Man on Wire

Title: Man on Wire
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Documentary, "Crime/Thriller"
Director: James Marsh

I am sure there are those who wonder why did I add "Crime/Thriller" to a documentary that examines the daring the high-wire act of "Philippe Petit" between the "World Trade Center's twin towers" in 1974, the reason is "Marsh" didn't bring us this film as just a documentary filled with aesthetics, but also a first class crime film that really draws us to the story and makes us live the events. It will appear too many, as it did to me, that the subject isn't worth setting and watching an entire film about, but I was greatly mistaken. In fact, the film will touch us as drama film would touch us, would enlighten us as a good documentary would enlighten us, would thrill us as a good thriller would thrill us, and would really inspire us as those rare breed of films that would inspire us.

In a brilliant way "Marsh" reconstructs the events using a set of actors from the origin of the dream until the fulfillment of the dream itself, while at the same time allows "Petit" himself along with the accomplices to narrate the tale, this adds more to the suspense. The film is so cleverly made by combining actual footage and shots taken during the original preparation and acts with the reconstruction; sometimes we will have a hard time trying to distinguish which is which! I am sure all of you have read me reviews know my issue with "accuracy", I myself sometimes wasn't analyzing accurately between these two! The film is truly extraordinary for its technical merits. "Marsh" has this uncanny ability of bringing an insignificant moment and showing it to us with undeniable aesthetics. All the aesthetics of this film were also presented with credibility, whenever I read "the artistic crime of the century" is used to describe this film, I agree that it's a crime, and I also agree that it's a work of art. That is what we will encounter.

Not always we will encounter such moving documentaries, but this one is. It began with a dream, then the making if the dream, then finally the fulfillment of this dream. In uttermost sincerity, we see how this "dream" has affected these people. We truly since the tension in some moments, and that let us anticipate the outcome of such an act. I didn't see this just a film concerning the act of wire-walking, if though it's dangerous, but a film concerning people who go through hard times trying to fulfill a vision. Sometimes we have this desire to fulfill what we really desire, we forget about how it does impact those who are with us. We saw humans, not drones, something that reminded me of "Pain of Salvation" to be honest.

I repeat again, the film's concept might seem simple, but the film is far from that. "Marsh" is truly a gifted director, and I truly enjoyed watching this great work of art. I am sure this will rank as not only one of the best documentaries ever made, but as one of the best films of all time. It's most likely to be the best documentary I ever saw. Sometimes the mark of a great film is bringing a trivial matter and making it a work of art, this is what we will encounter in this film. It is a triumph, and I will neither exaggerate it nor overhype, it is what it is, only those who have seen it understand why, and until you see it you won't understand.