A work of art is forever.
The Walk tells the true story of Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the high-wire artist who walked between the World Trade Center towers, which were still under construction at the time in 1974. The movie follows Petit’s life, from the moment he falls in love with the high-wire as a young boy to his “artistic coup of the century.”
Director Robert Zemeckis brilliantly divides the film into large sections, creating different segments for both plot development and stylistic creativity. The black-and-white filming combined with French café music and classic silent movie-esque police chase scenes paint the perfect Parisian vignette as we watch Petit develop as a high-wire artist. Introductions to the rest of the cast of characters, including girlfriend Annie (Charlotte Le Bon) and mentor Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), resemble Wes Anderson’s witty, light-hearted style. As Petit takes on grander stunts, cinematographer Dariusz Wolski takes on more awe-inspiring vistas and crane shots.
Considering the film is largely set in France with a majority of characters speaking French, screenwriters Zemeckis and Christopher Browne cleverly avoid the hassle of subtitles. Instead, the script is largely driven by Petit’s voiceovers, detailing the actions and emotions in each scene. Petit is absolutely charming as a narrator, able to convey both wit and sentiment. The voiceovers are also fitting for a story that is driven by the inner dreams and concentrations of one man. When there is actual dialogue amongst the characters, Petit is always eager to remind his friends to speak English as practice so that they can assimilate in New York.
The Walk is only playing in IMAX 3D, and after watching the film viewers might understand why. The cinematography and editing are not just pretty—they are powerful forces in a full cinematic experience. When Petit is up on the high wire, the camera tilts down to emphasize the height of his feat; distracting sound and music is turned up and shots are more quickly cut together to emphasize the amount of concentration he must maintain. Whenever something falls from great heights, the three-dimensional effect makes you flinch. The immersive, larger-than-life feel of the IMAX 3D places viewers alongside Petit, on top of the world. Watching this film on DVD without the breathtaking big-screen scenes would absolutely diminish the magic.
Not only does the story recount an incredible feat of humanity, but wonderful cinematography and editing also create a beautiful homage to an American icon: the Twin Towers. More than anything, the larger-than-life vistas take the viewer back in time to the glory of the World Trade Center. Here, editing and cinematography combine to revisit the majesty of the Twin Towers as an architectural feat of the past and an American symbol of surpassing expectations and challenging what others consider to be impossible. While The Walk brings Petit’s story to life, it also shows how his performance brought the towers alive. With a most poignant closing line, “forever,” the movie closes on a final panorama of the World Trade Center, the sunlight reflecting off its shiny windows. While viewers are certainly reminded of the tragedy that befell the Towers with this view, we also recall the splendor of American innovation and daring that they will always represent.
