Man On Wire

by Éric P. Lemoine

Before they became a painful symbol etched into America and the world’s memories in 2001, New York’s Twin Towers had once been the set for a rather extraordinary and madly poetic feat.

In 1974, after six years of preparation, 25 year-old French stuntman Philippe Petit accomplished what few may have even contemplated.
In the tradition of tightrope walkers and daredevils like the Great Blondin (who became famous in 1869 for being the first man to cross the Niagara Falls on a tightrope, which he accomplished a number of times), on August 7, 1974 shortly after 7 AM, Petit started his walk on a 450 pound rope he and his friends had stabilized (in the most brazen-faced breach of the law) between the roofs of the two towers.

This event and the circumstances surrounding it are the subject of a 2008 documentary Man on Wire, directed by James Marsh, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

It may be strange to look at it this way, but at the time, the Twin Towers had been much criticized, and Petit’s feat had helped them gain some popularity.

In another flip of the coin, perhaps this movie will be seen as a reflection of yet a new change; our own delicate crossing between remembering and reaching for new symbols, to bring hope where there was fear and shock.

Note: Man on Wire official website, with the trailer