Man On Wire

After seeing Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk", I really wanted to see this documentary. I knew it would be worth it because it won the Oscar in 2008 for Best Feature-Length Documentary. It is not hard to see why because it creatively tells the story in a non-fictional manner through the use of color, music and archival footage.

The non-linear plot worked pretty well. If you started watching this documentary without knowing the title or subject matter, you might think that Philippe and his conspirators were up to something quite sinister. Once we see the words "World Trade Center" on the blueprints, thoughts of 1993 and 2001 come to mind. The news footage concerning Watergate also raises our suspicions. The similarities to the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center really become apparent once Philippe and his accomplices are depicted going into the lower levels of the towers. After we see the title of the movie and a few more minutes after that, the nature of the "coup" is more apparent and we are on board. These people involved in Philippe's stunt are now middle aged but in the archival footage, they are young and foolish. This creates a sense of the nostalgia. I thought there was a great use of 1970's and recreated footage. Another great characteristic of this film is its use of music. I loved the use of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" when the characters have to sneak past the sleeping guard. One subsequent shot of the characters' silhouettes going down stairs feels like an allusion to a silent movie. I also like the use of lighting during the setting up of the cable because of how brightly lit the foreground is. The pulsing light on top of the towers truly becomes a ticking clock. Despite the fact that this is a documentary film, some parts during the climax will frighten those watching who are afraid of the heights. I felt the anxiety. In my opinion, the actual walk between the towers is covered in the film for too short amount of time, just a little bit longer in fact than Philippe's other performances in Paris and Sydney. I was hoping for a longer sequence. I like how the film gets its title from the police report. The nudity depicting Philippe's pleasure with the female admirer was what I liked least about the film.

It's hard to know whether I should have watched "The Walk" first or "Man On Wire". I think that I did the right thing by seeing this documentary after Zemeckis' feature film adaption of the story because Zemeckis' movie was much more exciting and thrilling by watching it first. Even though the 2015 film garnished much praise, "Man on Wire" received unanimous praise. Numerous critics had it on their top 10 lists for their favorite movies of 2008. I applaud the use of color, 1970's footage and music.

4 Stars