and Good Legs：

At 10 am， on the morning of August 7， 1974， Philippe Petit went to work. His commute couldnt have been shorter； he simply picked up his 60 lb balancing pole and stepped off the edge of the south tower of the World Trade Center onto a length of twisted steel no wider than the big toe of his left foot.

He proceeded to walk between the twin towers， 100 stories and a quarter of a mile up in the air， with no harness1） or safety net； then he turned on the wire and did it again. He twirled， pirouetted2） and knelt on the wire， performing a kind of aerial ballet that only came to an end 45 minutes later when he finally leapt into the arms of the waiting， sweating NYPD3）. Below him， New Yorks more earthbound commuters had been looking on， thunderstruck and spellbound： “Now Ive seen everything，” said one.

That wasnt exactly the case， however. Petits bravura4） achievement， dreamlike enough on the day， has gone on down the decades to acquire the patina5）of myth， inspiring a childrens picture book （The Man Who Walked Between the Towers6））， a novel （Colum McCann7）s Let the Great World Spin）， a documentary （Man on Wire8））， and now a Hollywood rewiring in Robert Zemeckis9） The Walk， a vertigo10）-inducing 3D extravaganza11） starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit.

“The wire serves as a great metaphor for life，” says Gordon-Levitt， attempting to pin down12） the storys enduring appeal. “We all have those moments in our lives when we have the choice of going out on a limb13） or playing it safe， and life can often shine brightest if you grasp the nettle14） rather than shying away from it. Philippes story tells us that the reward is worth it.”

For Petit himself， “its the kind of thing that fairy tales are made of， no？ This guy who is not a superhero achieves the seemingly impossible. Children smile at that， and so does the child in every adult. And with this film， youre invited right on to the wire， to share in the joy and the marvel of it.”

Watching The Walk， however， youre made acutely aware of the months， and sometimes decades， of meticulous15） planning that culminates in those minutes of “joy and marvel.” Since Petit has completed close to 90 of what he calls his high-wire “coups”—some， like the WTC walk， guerrilla-style， others legitimate—you also admire the single-minded obsession， if not monomania16）， of a life dedicated to ... well， what， exactly？ How would Petit describe himself？

He disdains the “cheap tricks” of the circus tightrope walker， and even the more rococo17） term “funambulist18）” doesnt quite cover Petits balleticarabesque19）-ing. McCann says that Petit “reappropriates public space，” while Zemeckis describes him as “a benevolent anarchist.” For Petit， “what I do goes beyond a stunt or an acrobatic feat. I like writing in the sky， creating a kind of performance art thats akin to opera， theatre or movies.”

Petit grew up in the suburbs of Paris， the middle child of a solidly bourgeois family. He rebelled early， burning through various passions—magic， juggling， fencing， bullfighting—before teaching himself to walk on a rope at 16 by stretching a bunch of them between two trees in a meadow on the familys country estate and removing them one at a time， thus trying the patience of his father （a French Army pilot） and academia （he was kicked out of five schools）. He was mentored by an irascible20） Czech funambulist named Rudolf Omankowsky， aka Papa Rudy.

“I think， by focusing on the wire， I was creating a space that was truly for myself， where no one else could get to me，” says Petit. “Theres a purity of experience on the wire that you dont get anywhere else， because youre above the earth， a lonely little dot in the sky. That physical distance elevates the experience， and the feeling， to the sublime.”

Petits first “coup” occurred when he walked between the towers of Notre Dame in 1971， and its ad hoc21） staging set the pattern for all his subsequentexploits22）. Three years and countless visits in touristic “disguise” to plot and strategise； a tight-knit crew of volunteer assistants enlisted to smuggle in several hundred pounds of cable and other equipment the previous night； the cable passed from one tower to the other by throwing a rubber ball across with a fishing line attached to it （for the WTC， a bow and arrow was used）； and a resulting performance of traffic-stopping notoriety.

A walk between the pylons23） of the Sydney Harbour Bridge followed， but the World Trade Center was already uppermost in Petits mind； just as in The Walk， he read an article on the towers construction in a dentists waiting room and immediately took possession of them. “From then on，” he laughs， “they were my towers.”

