film review > man on wire
Amazing, amazing documentary about Philippe Petit and the high-wire walk/dance he performed in the mid-1970s.
I really enjoyed the story & the way it is told: the unfolding of such an audacious act would have been quite compelling even if it hadn’t been produced in such a beautiful way.
This is definitely worth seeing on the large screen - the photography and the reconstructions show the scale wonderfully (& I agree with whoever the reviewer was who said that reconstructions often ruin/drag in documentaries).
One thing I found almost distracting but liked overall - when I read about why - Marsh didn’t include it any reference to 9/11 or the destruction of the Towers themselves. There are several points where I felt that he almost nods to the fact they have gone; or there were at least points for me where I definitely felt that the doco being made after they had gone was bittersweet, like the shot of Petit’s signature on the building and his permanent pass to the Towers.
Ultimately it is a film about the kind of dramatic creative act I love and of which Hakim Bey would totally approve. However, even those with their feet more firmly on the ground will enjoy. See it - and you can read more about “Man On Wire” at Wikipedia.
