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Philippe Petit, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix, Jim Moore, Mark Lewis ... see more see more... , Jean-Francois Heckel , Barry Greenhouse , David Foreman , Alan Welner

On August 7, 1974, a 24-year-old French high-wire artist named Philippe Petit committed one of the most astonishing performance stunts of the late 20th century: he strung a thin cable in between the t... read more read more...wo towers of the World Trade Center and not only walked across, from one building to another, but did a nerve-wracking series of knee-bends and acrobatic movements on the cable, some 1,350 feet above the ground, before turning himself in. This occurred to the consternation and chagrin of Port Authority policemen, who immediately arrested Petit for the act -- prompting many to dub Petit's stunt "the artistic crime of the century." James Marsh's documentary Man on Wire revisits and recounts this chain of events some 34 years after they occurred. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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87% liked it

21,287 ratings

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100% liked it

150 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: James Marsh

Release Date: January 22, 2008

Keywords: heist, caper

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DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008

Stats: 3,692 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,692)

  • hunterjt13
    January 16, 2012
    hunterjt13
    In the tradition of a heist film, this documentary depicts a high-wire artist's attempt at walking between the Twin Towers.
    Made in 2008, Man on Wire elides all discussion of 9/11, and even though this was probably better for the film -- after all, what can they really say of any... read more importance? -- watching Philippe Petit and his cohorts break into the WTC with enough equipment to set up their wire made me think that I was watching what could have been a terrorist attack instead of a crazy, effervescent Frenchman with a God complex. The film might have made me uncomfortable, but I think it's better to say that I was uncomfortable watching it.
    Petit is nuts. But from a distance, he's fun to watch. I think my favorite moment was when, describing how he was looking for a small fishing wire in the dark, Petit said -- as though this is the most reasonable thing to do, right out of the "How to Find Fishing Wire in the Dark" manual, -- "I stripped naked so that with all my body I could feel for the wire." Who thinks that? Next time I lose my keys in my office, I'll give it a try.
    Other critics have called the film's climax "exhilarating" and said that the film's result takes on an adventure-movie level of suspense, and though I didn't feel this, I did find the film as a whole to be entertaining and fun but not with much sophistication. The "follow your dreams" mantra that provides the film's moral center feels contrived, like something out of a Cracker Jack box.
    Overall, I liked Man on Wire, and now that there are movie-goers too young to fully remember 9/11, this documentary may serve as a tribute to buildings' existence rather than a reminder of their destruction.
  • blkbomb
    January 10, 2012
    blkbomb
    Philippe Petit: If I die, what a beautiful death! 

    "1974. 1350 feet up. The artistic crime of the century."

    Wow, I was completely taken aback by Man on Wire. I loved the creativity by the director, James Marsh. He made the movie feel less like a documentary and more like a thri... read moreller in the way he presented it. I loved the black and white reenactments throughout. It added much more depth to the story we were listening to. The first part of the movie where the people involved in helping Philippe, and Philippe himself talked about the van ride to the towers felt so much like a bank robbery. Then later in the film, I was thrilled to find out that Philippe looked at it in the exact same way. Everything they were doing was like a heist. They had to scout out the buildings, make fake I.D. cards, sneak into the building at night, and sneak by guards. The only difference between this and a heist is the end result. 

    Man on Wire is a fabulous documentary on a compelling man, Philippe Petit, and his dream to tightrope between the World Trade Centers. Why? There is no why. He was sitting in a dentist office, reading a magazine, where he saw a picture of what the towers would look like when they were finished and fell in love with the idea. Philippe is a man of extreme enthusiasm, excitement, and concentration. He's so energetic, always running around and constantly laughing and smiling. But when he gets on a rope, his face turns to stone and he is in a state of the deepest concentration you are likely to see. 

    It's impossible to not be astonished by what he did. Watching him from the ground, a speck of color, hovering in the sky would have been amazing. There is a moment in the movie where he admits that when he first saw them, he said it's impossible, but let's get to work. That's his attitude. He just wants to walk between the towers, no matter what the risk. Even if he dies, he will go out doing what he loves and that's beautiful. It doesn't hurt that he also had the support of many people. His friends wanted to see him out on that wire just as much as he did. That's pretty obvious when we listen to their interviews and watch them begin to tear up when talking about it. This wasn't just Philippe; he couldn't have done it by himself. In the end, it was for everyone involved.