Petit has always claimed that he takes no risks in what he does， and also that you need no special athletic ability or sense of balance to achieve his feats； hes also used to the snorts of incredulity such assertions provoke. “As far as risks go， my preparation is so thorough that nothing is left to chance，” he says. “The attention to detail， from all the research weve done on atmospheric conditions and prevailing wind24） patterns， to the construction of the rigging25）， protects me and allows me to be super-confident as I take my first step. Of course its a dangerous activity， in that if I dont put my foot in exactly the right place， Ill lose my life. Thats why I take it so seriously. I will never throw the dice and simply hope that I survive.

“Yes， you have to put in the hundreds of hours of practice， but its the passion， soul and spirit that makes the wirewalker. Though，” he adds wryly， “good arms and legs are a bonus.”

Petit says he found the whole package in Gordon-Levitt， who submitted to an intensive eight-day “wire camp” administered by Petit himself. Over that time， he graduated from walking on a 2 ft wire to a 12 ft wire.

To jolly Gordon-Levitt along26）， Petit utilised a “little invention of mine” known as the Victory Bell： “Its attached to the rigging， and I ask the student to ring it every time they feel like they have a tiny victory， like putting your feet in exactly the right place three times in a row. Its quite a childlike thing， and I thought he might regard it like， hello， what is this stupidity， Im a movie star， but he really got into it， and I would sometimes leave him alone in the studio， and hear him ring the bell.” Petit sighs. “That made me feel wonderful.”

Of course， the chief supporting role in The Walk is played by the twin towers themselves； they loom large behind Gordon-Levitt as he narrates Petits story from a perch27） on the Statue of Libertys torch， and the film （and Petits achievement） is given an extra frisson28） by the knowledge of their eventual fate.

Never lauded—they were once described as “two slabs of architectural ennui29）” by Calvin Tomkins in The New Yorker—Petit did more than most to imbue them with energy and romance， and， post-1974， he was given a permanent pass to their observation deck.

He watched the events of 9/11 unfold at a friends house and says that “you cant compare my reaction when you know that thousands of lives were terminated that day， but， yes， I felt a personal， grievous sense of loss. Many people thought I had given them the element that was missing； humanity， a human scale.”

Petit has completed many walks since the World Trade Center， but none have similarly galvanized30） the public imagination. Still， at 66， he has no intention of retiring； a long-planned Grand Canyon walk， intended to be his most thrilling coup de theatre， might have been scuppered31） due to bureaucratic intransigence32） and the later substitution of a walker named Nik Wallenda33）. But he talks up a proposed walk on Easter Island， “a beautiful celebration with the Moai34） and the Rapa Nui35） people.”

After Petits high-jinks36） between the WTC towers， the NYPD report stated that hed “created a hazardous situation which served no legitimate purpose.” There perhaps couldnt be a more ringing endorsement of Philippe Petits peculiar art if it was pealed on the Victory Bell. He now joins thepantheon37） of other Robert Zemeckis heroes—Marty McFly38）， Forrest Gump—in pitting himself against39） the cruelty of history and the indifference of the universe.

For all his artful qualities on the wire， there remains an artlessness to Petit thats exemplified by the fact that hes the only person who remains immune to The Walks status as the most spoiler-proof movie ever made. “When I saw it， I was on the edge of my seat40），” he says， with a flourish. “I was praying， saying to myself， I hope this guy is going to make it. Thats a compliment to the storyteller， no？ Thats what makes great art.”

1974年8月7日上午10点，菲利普·珀蒂去上班。他上班的路程短得不能再短，只消拿起他那根60磅重的平衡杆，跨过世界贸易中心南楼的边沿，踏上一根粗细不超过他左脚大拇趾的螺纹钢索就行了。

在100层楼高、距离地面1/4英里的半空中，珀蒂开始在双子塔的两座大楼之间行走，既没系安全绳，也没装安全网。之后，他在钢索上转身折返。他在钢索上转圈，踮起一只脚旋转，然后单膝下跪，仿佛在表演一场空中芭蕾。这场表演持续了45分钟，直到最后他跃入那位等候在旁、不停出汗的纽约警察的怀中才结束。在珀蒂下方，那些待在地面上的纽约行人们吃惊又入神地望着这番景象，其中一人说道：“这下我可是大开眼界了。”

然而，事情并未就此结束。珀蒂当天那场梦幻十足的高难度表演在接下来的几十年时光里俨然成了一则熠熠生辉的神话，在它的启发下诞生了一本儿童绘本（《高空走索人》）、一部小说（科伦·麦凯恩的《转吧，这伟大的世界》）、一部纪录片（《走钢丝的人》）和如今的一部好莱坞电影。这部由罗伯特·泽米吉斯执导的《云中行走》重现了这一事件，为观众带来了一场令人眩晕的3D视觉盛宴，影片中的珀蒂由约瑟夫·高登-莱维特饰演。

