Philippe Petit, a French high wire artist, walks across a tightrope suspended between the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York. Philippe Petit stars in Man on a Wire. Photo: Alan Welner.
Man On Wire (PG-13) ****
By Kevin Craft
Contrary to what its marketing campaign may lead you to believe, Man On Wire is not a grandiose meditation on art and life; it is a bare bones documentary that tells a story without pomp, arrogance or a third person narrator.
On August 7, 1975, French high wire artist Philippe Petit and a rag-tag group of friends broke into the newly constructed World Trade Center and strung a tight rope across the two towers. Petit proceeded to perform on the wire for over forty minutes, crossing it eight times and even stopping in the middle to lie down on it. Upon dismounting, Petit was arrested, subjected to a psychological exam and then released into a world of newfound, if short-lived, fame, with a perfunctory punishment that involved performing community service. His friends were extradited and banned from the country, while Petit continued to live in the city whose imagination he had briefly captured.
To tell this incredible tale, director James Marsh uses interviews, still photographs, amateur footage shot by one of Petit's co-conspirators and reenactments of the heist, which Petit and his friend innocently referred to as "Le Coup." Marsh is not interested in reflecting on the meaning of Petit's accomplishments or extrapolating some great message about the human condition. He is an effective storyteller whose straightforward narrative is as equally gripping as it is moving.
The film's climax, which is Petit's performance on the rope, is not re-created with an actor. Instead, Petit's friends describe it while still photographs of Petit on the wire are displayed onscreen. During these scenes, the interviewees often weep or appear on the verge of doing so. Their emotions are understandable, because after thirty years, the thought of a man risking his life to turn a public space into a sphere of personal art is truly incredible. If something similar to this happened today, the perpetrator would probably end up as the face of some corporate ad campaign designed to sell useless products to awestruck teenagers. As it is, Petit serves as a reminder to a more innocent time in American history.
Had Marsh tried to force his interpretation of Petit's accomplishment on the audience, the film would not have been as effective. By presenting the story as it happened, Marsh allows the viewer to form his or her own opinion of Petit, his friends and their accomplishments. As a result, Man On Wire is an engrossing film that captures the imagination and never ceases to entertain.
Directed by James Marsh. Starring Philippe Petit, Annie Allix, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Ardis Campbell, David Demato. A Discovery Films release. Running Time: 90 minutes. Playing at Regal South Beach.
Published: 8/08
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It is true, the film is honest and beautiful.
Posted by: colette on Fri, 2008-08-22 11:00