    I expected this to be great from the perfect reviews, which hardly ever happens. What I didn't expect was for the movie do be so beautiful. It's obvious going in that the story is going to be an engrossing one. But Marsh's skills take the story to a whole new level and this documentary to a whole new level. I love documentaries and watch them frequently, and this is a new favorite of mine.
  • SirPant
    October 14, 2011
    SirPant
    An exciting documentary/recreation of one of the best stunts ever performed by a rag-tag bunch of colourful characters. It's all made poignant by the fact it was all performed between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Centre. The film is full of great photos and films tak... read moreen at the time and of the construction of the towers. Philippe Petit is also quite a fascinating and infectious character, his narration keeps the film going with intrigue and humour. It's one of the best documentaries I've seen in a long time and is now among my favourites, I highly recommend it.
  • fb634552688
    October 9, 2011
    fb634552688
    Exciting, compelling and emotional.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    September 12, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Man on Wire has got to be one of the best documentaries that I have seen in quite some time. The film surrounds tight rope walker Philippe Petit who walked between the two World Trade Centre Towers. I was very enthralled by this documentary and I found it very fascinating. The to... read morepic itself is filled with wonder and makes you ask several questions about the act that Petit undertook. This is a phenomenal film about courage and determination. The result is one of the most spectacular tight rope walks of the 20th Century. This film recounts the events of the famous walk. I loved the film and it really was moving to see and I admire Philippe Petit's courage to undertake such a crazy venture. Though it was most certainly insanity, the act itself was very beautiful, and this is what Man on Wire captures so well. The beauty of the performance. Sure Petit is crazy for having done the walk, but like I said it was a beautiful act. Man on Wire is a terrific documentary. This is an inspiring story and really will move anyone who watches this incredible film. A flawless documentary, Man on Wire is a well crafted film that embodies the courage of one man to accomplish what he set out to do. A must see for everyone that loves inspirational true stories.
  • fb729949618
    August 5, 2011
    fb729949618
    Tight rope walking in between the TWIN TOWERS!? Wow, awesome documentary.
  • ironclad1609
    March 1, 2011
    ironclad1609
    The heist movie among the documentaries tells the story of Phillippe Petit walking on a tightrope between the twin towers in 1974. Which merely sounds like a artistic act of madness is additionally a logistic nightmare and, of course, illegal. The story of Petit's ambitions, the ... read moreplanning, the players and the plot, it's all presented so entertainingly and in a charming way, that you can't help but cheer for the little French man, who talks so enthusiastically. The Oscar awarded result is sometimes as exciting as a thriller and fascinating as well.
  • fb100000145236770
    January 27, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    One of the best documentaries i've ever seen. Great film!
  • lewiskendell
    March 3, 2010
    lewiskendell
    Some people's lives are just more interesting and eventful than the lives of others. They're compelled to do things that the rest of us may not even dream of doing. Man on Wire is the story of such a man.

    The archival footage of Philippe was some of the most amazing video that I... read more've ever seen, and it was by far my favorite part of this documentary. The rest of the movie was interesting enough, but it was hard to focus on his life history or the reenactments of his planning sessions with his friends, after seeing him walking on a thin wire suspended high over a bridge or Notre Dame. Man on Wire felt uneven because of how amazing the camera footage of his wire-walking was, but it was still a fascinating film.
  • fb619846742
    January 19, 2010
    fb619846742
    An incredibly fascinating documentary about a man's passion and how he was able to accomplish walking on a tightrope between the Twin Towers in 1974. This is an utterly brilliant film, it details it's subjects expertly and raises the suspension of the "big event" to a nearly unbe... read morearable degree. Petit is an unbelievable human being, one that is definitely crazy but is undoubtedly lovable and admirable. Just a great, great movie, and definitely one of the best documentaries I've seen in a long, long time.

View All Man on Wire Reviews

Critic Reviews

Ann Hornaday
May 7, 2009
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

It all makes for an absorbing, mischievously amusing yarn, whose climax unfolds with unexpected emotional force. Full Review

Jonathan F. Richards
November 10, 2008
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

In this exhilarating, palm-moistening documentary by British filmmaker James Marsh (Wisconsin Death Trip), the twin towers are back to celebrate one of their finest moments. Full Review

Peter Rainer
October 18, 2008
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

By any rational gauge, Petit's WTC obsession was flat-out crazy, but Marsh takes a limpid, nonjudgmental view of it all. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
October 18, 2008
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Though we know how it ends, it unfolds with suspense. And though it lacks any discussion of the towers' destruction, it succeeds as a tribute to their birth. Full Review

Roger Moore
August 29, 2008
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

James Marsh tells Petit's story, the most inspiring 'heist' in modern history, a Frenchman's stroll between two 110 story buildings in lower Manhattan. Full Review

J. R. Jones
August 29, 2008
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

In archival photos Petit seems to float between the towers, a tiny black figure against a vivid blue sky; the images are all the more poignant for the unstated fact that Petit is still around when the... Full Review

Tom Long
August 15, 2008
Tom Long, Detroit News

Astonishing. Daring. Mind-boggling. Visually stunning. A true heart-stopper. And, oh yeah, the movie's pretty good, too. Full Review

Christopher Orr
August 8, 2008
Christopher Orr, New Republic

It's a rare tale of dangerous obsession rapturously fulfilled, a reminder that even the most quixotic of undertakings can knock over a windmill now and then. Full Review

Christy Lemire
August 8, 2008
Christy Lemire, Associated Press

The word 'documentary' doesn't begin to do justice to [director] Marsh's achievement. Full Review

Ty Burr
August 8, 2008
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

A documentary about a towering act of daring proves a spine-tingling memorial to recklessness as art. Full Review

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