“这根钢索可以看作是对人生的绝佳比喻，”高登-莱维特试着解释这个故事为何有着持久的吸引力，“我们在一生中都会经历这样的时刻，要么选择孤立无援，要么选择不冒风险。而如果你选择迎难而上而不是向后退缩，生命常会绽放出最闪亮的光芒。菲利普的故事告诉我们，这样做值得。”

在珀蒂本人看来，“这就是构成童话的那类故事，不是吗？一个并非超级英雄的人完成了一个看似不可能完成的任务。孩子们喜欢这样的故事，每个童心未泯的成年人也会对此会心一笑。通过观看这部电影，你被邀请来到钢索上，分享走钢索的那份喜悦和惊奇”。

不过，观看《云中行走》会让你非常清楚地认识到，那几分钟的“喜悦和惊奇”背后是数月乃至数十年一丝不苟的筹划。由于珀蒂已经完成了将近90次被他称为“壮举”的高空走钢索表演——有些和世贸中心那次一样属于打游击的性质，有些则是合法的——你也会佩服他这种一心一意的执着（如果不是偏执的话），他将一生都奉献给了……嗯，到底是什么呢？珀蒂会如何形容他自己呢？

珀蒂瞧不起马戏团里走钢丝表演者的“拙劣把戏”，即便是更具洛可可风格的词语“走钢索演员”也不足以概括他那优美的阿拉贝斯克舞姿。麦凯恩说珀蒂“重新盗取了公共空间”，泽米吉斯形容他是“一个善良的无政府主义者”。珀蒂自己则认为：“我所做的超出了特技或杂技的范畴。我喜欢在天空中书写，创造出一种与歌剧、戏剧或电影相似的表演艺术。”

珀蒂出身于巴黎郊区一个殷实的中产阶级家庭，在家里排行居中。他自小叛逆，沉迷于各种狂热的爱好——魔术、杂耍、击剑、斗牛。到了16岁，他又开始自学走绳索。他在自家庄园草地上的两棵树中间拉起很多根绳子，每走一阵就撤掉一根。这令他的父亲（一名法国空军飞行员）和校方（他被五所学校开除过）忍无可忍。为他提供指导的是性格暴躁、绰号为“鲁迪老爹”的捷克走钢索艺人鲁道夫·奥曼科夫斯基。

“通过把注意力集中在钢索上，我觉得我创造出了一个真正属于自己的空间，其他任何人都无法接近，”珀蒂说，“在钢索上，你有一种纯粹的体验，这是你在其他任何地方都没有的，因为你悬于地面之上，是半空中一个孤独的小点。这段物理距离将这种体验和感受升华到了崇高的境界。”

珀蒂的第一次“壮举”是1971年在巴黎圣母院的双塔之间走钢索，这次临时以巴黎圣母院双塔为布景的表演为他日后所有的大胆表演确立了模式。他花了三年时间无数次扮作游客来构思和策划此次表演。他有一个紧密团结的志愿者助手团队，他们在表演的前一天夜里偷偷将几百磅重的钢索及其他设备运往现场。在连着钢索的一根钓线上系着一个橡皮球，把橡皮球抛到对面的塔上，钢索就架在双塔之间了（世贸中心那次用的是弓箭）。接下来就是一场名声远扬、令交通为之瘫痪的表演了。

继巴黎圣母院之后，珀蒂又跑到悉尼海港大桥的桥塔之间走钢索，但那时他心里最惦记的已经是世贸中心了。正如影片《云中行走》所描述的那样，他在一家牙医诊所的候诊室里读到一篇有关双子塔建造的文章，然后立刻将双子塔视为己有。“从那以后，那就是我的塔了。”他大笑着说。

珀蒂一直宣称，他在行动中从不冒险，而且要想取得他那样的成就也无需特别的运动能力或平衡感。他也习惯了这类言辞所招致的怀疑的嗤笑。“在风险方面，我的准备非常充分，不会抱丝毫侥幸，”他说，“从我们对大气条件和盛行风规律所做的各项研究到钢索的架设，对于细节的关注保护着我，使我能够超级自信地跨出第一步。当然，这是种危险的举动，其危险之处在于我如果脚下略有差池，就会丧命。这就是我如此认真对待它的原因。我决不会抱着赌博的心态，然后只是希望自己能侥幸活下来。

