Look! Up in the Sky! It’s a Man! On a … Wire?

Christian Hamaker

What are we to make of the daredevil mentality? A Scriptural case can be made that we’re to live life to the fullest. That’s part of the abundance of which Jesus speaks. But where do we draw the line? When does pushing one’s limits cross over into something that’s unhealthy?

I’m a reticent person in any number of areas. I’m not physically adept at anything and have never excelled at sports, although I’ve enjoyed soccer and racquet sports over the years. My current favorite sport is football, at which I’m an expert spectator. No physical contact for me, thank you very much. I enjoy the game most when I’m taking it in from my recliner.

Then there are those who ride motorcycles. Why risk the extra damage if you’re involved in an accident? I spent years wanting a motorcycle when I was a young man, but now I look at bikers with some measure of skepticism. I respect their right to ride as they please, but I think they’re a bit crazy.

What about those who run marathons? Why do they push themselves so? I don’t understand it. Never have. But I admire anyone who can run 26 miles. My hat’s off to them.

Next step up on the crazy train? Parachuting. Looks cool, very exhilarating. Relatives have invited me to join them on jumps. Nope. Not a chance.

I came to all those conclusions when I was single. Maybe I was being prudent, or maybe I was just a wimp. Now that I have a wife and kids, I can’t see any way to justify optional activities that have so much potential for long-term damage.

Still, there’s part of me that wants to experience what I’m missing—the thrill of the freefall after jumping out of airplane, or the feel of the open road from the seat of a motorcycle. Even more exotic and exciting than those things are the trapeze artists and tightrope walkers at the circus, with or without a net. I watch those folks in amazement. What drives them to do what they do?

Maybe that’s why I was so fascinated by “Man on Wire,” the new documentary about Philippe Petit, a Frenchman who in 1974 orchestrated a spectacular stunt: He ran a wire between the top of the two World Trade Center towers and, in the early morning light, walked between the buildings. He and his team broke the law, then taunted the law-enforcement officers who arrived on the scene to put an end to Petit’s escapades. But the awestruck onlookers were dazzled by Petit’s audacity, and the grace of his stunt. More than 30 years later, the act is celebrated. But what, exactly, are we celebrating?

Petit recounts his own adventure. From the beginning we know he survived—he’s right there on screen to tell us about his escapades. The logistics of his team’s efforts to pull off the feat are riveting. But it’s Petit personality that proves most fascinating. What drove this man to do what he did?

We see Petit walking on a wire years earlier, rehearsing for the big event. We see footage (the film includes reenactments, and I wasn’t always sure which footage of earlier events was actual and which wasn’t) of Petit walking a wire at Notre Dame Cathedral and in Australia. High above the ground, with no net to catch him, he walks forward, then backward, then lies down on the wire! It’s breathtaking.