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To Frenchman Philippe Petit, Vertigo is just a Hitchcock movie title.

August 1974. That month is etched in the mind of many Americans since it was a tumultuous time in politics as Richard Nixon became the only US president in history to resign. But I will remember August ‘74 for something much more captivating. I was living in Brooklyn at the time - about a block from the emergency room entrance to Kings County Hospital - one of the largest county hospitals in the country. You know what that means - sirens piercing your eardrums 24/7. About the only thing that made up for that intrusion was the view - off in the distance were the magnificent twin towers of the newly completed World Trade Center, soaring 1350 feet into the sky. I just wish I owned a pair of high-powered binoculars.

Man on Wire is a fascinating documentary chronicling Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between the twin towers which took place August 7th, exactly 34 years ago. Looking very much like a young Mikhail Baryshnikov, he danced and he pranced his way into the history books with what was to be known as “the artistic crime of the century.”

Director James Marsh presents an engrossing portrait of Petit utilizing various interviews of the daredevil himself, his girlfriend from that era and several accomplices and friends. What emerges is a complete picture of a man driven to express himself by creating “art” literally in the clouds. And although we know that his attempt is successful, Marsh manages to wring as much tension to the mind of the audience as Petit brings to the wire strung above our humble heads.

The documentary follows Petit from a very young age, through almost carnival-like footage that narrates the saga from its inception through his arrest and worldwide attention and ends with some sage advice about “living your life on a tightrope.”  In between we are treated to scenes from his first two clandestine “performances” – the first at the venerable Notre Dame Cathedral and his breathtaking “stroll” between the pylons of the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Besides the compelling footage, the film is augmented by hauntingly original music from composer Michael Nyman. One exception is the perfectly matched In the Hall of the Mountain King written for Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt depicting the moment that Peer sneaks into the Mountain King’s castle. How apropos!

Today at 58 years of age, Petit is a trim and enthusiastic man living in upstate New York. He has written several books, has participated in numerous lectures and workshops and is still planning several projects involving death-defying skill. 

And amazingly, who would have thought that one could produce a suspenseful documentary about the World Trade Center and never once mention the fate of the twin towers? 

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