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Man on Wire was a fantastic documentary. I had no idea how much planning and work went into the tight rope walk across the towers. Obviously, it required planning, but it was a shock to me how much dedication Philipe put into this stunt. Although it seemed crazy, I admire that he did not give up or listen to reason. He did what he felt he needed to do and kept working towards his goal. In addition, the end of the documentary when his friends tell how Philipe sort of left them after he became famous was very touching. I did not expect that twist, and it was very emotional, especially when Jean-Louis started to cry. Stylistically, I liked that the documentary moved in and out of chronological order, jumping from the day of the coup, to Petit’s childhood, to the preparation.
I had many of the same reactions to this film! I was especially moved and disturbed when Jean-Louis said that his friendship with Phillipe was broken after he walked across the Twin Towers and started to cry. I find it very sad that Phillipe abandoned all of his close relationships, I guess in further pursuit of his art.
I also had a similar reaction – what especially struck me was the amount of careful planning Petit put into the walk. When I first heard about it in Let the Great World Spin, it never even occurred to me how Petit got into the buildings or hung the wire. The entire process took months, not just to practice the stunt, but to learn enough about the building so that the entire crew was able to get to the roof. Petit had remarkable dedication.
In regards to what you said about Petit’s friends – what amazed me most was how well they remembered the event. In the interviews they remembered everything of the day from the small to large details. Watching Annie Alix and her expression as she recalled the famous day was powerful to say the least. The way her eyes widened and facial expression changed as she said “it was so beautiful” … I can only hope something as memorable, that I will be able to remember like that, will happen in my lifetime.
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