Man on Wire is a true technical masterpiece. You can almost feel the director telling the cameraman what angle to choose, or thinking about the questions that will generate the most resounding answers. However, this does not diminish the story this documentary tells one bit. It’s one that is glorious, riveting, and fun. It’s one where you feel like an insider to a world lived on and below wires, with high-stake risks. Hopefully the edge of your seat is comfortable, because this is where the movie will keep you till the very end.
"James Marsh's rollicking documentary Man on Wire asks not 'Why?' but 'How the hell?'"
— David Edelstein
"The tension builds incrementally, reaching almost unbearable heights at its dizzying climax."
— Catherine Wheatley
On August 7th 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit stepped out on a high wire, illegally rigged between New York's World Trade Center twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of performing on the wire, 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan, he was arrested. This fun and spellbinding documentary chronicles Philippe Petit's "highest" achievement.
Oscars
1 win
BAFTA
1 win, 1 nomination
DGA
1 nomination
Spirit Awards
1 win
Sundance
2 wins
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
NYFCC
1 win
LAFCA
1 win
European Film Awards
1 nomination