"Man on Wire"

When I saw the trailer for "Man on Wire", I recalled a vague tale of a French man who walked and danced on a tightrope between the two World Trade Center towers. The year was 1974, when Nixon resigned; in fact, he resigned a day after the incident. I never knew much more than that. So the trailer captured my attention immediately, and it held it in its grip.

We could watch the documentary for its marvelous feat alone, but today, especially for New Yorkers, many of us would bring to it our own awareness of the events of September 11. How does it affect our viewing? Does it make it harder to watch, or does it move us even more? Whichever the case, it's a glorious way to see the Twin Towers again, to imagine and feel the wonder and awe that filled onlookers, so vastly different from the horror that we experienced nearly seven years ago.

It makes you wonder too, could I live like that, right there on the edge?

Read Salon.com's interview with Philippe Petit.

Posted by Monoceros at July 26, 2008 11:57 AM