Man on Wire

Composite Score: 87.37

Featuring: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Alix, David Forman, Alan Welner, Mark Lewis, Barry Greenhouse, Jim Moore, and Guy F. Tozzoli

Director: James Marsh

Writer: Philippe Petit

Genres: Documentary, Biography, Crime, History, Sport, Thriller

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexuality and nudity, and drug references

Box Office: $5.26 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                Man on Wire is James Marsh’s biographical documentary about artist and tight rope walker Philippe Petit whose escapades include walking a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. The film builds to the WTC walk, playing more like a heist film with collaborators, preparation montages, and voiceovers abounding, offering a fresher take on the historical documentary. Petit’s artistic vision of tightrope walking and his crew’s anti-authoritarian bent make for compelling story and a solid film that’s only elevated by Marsh’s direction and his decision to portray the film not as a simple documentary. The film is considered to be one of the best documentaries of all time, and it’s easy to see why. It transcends the typical trappings of nonfiction film, incorporating techniques typically only found in crime thrillers to make a truly entertaining documentary that’s almost a crowd-pleaser. It’s still a documentary about an artistic Frenchman, so not everyone is going to love everything about the film, but its execution and the central vision of pursuing art in the face of all norms and legal standards makes for an excellent film anyway. You can currently stream this film on Netflix or Prime Video if you’d like to see it for yourself.