Day 240: Man on Wire

http://www.manonwire.com/

I first heard of this movie after my boss watched it. He said it was his favourite movie. I was kinda doubting how this one movie can be his favourite movie. I'm sure he watched lots of movies, how can this movie be that good to be his favourite?

There was a sale at Blockbuster. Man on Wire was on sale and I bought it. Because my boss spoke highly of it, I thought it would be worth a shot watching to see how it can be his favourite movie.

It is about a French man doing the impossible and unthinkable: walking across the World Trade Centers on a tightrope. He is a tightrope artist and has been a tight rope artist for many years. He had put a tightrope across Notre Dame Cathedral and a bridge in Paris because he is based in Paris. One day in 1971 he read the newspaper about the World Trade Centers being built in New York. His mission was to put a tightrope across the two trade centers and walk across it. All his friends and family thought he was crazy. How is it possible to put a tightrope across the World Trade Centers that is over 100 floors tall?

Because everyone was questioning his idea, he decided to pursue it further. He befriended someone who works in one of the towers. This friend gave him the knowledge of the structure of the buildings. He learned where and when the security guards patrolled. He got a team together and devised a plan. The team was made out of 6 of his friends. They all dressed up as maintenance people to get access inside the building. He had two teams: one in each building. In 1973, by the time the World Trade Center was built, technology wasn't that great. They had walkie talkies but the connection wasn't good. It was a challenge for them to time when they should put the tightrope across the roofs. Finally they put the tightrope across and he walked across. Of course it caused a commotion and the policed were called because it was also illegal. The police couldn't get to him to get him off the tightrope. Finally after 45 minutes of hanging out on the tightrope, one of his teammates convinced him to get off. Once off, the police arrested him and took him to the psychiatric hospital to check his mental state. Of
course, he passed because there wasn't anything wrong with him and he was released.

I watched this movie twice. I concluded that this movie is one of my favourite movies also. It is about a man doing something that no one would ever think of. He only had one chance to succeed in his mission. He believed in himself and trusted his teammates to make this mission work. Since then, no one has tried nor can they ever try it. Because there is no more World Trade Center, no one can ever defeat him.