On August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit committed “the artistic crime of the century.” The daring 25 year-old Frenchman performed a death-defying feat. He walked across a carefully rigged cable stretched 131 feet between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, an act which lasted an unbelievable 45 minutes and encompassed eight passes -- 1,350 feet above ground.  The crowd below watched spellbound by the incredible sight of this man on wire, but the police were enraged. In the end Petit conquered his own personal Mount Everest and captured the attention and admiration of the entire world. 

The documentary, Man on Wire, chronicles this historic event emphasizing the events leading up to Petit’s tightrope walk.  Director James Marsh takes us down a long road of precise preparations told through interviews with Petit himself and his friends and accomplices, dramatic reenactments, archival footage, photos, and documents.

Petit -- a street performer, juggler, and self-taught tightrope walker living in Paris -- conceived of this harebrained scheme one day at the dentist’s office. He saw an article about the construction of the World Trade Center in New York and realized that walking a high wire between the twin towers was his destiny. Undaunted by the insanity of it, he along with friend Jean-Louis Blondeau, girlfriend Annie Allix and several others meticulously planned for the “the coup.” “It’s impossible, that's sure. So let's start working.”

In his interviews, Philippe comes across as an engaging and witty raconteur; a passionate, playful man of great intelligence and and single-minded determination. He possesses the knack for seducing others to assist with his endeavors. His dreams became their dreams. With a twinkle in his eyes, he recounts his obsession with the World Trade Center. His monumental self-absorption and dedication came at a price to his friends and particularly to his girlfriend. “I needed absolute detachment. Complete freedom. I needed to be a cast away on the desert island of my dreams.” 

Six years of preparations went into the coup, a Herculean labor involving the logistics of rigging the cables, numerous reconnaissance missions to New York, manufacturing phony identification to get past building security, practicing his act, resolving accommodations for the bounce and torsion of the cables, and recruiting additional henchmen. This isn’t just a documentary about an aerialist’s exploits, it’s a heist movie.

On the morning of that memorable day in August, after an exhausting and nerve-wracking night spent rigging the cables, Petit commenced the act that would bring him worldwide fame. “This . . .  is probably . . . the end of my life to step out on that wire . . . something I could not resist . . . called me onto that cable. And death is very close.”

Unfortunately, no film footage exists of the actual event. Instead, Marsh uses a montage of voice over narration, alternating photos of Petit on the wire taken from different perspectives, and the delicate, magical piano of Erik Satie’s “Gymnopedies No. 1” and “Gnossiennes No. 1” to approximately recreate the event for the audience.

As thorough as Marsh is, there are still some areas of Petit’s adventure left untouched. For example, how did Petit, a street performer, afford pulling off this stunt?  Some people have said that Petit couldn’t possibly have done it without authorized help. There are even rumors that he received funding and assistance from the City of New York. These allegations haven’t been substantiated. Marsh doesn’t comment for obvious reasons. To do so would tarnish the mystique surrounding Petit and the mythical significance of his historic walk, something it seems the director is loathe to do.

SPOILER ALERT

Philippe’s fame destroyed his relationship with Jean Louis, his steadfast friend whose participation was crucial to Petit’s success.  For sure it ended his romance with Annie.  Here was an opportunity for Marsh to explore another side of Petit’s character -- his selfishness -- and how it impacted those who loved him best and sacrificed for him and whom he left behind in the wake of his celebrity. I was moved by Jean Louis’ tears as he talked about his lost friendship -- still painful after all these years. However, Marsh leaves this area unexplored as well.

Man on Wire hooked me and reeled me in. It is a breathtaking and suspenseful account of a passionate artist and his once-in-a-lifetime exploit atop the twin towers. The film didn’t suffer from a lack of film footage of the event. Marsh’s evocative montage convinced me the real thing was unfolding right before my eyes. The movie contributes to Petit’s mythology, and while entertaining and inspiring, it is one-sided. I was left wanting more. The mythical Petit is fascinating -- both as hero and daredevil. What of the other Petit, the human being capable of selfishness and neglect, of abandoning his devoted friends?  And perhaps a man capable of deceit?  Focusing some attention to this aspect of Petit’ character and behavior would have balanced out the portrait of this amazing man on wire.

No doubt many people thought Petit was insane to attempt his high wire act. Was it madness that drove him to the World Trade Center? I don’t think so. His stunt was merely an expression of his own philosophy: “To me it is . . . so simple that life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion. To refuse to (tie) yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day . . . every year, every idea as a challenge and then you are going to live your life on a tightrope.”

(Released by Magnolia Pictures and rated "PG-13" for some sexuality and nudity, and drug references.)

Review also posted at www.moviebuffs.com.