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Man On Wire
Directed by: James Marsh Starring: Philippe Petit Genre: Documentary Run Time: 90 min. Release Date: January 2008 On The Web: Official Site Teaser: Movie Trailer Reviewed by Byron Merritt |
What many considered "the artistic crime of the century," French high-wire walker Philippe Petit did what today would be impossible (because they don’t exist and because of security) by performing a tightrope walk between New York City’s World Trade Center twin towers ...in 1974. The feat itself isn’t as interesting as the preparation and the history behind Philippe’s successful walk. Having scaled between the arches at Notre Dame and the Harbor Bridge pillars in Sydney, Australia, Philippe’s goal from early on was to walk on a wire much, much higher. At just over 1,350 above street level, the twin towers were his goal. Friends and even workers within New York’s buildings aided Philippe in surprising ways. Many backed out when they realized how close he was to actually doing it, worried that if he fell to his death they would be partially responsible. But nothing was going to hold Philippe back. Security guards, wind, fog and fearful friends all plagued his attempt ...to no avail. As stated earlier, the preparation was fascinating, showing the documentary watcher the tensile strength needed to span the buildings, the bypassing of security guards, and the near failure of the entire episode because of a severe sagging of the wire during its initial deployment. The tense nature of how the story unfolded was pretty phenomenal. Looking up from the ground at Philippe as he walked the wire was simply awe-inspiring; he looked like a speck against the higher clouds. Arrested after his successful walk, the words "Man on wire" appeared on the violation written up by the New York P.D., which is where the film gained its title. But the film is much more than a simple man doing a tightrope walk. It’s a historical recounting of one man’s goal to achieve what seemed unachievable. It is strange to see a man doing something artistically dangerous — and illegal — on things that no longer exists. Perhaps that added to my enjoyment of the documentary. After watching the horribleness of 9/11 time and time again, it was unique and refreshing to see something being done to the towers of a quaint and beautiful nature. Something that many Americans probably have trouble attributing to the twin towers now. Which is why you should watch this. Thank you, Philippe.
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Image from Man on Wire
DVD cost: $17.99 Purchase: Tower.com Film Review Stew Favorite? No. Stew Poo-Poo? No. Newsworthy: The helicopter reporter heard describing the tightwire walk (at 1:20:50 on the DVD) is Neil Bush, traffic helicopter pilot/reporter for WCBS NewsRadio88. Movie Quote: "It's impossible, that's sure. So let's start working."
Other Actors/Actresses from Man on Wire
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