Comments on 'Man on Wire'

Prior to watching this documentary, I had heard controversy surrounding it that it appeared as more as a heist movie, rather than a documentary. After watching it, I can completely understand why this controversy has been brought about. 'Man on Wire' certainly has a large, obvious cinematic style - from the opening zoom-in of one of the Twin Towers and the close-up of the hammer hitting the nail, to the re-creations of Philliepe's (the wirewalker) wirewalking across the world. I fear that this type of footage has been put in place in an attempt to re-construct reality. However, I leave the viewing space questioning it - Is this archive footage? or a visual re-enactment? If it is the latter, then the visual aspect of the story, sadly, appears hard to believe on-screen. It is only the interview footage from those who were involved, Phillepe and his peers, that remind me that this is an event that actually happened, which make wonder weather if the story would have been more effective as an autobiography, in the sense that there is no imagery on the page to twist their words or over-exaggerate their language. What happened is exactly what happened on the page.

Phillepe makes it clear to the spectator that he wants to share a story, and I adore his enthusiasm - three or four separate frames of him have been used, which probably meant that he had a lot to say to the audience, as if he wants them to understand every single detail of his journey. He shares with us where his inspiration to walk across the Twin Towers came from - a newspaper article, where we learnt that they have not yet been built. He has a dream, but in order for it to be lived, he has to wait for reality to be constructed first. Even more believable are the trails that surround him and his peers as the event drew nearer and nearer - friends dropped out and security and stability issues were raised and drawn upon. We are reminded that no dream is simple, and of course we will be met with obstacles, and in this sense, Phillepe is just any other person with a dream. It is shame, though, that his storytelling is diluted by these possible re-enactments. The decision to film this footage in black and white also separates it from believability as a story - As a spectator, this has alienated me from entering the storyteller's perspective, and has made me aware the 'Man on Wire' is only something to observe.