The documentary Man On Wire is getting rave reviews for its telling the story of a French man who illegally strung an 800 pound cable between the 2 World Trade towers in NYC in 1974… and then walked across.
On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York’s twin towers, then the world’s tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.
Following six and a half years of dreaming of the towers, Petit spent eight months in New York City planning the execution of the coup. Aided by a team of friends and accomplices, Petit was faced with numerous extraordinary challenges: he had to find a way to bypass the WTC’s security; smuggle the heavy steel cable and rigging equipment into the towers; pass the wire between the two rooftops; anchor the wire and tension it to withstand the winds and the swaying of the buildings. The rigging was done by night in complete secrecy. At 7:15 AM, Philippe took his first step on the high wire 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan…
James Marsh’s documentary brings Petit’s extraordinary adventure to life through the testimony of Philippe himself, and some of the co-conspirators who helped him create the unique and magnificent spectacle that became known as “the artistic crime of the century.”
Awards and Praise:
WINNER:
Audience Award & Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary, 2008 Sundance Film Festival
Audience Award & Special Jury Prize, 2008 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Audience Award, 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival
Audience Award, 2008 Edinburgh Film Festival
“ERUPTS ON SCREEN AS ONE OF THE MOST WILDLY ENTERTAINING DOCS OF RECENT YEARS. AN ADVENTURE TALE THAT ASTONISHES IN EVERY RESPECT.” - Robert Koehler, VARIETY
“RIVETING. This exhilarating film makes you shake your head in amazement.” - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
“EXHILARATING.” - Stephen Holden, New York Times
“AN ASTONISHING TRIUMPH OF A FILM – EASILY THE BEST I’VE SEEN ALL YEAR. The human emotions around the dizzyingly beautiful feat are unexpectedly, suddenly, overwhelming.” - Luke Crisell, Nylon
“Shows, step by thrilling step, how Philippe Petit pulled off his astonishing tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. NO DOC - AND NO FICTIONAL FILM [AT SUNDANCE] - WAS MORE PURELY ENTERTAINING.” - David Ansen, Newsweek
“NO AMOUNT OF DESCRIPTION CAN TRANSMIT THE PASSION AND JOY IN THIS WONDERFUL PICTURE. GRADE A+.” - Cole Smithey.com
“HIGHLY ENTERTAINING AND DEEPLY MOVING. The film relates the complex tale with the breathlessness of a caper thriller.” - Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
“THRILLING AND PROFOUND. Filled with jaw-dropping footage of NYC and paced like a heist film, the movie reaches great heights.” - Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York
“BREATHTAKING! A HEART POUNDING THRILLER. It is impossible not to get caught up in the sheer audacity of Philippe Petit’s plan.” - S. James Snyder, New York Sun
“A STUNNING ADVENTURE. A RIVETING, EXHILARATING RIDE.” - Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal
“IT’S TOO ELECTRIC AND GRIPPING TO BE CALLED A MERE DOCUMENTARY.” - Jeffrey Wells, Hollywood Elsewhere
“EXHILARATING! A crowd pleaser in such witty, poetic ways that even a curmudgeon couldn’t deny.” - Aaron Hillis, Village Voice
“DON’T MISS! The finale is stunning and heart-stopping.” - Sara Cardace, New York Magazine
“BREATHTAKING.” - Harlan Jacobson, USA Today
“EUPHORIC AND WILDLY ENTERTAINING. A magnificently eccentric film about imagination, risk taking and creative self-expression.” - Scott Foundas, LA Weekly
“IT WALKS ON AIR.” - Jessica Winter, Oprah Magazine
“EXHILARATING” - Jeff Craig, Sixty Second Preview
“BREATHTAKING. A STRANGE, STIRRING EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY DOCUMENTARY YOU’LL SEE THIS YEAR.” - Joshua Rothkopf, Penthouse
“THERE IS NO WAY A REVIEW CAN ADEQUATELY CONVEY ITS COMPLICATED RESONANCE, OR ITS SUBTLE POETIC TRANSFORMATION. Director Marsh has done much more than document one man’s unlikely accomplishment; he has restored those towers to us as symbols of joy and transcendence.” - Andrew O’Hehir, Salon