A word of mouth hit at Sundance, James Marsh’s MAN ON WIRE is a breathtaking documentary presenting French funambulist Philippe Petit and his perilous wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. In 1974, standing 1,350 feet above Manhattan, he walked eight times between the world’s tallest buildings, dancing and joking on the wire as he went. Petit’s puckish energy makes him an incredibly engaging subject, and Marsh uses amateur archive footage, interviews, quirky reconstructions and a Michael Nyman score to compose his homage to the spirit of adventure that Petit embodies. With the infamous wire walk dubbed ‘the artistic crime of the century’, MAN ON WIRE plays like a heist movie; Petit’s daring coup took six years of planning, numerous accomplices, forged documents and illegal trips up the half built towers. The film is testament to the team of eccentric geniuses and their Herculean effort.
Reviews
"The sheer insanity of the idea is what makes this terrific film so gripping… Truly extraordinary." The Times
Awards
Critics Choice Awards '09 - WINNER
- Best Documentary Feature
BAFTAs '09 - WINNER
- Outstanding British Film
Oscar '09 - WINNER
- Best Documentary Feature