The film was a beautiful love letter to the twin towers, featuring. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope walking and slacklining. Philippe petit during his world trade center tightrope walk in 1974. The real shop was small kiosk located near the entrance of 2 world trade center and was destroyed in the collapse. Tom rothmans tristar plots philippe petits world trade. Forty years after gaining fame by crossing a high wire between the twin towers of the world trade center in new york city, philippe petit will walk on. The film was released in united states theaters in august 1984. In 1974, frenchman philippe petit walked across a tightrope stretched between the world trade centers twin towers. Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. The real story behind philippe petits world trade center.
The film was released by tristar pictures on september 30, 2015 in the united states in imax 3d, and on october 9 in regular 2d and 3d. With new bluray 3d and dvd release the walk set to wow audiences on home cinema screens, this. A look at tightrope walker philippe petits daring, but illegal, highwire routine performed between new york citys world trade centers twin towers in 1974, what. The 1,350fthigh walk was six years in the planning, and afterwards petit was. Mordicai gerstein wrote and illustrated a childrens book, the man who walked between the towers 2003, which won a caldecott medal for his art. The movie chronicles petits illegal 1974 wire walk in the immense void between the world trade center towers. The hullabaloo was over a frenchman named philippe petit, who was walking on a high wire more than 1,300 feet in the air, suspended between the tops of the twin towers of the old world trade. Robert zemeckis took many steps for wtc tightrope movie the walk. Phillipe petit atop the world trade center youtube.
Most are prior to its destruction as a result of the september 11 attacks, but some additionally feature the new world trade center see one world trade center in popular culture for the new one world trade center in film. Todays current world record for the highest tightrope walk isat 11,752 feet by freddy nock. The film society of lincoln center has selected the walk to open the 53rd new york film festival on september 25 at alice tully hall. After nearly an hour of performing on the wire, 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of manhattan, he was arrested. Petits world trade center stunt was the subject of sandi sissels 1984 halfhour documentary, high wire, which featured music from philip glasss glassworks. Joseph gordonlevitt portrays philippe petit in a robert zemeckis film. He had to overcome close calls and obstacles to beat the system and execute his highrisk plan.
Why spike lees 25th hour is the best movie about 911. The walk at the center of the new movie the walk in limited release wednesday is on a wire, between the towers of the world trade center. Philippe petits world trade center tightrope walk was made for the movies. But the familyfriendly film, which had its world premiere saturday night at the new york film festival, instead approaches history with a more. The true story behind philippe petits world trade center wire walk. The 10 most significant films about the september 11 attacks from twin towers to sex and the city 2, sukhdev sandhu selects the most significant cinematic portraits of. This is a list of films that featured the world trade center 19732001 in new york city. J oseph gordonlevitt stars as philippe petit in the walk based on the frenchmans extraordinary tightrope crossing between the world trade centers twin towers in 1974 on 7 august 21 years ago. He analyzes the photo and decides to make it his mission to walk a tightrope. On august 7th 1974, a young frenchman named philippe petit stepped out on a wire and walked between new yorks twin towers. Robert zemeckis the walk to open the new york film. A look at tightrope walker philippe petits daring, but illegal, highwire routine performed between new york citys world trade centers twin towers in 1974. Director james marsh chose not to mention the attacks in the film, concentrating on petit and his coconspirators.
A memorable event in the life of the world trade center came in the summer of 1974, while. Several years after the attacks, works such as the city of new york vs. New york, a documentary film article the planning debate in new york 195575 the original plans for the world trade center, as proposed in the early. The real story behind philippe petits world trade center highwire. Tightrope is a convincing argument that its not too late to change the course of the nation. A look at tightrope walker philippe petits daring, but illegal, highwire routine performed between new york citys world trade centers twin towers in 1974, what some consider, the artistic crime of the century. The festival was created in 2002 in response to the attacks that destroyed the world trade center on september 11, 2001. To learn about and understand the life of french high wire artist philippe petit, who illegally performed a high wire walk between the world trade center s twin towers in 1974, one might be better off with the 2008 james marshdirected documentary man on wire. This documentary recounts the daredevil theatrics of philippe petit, a french acrobat who walked a highwire between the world trade centers twin towers in 1974. On august 7th 1974, french tightrope walker philippe petit stepped out on a high wire, illegally rigged between new yorks world trade center twin towers, then the worlds tallest buildings. It is based on petits book, to reach the clouds, released in paperback with the title man on wire. The tightrope he planned to walk across was steel cable, no more than an. Philippe petit walks a tightrope between the twin towers in 1974. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus.
