The True Test of Artistry

[elange]

There is a strange aura that surrounds Philippe Petit, one mostly unknown to this day and age. A child-like wonder mixed with raw determination, Philippe transformed his entire life in the aims of achieving a single, ridiculous goal, to walk across towers yet unbuilt. He is like a character straight from fiction, seemingly unable to exist in such a world as today. This lost simplicity draws me towards the character of Philippe and makes me strangely hopeful.
However, my favorite part of the movie man on wire was definitely the soundtrack. The composer, Michael Nyman, perfectly captured all the childlike wonder and real-world fear associated with the story of Philippe. He also greatly added to the story by displaying the slightly hidden bittersweet nuances, in that the walk across the twin towers were both a beginning and an end. Finally, by layering sugary strings on top of haunting brass, the dichotomy of the entire situation is wonderfully expressed. The dreams of floating atop the world being conjured into existence by an almost manic Frenchman; the fear being very real yet enchanted away through the awe of such a wondrous act. Although it is normal for documentaries to include a very advanced and great soundtrack, while watching the movie I felt transported into the mindset of Philippe and almost entranced into wanting to walk across the towers myself due to the well-planned music.
I also loved how game-like the entire “heist” on the twin towers was. It was quite humorous and nostalgic when they described how they hid under a tarp for hours, bringing me back memories of “hiding” in fields and leaf piles while my friends would try and “seek” me out. It makes me long, especially in this time of quarantining, for a simpler time when life was full of intense little moments of play.

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