“是的，你必须投入成百上千个小时来练习，但是真正造就一名走钢索者的是激情、灵魂和精神。不过，”他做了个鬼脸，补充道，“手脚灵活就更好了。”

珀蒂说他在高登-莱维特身上看到了所有这些品质。后者参加了由珀蒂亲自主持的为期八天、高强度的“走钢索训练营”。在此期间，高登-莱维特所走的钢索高度从两英尺逐渐提高到了12英尺。

为了鼓励高登-莱维特的兴趣，珀蒂使用了“我的一个小发明”——“胜利铃”。“铃铛系在钢索上，我要学生们每当感到自己取得了微小的胜利——比如连续三次踩准正确的位置时——就摇响它。这是个非常孩子气的东西，我以为他（指高登-莱维特）会想：嘿，这是什么破玩意儿，我可是电影明星啊。但他真的对它很感兴趣，有时我把他一个人留在练功房里，会听到他摇那个铃，”珀蒂舒了口气说，“那让我感觉好极了。”

《云中行走》一片的主要配角自然非双子塔莫属。当高登-莱维特高踞在自由女神像的火炬上讲述珀蒂的故事时，双子大厦在他身后赫然耸立。而知道了双子塔最终的命运就给影片（及珀蒂的壮举）额外增添了一份震撼力。

世贸双子大厦从未受到过赞美——卡尔文·汤姆金斯曾在《纽约客》上将其形容为“两块无趣的板式建筑”。在为它们注入活力和浪漫气息方面，珀蒂居功至伟。1974年后，他获得了前往世贸中心观景台的永久通行证。

珀蒂在一个朋友家里收看了“9·11”事件的实况报道，他说：“与当天被夺走的数千条生命相比，我的反应不值一提。但是，我确实切身感到一种极大的失落感。许多人认为我赋予了双子塔一种它们原本缺乏的特质——人性，一种人的尺度。”

在世贸中心之后，珀蒂又完成了多次高空行走，但是哪一次都没有像那次那样激起公众的想象。如今66岁的他仍然没有退休的打算。他计划了很久大峡谷之行，本想让其成为自己最激动人心的一次戏剧性演出，但很可能因为政府部门拒绝让步以及后来被一位名叫尼克·瓦伦达的走钢索者取代而化为泡影。不过，他饶有兴味地谈起了计划中的复活节岛之行，称之为“与莫埃石像和拉帕努伊岛居民同乐的一场美好庆典”。

珀蒂在世贸中心双子塔间的“胡闹”结束后，纽约市警察局在报告中写道，他“制造了一个危险的局面，且毫无任何正当目的”。如果这句话能在“胜利铃”上回响，那么对于菲利普·珀蒂的独特艺术而言，恐怕不会再有比这更明确的认可了。在与历史的残酷和世界的冷漠的对抗中，珀蒂如今也加入了罗伯特·泽米吉斯所执导的电影中一些主角——马蒂·麦克弗莱和阿甘——的光辉行列中。

尽管在钢索上表现出精湛的技艺，珀蒂却保有纯真的一面，例证之一就是对于《云中行走》这部最不怕剧透的电影，他是唯一为影片结局揪心的人。“看这部电影时，我全神贯注又很紧张，”他挥舞着手臂说道，“我心里默默祈祷，并对自己说，我希望这个人成功。这是对电影创作者的赞美，不是吗？伟大的艺术正是由此创造的。”

Practice，

Passion

Classics

如果有人宣称要跑到100层楼高的地方去走钢索，你的第一反应一定是：这人疯了！他不可能做到！然而，1974年8月的一个早上，菲利普·珀蒂征服了不可能。他不仅成功走过架设在纽约世贸中心双子塔之间的绳索，还在高空中完成了长达45分钟的高难度动作表演。如果你以为这不过是一个杂耍艺人在冒险玩儿命，那你就错了。因为在珀蒂心中，高空行走是一门艺术，而他，就是这门独特艺术的践行者。

珀蒂在巴黎圣母院双塔间表演

珀蒂在悉尼海港大桥的桥塔间表演

珀蒂在双子塔表演结束后被警方逮捕

珀蒂在双子塔表演结束后接受采访