Many critics believe it is steven spielbergs attempt to connect the violence that spawned by. The walk, which is out soon on bluray 3d and dvd, focuses on philippe petits 1974 wire crossing at the top of the world trade center. A 25yearold french daredevil did a tightrope walk across the top of new york in 1974 on a 1foot cable strung between the 110story twin towers of the world trade center. Petit became known to new yorkers in the early 1970s for his frequent tightropewalking performances and magic shows in the city.
It is based on the story of 24yearold french highwire artist philippe petits walk between the twin towers of the world trade center on august 7, 1974. In 1974, the french tightrope artist, with the help of a motley crew of accomplices, illegally rigged a wire between the rooftops of the twin towers of the world trade center, unveiling a. This week marks 44 years since petit, then 24, orchestrated one of the most deathdefying acts of all time walking on a wire about as wide as a few starbucks straws between the world trade. The idea of the world trade center was first proposed in 1946 for nearly 15 years it would remain. The film stars joseph gordonlevitt, ben kingsley, charlotte le bon, james badge dale, ben schwartz, and steve valentine. The film chronicles philippe petits 1974 highwire walk between the twin towers of new yorks world trade center. Man on wire, the delightful documentary about french tightrope walker philippe petits incroyable earlymorning trip between the world trade center towers in 1974, is an interesting film to. Tightrope may well be the timeliest and most engrossing work of nonfiction this year.
Philippe petit looks back on historic twin towers walk 44. World trade center wirewalk film to go ahead in 3d. Tightrope between the towers american experience official site. The world trade center was also removed from the images at the start of the sopranos, shown here in a still from january 1999. The owners of the world trade center forgave petit and gave him a. If they build them, i will come, paraphrases what parisian street performer and tightrope walker philippe petit thought about his ultimate dream, the world trade center towers in new york city. To learn about and understand the life of french highwire artist philippe petit, who illegally performed a highwire walk between the world trade centers twin towers in 1974, one might be better off with the 2008 james marshdirected documentary man on wire. Dedicated appetites for the eccentric have made film director werner herzog and tightrope artist philippe petit friends for decades. Philippe petit walks a tightrope between the twin towers. Ever since he, at age seventeen, heard about the probable building of the two towers, he had an obsession with them, most specifically in they acting as the foundations for which he could tightrope.
Slide show of phillipe petits historic wire walk atop the world trade center. Film celebrates tightrope walk between twin towers. The walk is a 2015 american 3d biographical drama film directed by robert zemeckis and written by christopher browne and zemeckis. Oliver stones film world trade centerthe first movie that specifically examined the effects of the attacks on the world trade center, as contrasted with the effects elsewherewas released in 2006. It was dedicated to the victims of the september 11 attacks. Its also an agonizing account of how apathy and cruelty have turned america into a nightmare for many of its less fortunate. W hether you take philippe petits tightrope walk between the twin towers as art, daredevilry, or madness, its hard to deny the awe it inspired. The film, a pgrated, allaudience entertainment for moviegoers 8 to 80. Unlike some highprofile releasessuch as oliver stones world trade center or paul greengrasss united 93, both released in 2006spike lees 25th hour manages to capture the post911. Philippe petits reallife walk between the twin towers. The world trade center was not philippe petits first highwire conquest. The 10 most significant films about the september 11. Philippe petit attends the new york film festival opening night gala premiere for the walk at alice tully hall on saturday, september 26, 2015, in new york. The first the walk images from robert zemeckis 3d drama show joseph gordonlevitt as highwire walker philippe petit, who walked the world trade center.
The walk is a love letter to paris and new york city in the 1970s, but most of all, to the towers of the world trade center. Robert zemeckis took many steps for wtc tightrope movie. Feature 25 jan 2016 philippe petits amazing world trade center tightrope walk in pictures. The hullabaloo was over a frenchman named philippe petit, who was walking on a high wire more than 1,300 feet in the air, suspended between. Movies that feature the world trade center twin towers imdb. Tom rothmans tristar plots philippe petits world trade center tightrope walk as first project, with robert zemeckis at helm by mike fleming jr mike fleming jr. The tightrope performance between the twin towers is brought to the big screen in a new film, the walk. The astonishing high wire performance between the towers of the world trade center in 1974. Perhaps the most famous usage of the world trade center post911 is in the final shot of munich. Philippe petit walks a tightrope between the twin towers in 1974 duration. Film celebrates tightrope walk between twin towers reuters.
1360 588 352 978 1451 1547 1052 253 224 946 1432 5 229 1579 937 1343 163 1395 264 888 1470 21 1479 397 423 1387 1170 538 194 1338 411 45 596 1289 1128 167