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Man on Wire

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Man on Wire

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Summary

Drama documentary that details the preparation for and execution of one of the most daring stunts of all time. On 7 August 1974, Frenchman Philippe Petit took a tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center, incurring the wrath of the authorities. His outrageous feat was dubbed by some "the artistic crime of the century".

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Review

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Damon Wise

One man's determination to walk a tightrope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York is detailed in this Oscar-winning documentary, which blends traditional talking-head interviews with archive footage and meticulous period re-creation. Its subject, charismatic Frenchman Philippe Petit, is a joy to watch, an ebullient mix of mime artist Marcel Marceau and cartoon dervish Road Runner, and the film offers a deceptively sturdy sounding board for his often crazy ideas. This is not so much a documentary as a true-life heist movie in which the "crime" is a death-defying conceptual art event: Petit and his accomplices spent months planning their "coup", and his boyhood dream finally came true 1,350 feet above the streets of Manhattan in 1974. Sadly, no video footage exists of Petit's 45-minute walk, but director James Marsh expertly captures the vertiginous thrills of that incredible day, leaving one not just with a sense of wonder but a profound sense of admiration for the rigorous preparation and heady commitment that made it all possible.

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7.7/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenamePhilippe PetitPhilippe PetitJean-Louis BlondeauJean-Louis BlondeauAnnie AllixAnnie AllixJean-François Heckel Jean-François HeckelPhilippe PetitPaul McGillJean-Louis BlondeauDavid DematoAnnie AllixArdis CampbellJean-François HeckelAaron Haskell

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Crew

rolenameDirectorJames Marsh

Details

Theatrical distributor

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Released on

2008-08-01

Languages

English | French

Guidance

Contains some nudity.

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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