Day 66: Man on Wire

"If I die, what a beautiful death!"

Up until a few years ago, I always saw documentaries as a nuisance on the film landscape. This was mostly under the guise that no one wanted to go to the cinema and learn. Of course this ridiculous perspective of mine worn with time as I grew older and expanded my cinematic tastes, but it was a perspective I gained as a child. Such a disdainful paradigm was most likely gained because I, like most people, probably have had no proper entry into the universe of documentaries. For the most of my life I always thought documentaries were on par with the outdated film reels we used to watch back in elementary school that were stuffed full of dry knowledge and continuity errors. Oh how ignorant we are in our youth.  Yet, what I have come to known is that documentaries often have more heart, more soul, and far more interesting angles than the work of fiction. There are very few documentaries that exemplify this notion more than “Man on Wire”, which makes for a great entry film in to the documentary genre.

“Man on Wire” is a documentary that relives one man’s seemingly unattainable goal and his ultimate triumph. More specifically, the film re-imagines the story of Philippe Petit’s daring mission to walk a tight rope between the World Trade Center buildings circa 1974. Obviously with the twin towers being in the middle of the world’s most active city, Petit’s danger didn’t simply hinge on making it across the towers via his rope. No, it was actually a danger to get within the building and to the top. Getting caught would not have only but Petit in jail, but would’ve destroyed the very dream he had been working tirelessly on for six years. So, what is not only an account of his daring walk in to thin air, is also a heist film that is extremely palpable and full of kinetic energy. Told through black and white reenactments, personal interviews, stock footage, and the charming storytelling of Petit himself, “Man on Wire” is a film that is continuously moving forward and keeping us invested.

Such an investment is established early when we explore the life of Petit and his musings around France at a young age. What we see is a young French man exploring the boundaries of his very life, as he sees everyday as an adventure. From putting on performances in the streets to walking his tight rope, Petit is not only reaching his daring desires, but also placing a sense of enthusiasm in the people around him. This enthusiasm and dedication to his dreams are inevitably the reason why people flock to Petit and assist him in doing the impossible and illegal. Through home footage and personal interviews of the people who assisted Petit reach the top of the World Trade Center, we get a glimpse of how Petit captured their imagination and how much more enriched their lives became when Petit was by their side; pushing them out in to the great wide open. As you might expect, there was some tension Petit had with his World Trade schemers, but such a tension wasn’t out of frustration. Instead, it was out of the requited love they held for Petit and the success they wanted him to achieve without facing death nor the legal system.

It’s through this portrait of dedication and love that we inevitably get caught up in Petit’s journey to the top. Much like the people around Petit, his dream invades our souls and eventually becomes an event we want to see acquired. From the crafty and perilous plan to get to the top, to his first step high above the streets of New York, Petit’s journey resonates with our idealistic selves.  After all, Petit talks about the World Trade Center as if it’s his long lost love or his destiny, something we can all understand from the passions that make up our lives. This passion is further demonstrated when the film cleverly juxtaposes the construction of the World Trade Center with the construction of Petit’s tight roping abilities. As the twin towers begin their ascension, so does Petit as he hones his walking skills on the likes of Notre Dame and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in preparation for his tower coup. It’s almost as if these two are meant for each other, as they slowly build with the idea that they will be united in a matter of time.  With  Petit’s unwavering aspiration to reach his goal, the film becomes a hymn to the very destinations we want to reach in our own lives. Granted Petit’s act is a little more adventurous than others, it nonetheless provides a stepping stone for us to re-evaluate ourselves and reconcile the paths we’ve carved to our own hopes. This is far from the stereotypes that may make up the documentary genre, and I hope you see that once you start and finish it. For “Man on Wire” is never dry, nor is it a film sitting on copious amounts of potential energy. Instead, it’s a raucous look at one man’s effort to pierce through the walls that block his desired flight.