Man on Wire (2008)

A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".

Director:

James Marsh

Writer:

Philippe Petit (based on the book "To Reach the Clouds" by)

Stars:

Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau

Won 1 Oscar. Another 45 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philippe Petit	...	Self
Jean François Heckel	...	Self (as Jean-François Heckel)
Jean-Louis Blondeau	...	Self
Annie Allix	...	Self
David Forman	...	Self
Alan Welner	...	Self
Mark Lewis	...	Self
Barry Greenhouse	...	Self (as N. Barry Greenhouse)
Jim Moore	...	Self
Guy F. Tozzoli	...	Self (as Guy Tozzoli)
Paul McGill	...	Philippe - Drama Reconstructions
David Demato	...	Jean-Louis - Drama Reconstructions
Ardis Campbell	...	Annie - Drama Reconstructions
Aaron Haskell	...	Jean-François - Drama Reconstructions
Shawn Dempewolff-Barrett	...	David - Drama Reconstructions (as Shawn Dempewolff)

Storyline

On August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit, a French wire walker, juggler, and street performer days shy of his 25th birthday, spent 45 minutes walking, dancing, kneeling, and lying on a wire he and friends strung between the rooftops of the Twin Towers. Uses contemporary interviews, archival footage, and recreations to tell the story of his previous walks between towers of Notre Dame and of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, his passions and friendships, and the details of the night before the walk: getting cable into the towers, hiding from guards, and mounting the wire. It ends with observations of the profound changes the walk's success brought to Philippe and those closest to him.

---

Plot Keywords:

tightrope walker | empire state building | world trade center | trespassing | reenactment | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Documentary | Biography | History

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and nudity, and drug references

Did You Know?

Trivia

The helicopter reporter heard describing the tightwire walk (at 1:20:50 on the DVD) is Neil Bush, traffic helicopter pilot/reporter for WCBS NewsRadio88.

---

Goofs

In the reenaction of Philippe Petit and his friend hiding from the night watchman at the WTC, a box on the floor has a present-day USPS logo.

---

Quotes

Alan Welner: The fact that I could not speak French, and didn't know what the sound was or what had happened with the wire... was probably just as well.

---

Connections

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

---

Soundtracks

The Disposition Of Linen
Written by Michael Nyman
Performed by The Michael Nyman Band
Published by Chester Music Limited
Courtesy of MN Records Ltd.

User Reviews

Simply amazing

I too saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival, and wow, what an experience.

It is hard to put into words just how good this film is, and on just how many levels it works. It is intensely fun, good-natured, laugh-out-loud funny at times, poignant and heart-wrenching at others. The images, not just of the central feat, but of many of Philippe Petit's performances are arresting and jaw-droppingly beautiful. Each of the supporting characters is colorful and entertaining in his or her own way, but none more so than Petit himself, who is so instantly likable that it is hard not to get immediately drawn in to this fascinating tale.

Even with this description, I am not doing the film justice. I have not seen a film this good in years. If you have a chance (I believe it is scheduled for release in August), GO SEE THIS MOVIE.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

29 August 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Man on Wire

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

GBP1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$51,392, 27 July 2008

Gross USA:

$2,962,242

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,258,569

Company Credits

Production Co:

Discovery Films, BBC Storyville, UK Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (some scenes)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1