The Artistic Crime of the Century

July 29, 2008— -- For Philippe Petit, the French wirewalker who shocked and charmed the world when he took to the skies on Aug. 7, 1974, to walk a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, even the words "joy" and "elation" barely describe the act.

He crossed not once, but eight times, each one different, he says, with spectators and police gathering in awe to watch. For 45 minutes the impish Frenchman with sandy red hair smiled, sat, lay down, knelt, saluted and laughed while out on the wire -- all the while gleefully taunting the waiting policeman.

"It was an immense, profound pleasure," he told ABCNews.com, over hot chocolate and croissants last week in New York. "It's not what you Americans call 'fun,'" he added, a bit of mischievous disdain in his voice.

"Meeting the Gods" is how he refers to it. "I'm nonreligious," he added. But the combination of the "Twin Towers, my balancing pole, the police, the onlookers, it was a sacred presence, an amazing piece of theater."

And one that was bound to make a great film. For years, Petit, now 58, resisted. "I'd say 'no' almost automatically. 'Sign here' [they'd say], make a lot of money, go to the Hollywood premiere. I was afraid I'd lose control. I was very glad to say no to all those offers. I wanted to wait until things were more meaningful. What was important was the exchange, the collaboration," he said.

Two years ago, Petit agreed to work on a documentary with James Marsh, a director who had made films on Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye and Velvet Underground member John Cale.

Their film, "Man on Wire," opened in New York on Friday, and over the weekend posted the highest earnings for any documentary to open this year. On a per-screen average, it even surpassed "The Dark Knight" ($25,696 versus $17,000). The New York opening is to be followed by a national rollout in August.

Planning the Walk

"I have the mind of a criminal" was the first thing Petit told Marsh when they met in summer 2006, Marsh wrote in a director's statement. "He then went on to show me how he could kill a man with a copy of People magazine and, before we parted, he picked my pocket."

Within months Petit had "prepared this great document, images and thoughts and provocations, drawings, ideas, cuttings," Marsh told ABCNews.com.