'Man On Wire' follows daredevil trapeze artist

Friday, December 26, 2008 - 09:13 PM

On August 7, 1974, high-wire performer Philippe Petit stunned the residents of lower Manhattan by seemingly walking on air between the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

His daredevil exploits are celebrated in James Marsh’s documentary, which recreates events leading up to that historic, blustery summer’s day, interspersed with news footage and interviews with the people closest to Petit.

Michael Nyman’s haunting orchestral score accompanies the action as Philippe and his small team narrowly avoid detection by security guard patrols to enact their hare-brained scheme.

Death is just one false move away.