petit now had to devise the plan, US authorities would never permit such a stunt and Petit would somehow have to smuggle himself and his equipment to the roof of the towers. The fact that the twin towers hadn’t even been built yet would also be a minor stumbling block. “Most people’s dreams are something real, something in front of them and attainable. Mine didn’t even exist yet.”, explains Petit.

Man On Wire's Powerful Structure

Man On Wire is a visually clever and stunning documentary, whether it’s the opening titles sequence - with the clever use of a split screen montage, juxtaposing photo’s of Petit in his early high-wire days with the steel infrastructure of the twin towers being erected – or the incredible catalogue of archive footage taken atop the twin towers themselves or of Petit at home perfecting his art form, there is something majestic about it. At times you forget you know the outcome and become wrapped up in the drama.

Told mainly through the eyes of Petit and the people who were there to help him achieve his dream, the action picks up on the day of the walk, with Philippe and his collaborators arriving at the towers. As the events of that day unfold we go back and forth from past to present to learn more of the youthful, lithe Philippe, his dedication and years of dreams and preparation and that led up to his day with destiny. Man On Wire makes one thing very clear, this wasn’t an audacious stunt for the sake of celebrity, it was about one man’s raw passion for his art and its beauty that drove his decision to risk his own life. This is demonstrated perfectly by Petit’s inability to comprehend the line of questioning adopted by the New York police officers who arrested him in the aftermath. All they could ask him was why on earth he had done it.

Michael Nyman’s eerie but emotive score and Philippe’s boundless energy when re-telling his accounts of the day in minutiae create a captivating sense of tension and his child-like enthusiasm is infectious. Supporting Philippe and offering their own version of events are his then-lover Annie, and his two close friends Jean-Louis and Jean-Francois as well as three American’s who formed the ‘inside’ team and an Australian strategist, Mark Moore. The preparation put in was astonishing and despite having completed similar line walks across Notre Dame Cathedral (1971) and Sydney Harbour Bridge (1973), the twin towers were a step above anything Philippe had attempted before.

Twin Tower High Wire Was Far From Simple

It wasn’t all plain sailing, the pressure wasn’t purely on Petit’s shoulders and there were heavy logistical complications. Matters such as getting to the roof undetected, transporting the cable from tower 1 to 2 and tackling treacherous high winds put a strain on relations with his friends and colleagues. In addition there were also the moral questions. Would this turn horribly into an assisted suicide or even involuntary manslaughter?

One wrong step and the whole thing could have been a disaster, but instead it was one of the crimes of the century.

Despite incurring the wrath of the NYPD along the way, and clearly being one of the craziest people on the planet, you can’t help but love Philippe Petit. His cheekiness and love and ability to perform his craft is unparalleled and he belies the limits of human nerve and concentration. The image of Philippe lying down on the cable, unsupported at 1350 feet illustrates perfectly his madness and genius in equal proportion.

Man On Wire is gripping viewing and one of the finest documentaries in recent years.

Verdict 5/5

The copyright of the article Man On Wire Review in Documentary Films is owned by Gareth Harding. Permission to republish Man On Wire Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

World Trade Centre Twin Towers