James Marsh's Man on Wire depicts the early days of the high-rope walker, Philippe Petit. Dubbed as the "artistic crime of the century", Petit rigged a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, and walked back and forth between them 8 times while police looked on, unable to seize him. This feat took years of planning, cross-Atlantic trips, and the sacrifice of friendships. More interesting, maybe, than the stunning images of Petit and his delirious passions, is the portrayal of the men and women he used to get to the towers. His estranged best friend who still bursts into tears when asked, 30 years later, "what happened after", the girlfriend who stood beneath him as he scaled the heights of his heart. Petit was in attendance, and spoke to the audience after. Having exchanged the high rope for the high life of motivational speaking, it would appear that Petit has finally tumbled down from above. By all appearances, the fall was long and lonely.
No comments:
Post a Comment