Man on Wire (2008)

Man on Wire is a gripping documentary about Philippe Petit, the French tightrope artist who, in 1974, illegally rigged a high wire between New York’s Twin Towers and spent nearly an hour walking, dancing and performing 1,350 feet above the city. Director James Marsh pieces together archival footage, intimate contemporary interviews and carefully staged reenactments to trace Petit’s obsession with the towers, his earlier illicit walks (Notre-Dame and the Sydney Harbour Bridge), and the months of meticulous, often sneaky planning and teamwork that made the stunt possible. Watching the film, you’ll get the feel of a heist movie as much as a character study: the careful logistics of smuggling cable into the buildings, hiding from guards, threading and tensioning the wire, and the camaraderie and nerves of the small crew who helped him. The actual footage of the walk—alternating with first-person recollections—creates real suspense and vertigo; you’ll experience the danger, the exhilaration, and the strange beauty of Petit's act. The documentary also explores the aftermath—his arrest, the legal and personal fallout, and how the feat shaped the lives of Petit and his friends. Overall, Man on Wire is both an awe-inspiring record of a daring, illegal performance and a thoughtful meditation on artistry, risk, obsession and friendship. Viewers can expect to be thrilled, moved, and left thinking about the fine line between crime and art.

Actors: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau

Director: James Marsh

Runtime: 94 min

Genres: Biography, Crime, Documentary

7.4 /10 89 /100 7.7 /10 8.0 /10