Review of Man on Wire (2008) by Stuart K — 30 Dec 2009
The Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature for 2008, a story of a true French maverick, who did something completely against the odds, and did something seemingly impossible and completely dangerous.
It was a completely one-off affair, but how he did it is an amazing story which forms the basis of this documentary. It's about French high wire artist Philippe Petit, who got a spark of inspiration in a dentists waiting room in Paris in 1968, he saw a news story of the World Trade Centre being built in New York.
When the towers were up, he went incognito over with a few friends, and snuck up to the roof to try and figure out how this was going to work, and how Petit would make it across the 140 foot gap between the towers.
In the early hours of August 7, 1974. Petit did it, 8 times before the police put a stop to it all, it was a mad and crazy stunt, and as Petit says, when the police questioned him afterwards, asking "Why?" He said, there's no why about it.
He had a vision from one newspaper, and he fulfilled it. This is a brave man, and what he did was amazing. You even see Petit going over Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1973, above a road of heavy traffic. Petit is a fine example of someone who did the impossible and succeeded.
This review of Man on Wire (2008) was written by Stuart K on 30 Dec 2009.
Man on Wire has generally received very positive reviews.
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