MovieChat Forums > Man on Wire (2008) Discussion > Was it really that dangerous?

Was it really that dangerous?


I know this sounds crazy…..but was it really that dangerous for a skilled wirewalker like Philippe? I mean we never see him fall off, even in the field in France and he looked like he could spend hours upon hours up there. How often would he have fallen during practice, if at all?

Were lead to believe that one gust of wind or one small lapse in concentration would certainly lead to his death. But is this really the case?

Are there any wirewalkers that could estimate the chances of him slipping? If he slipped would there still be a chance he could hang on with his hands? I guess this is something wirewalkers practice?

Loved the film by the way.

reply

He didn't think it was dangerous, but he does admit that he definitely wasn't as skilled a wirewalker then as he is now.

And there could've been a terrible wind that would have knocked him off or made the towers sway. And when the towers sway, the cable stretches, and then when the towers return to their original place, the cable jumps and is now almost completely slack and almost guaranteed death.

He did nearly fall once and he grabbed the wire with his ankles, so he was good at catching himself. But he did actually fall another time at the circus from 25 feet and broke his ribs.

Plus the rigging on the other side wasn't even approved by him. Jean-Louis did it skillfully, but still anything could've been off since he was forced to do it virtually alone. Plus that helicopter that the police were about to send would have surely sent enough wind to knock him off.

And once in Sydney, the police cut his cavaletti and the cable jumped about two feet in the air. He landed safely and ran off, but it was close.

In short, he was definitely lucky and it was definitely dangerous, but he didn't think so.

reply

No - it's perfectly safe - in fact why don't you give it a go yourself?

reply

Dude, seriously.....think about what you are saying. I am a skilled Carpenter....but that doesn't mean that using a table saw isn't dangerous. Wether or not you are skilled at something or not, it does not change the fact that something dangerous is still.....dangerous. I know how to walk on a roof, but it's still dangerous.

I'm sorry, I just think that the original poster has made the dumbest comment I have seen on these boards in a long time. Just think really hard about what you were asking.

"If yesterday could be tomorrow, I would change today." -
www.pwmin.org/soulfishin

reply

lol!

reply

[deleted]

Kevin,
Yours is one of the best replies in IMDB history. Great reply!

reply

I think he was sufficiently skilled to walk a wire no matter where it was. What made this so dangerous in my opinion was, first the wind and more importantly the sway of the buildings. If they for some reason swayed in opposite directions at the same time it could have easily snapped the cable.

reply

I think what made it more dangerous was the sheer fact of where he was doing it. Can you imagine the near-impossible levels of concentration needed to get over the fact that he was 100 storeys up, doing something utterly unique, with any possible false move proving fatal in the worst way possible? Serious balls needed as well as wire-walking ability!

reply

[deleted]

I think in addition to his skill, he was very lucky. They could have been caught so many times, they almost didn't get the cable up, it may not have been properly secured, the wind could have caused the towers to sway, the weather could have sucked. To pull this off, he was extremely lucky.

Tomorrow's just your future yesterday!

reply

A couple of other things that I don't think were mentioned in the film, but I read about in an article some years ago. Phillipe had spent several hours huddled under a tarpaulin and was cold and suffering from muscle cramps. And one of the cavalettis on the cable (the anchor rope fixings) got twisted while they were rigging it, and actually untwisted itself while Philipe was on the wire. If all that wasn't enough, it was starting to rain when he finished.

reply

Of course it wasn't dangerous. His massive bell bottom trousers were designed to act as miniature parachutes, and if he had fallen, he would have drifted safely to the ground.

reply

also, being french, philippe had a number of curses prepared for the ground if it insulted him in any way.

reply

hugh1971:

LOL! I thought the exact same thing!

reply

The film also make a point that the winds at that height can be super strong and given the walk would last for at least 15 minutes this had a greater potential to be very dangerous.

reply

No, it is not that dangerous as it seems. A practiced wirewalker rarely falls off. And it isn't any more dangerous at 100 stories than it is at 10 stories.

We are all "wirewalkers." Every time you drive down the freeway at 70 mph, if you were to jerk the wheel to the left or right, you would probably die. But how often does THAT happen?

reply

A practiced wirewalker rarely falls off.
All it takes is once. Look at Karl Wallenda. How many times did he succeed? All it took was one fall.

And it isn't any more dangerous at 100 stories than it is at 10 stories.
That's not quite true. The wind's higher. The buildings sway greater.

We are all "wirewalkers." Every time you drive down the freeway at 70 mph, if you were to jerk the wheel to the left or right, you would probably die.
That's not really true either. Sadly I did spin out once going around that speed. Luckily I only took out a barrier. My car was totaled. But I walked away without a scratch.

reply

Glad to see some people finally referenced the Wallendas. I can't believe mick1998 would say, "No, it is not that dangerous as it seems." You were joking, right? And comparing it to driving?! LOL! Read a bit about The Flying Wallendas, masters of wirewalking, several of whom died in the act.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Wallendas

reply

If he would do it without the pole, that may be dangerous, but the pole removes all risk.
And he had those special magnetic shoes.

reply

If he would do it without the pole, that may be dangerous, but the pole removes all risk.
Karl Wallenda died doing it with the pole.

reply

Karl Wallenda died doing it with the pole.
I'm willing to bet that mr-peckerwood was attempting a little dry humor there....

Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes

reply

It takes approximately 13 seconds to fall 1350' not factoring in resistance.

chaos reigns

reply

Gee wiz.....it doesn't matter how much practice you have, doing it in the clutch is what makes it epic! Wind, no safety lines, hello!! Only comparison i can think of is skateboarding, you can ollie over gaps on the ground, do tricks while standing still, but try doing it over a gap that's 10+ ft. in the air and it's a whole different ballgame! You're pooping yourself...

If you don't believe in Jesus Christ and are 100% proud of it, put this in your sig.

reply

[deleted]

Of course it was dangerous, I'm laughing at some of the posts here! Especially with those flared pants, you got that right!

I had gone several times to a restaurant, Windows on The World, I think that's what it was called, in the WTC. Just looking out through the safely closed windows, gave me vertigo, which I actually do have.

I can't imagine even going up to any open observation deck and not feeling sick! I think several new buildings, not in NYC, now have elevators with glass (or high impact plastic) floors and walls, the thought of riding in one makes me queasy.

reply

What an obvious troll, wake up people.


looks like were shy one horse.

No you brought two too many.

reply