The Walk
A unique story about obsession, talent, and inspiration—and how the three can interact.
In the early 1970s, French high-wire artist Phillipe Petit performed a series of unauthorized walks in significant and historical sites including the Notre Dame Cathedral, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the World Trade Center Towers. The latter stunt was his most famous, dangerous, and complicated. Extensive planning took place just as the towers were being finished. Petit along with his band of enthusiasts and engineers snuck into the towers to install the rigging they had made themselves. At daybreak on August 7, 1974, he made eight passes in forty-five minutes. The stunt garnered so much praise and media attention that all formal charges were dropped and Petit was given a lifetime pass to the observation deck.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Petit in Robert Zemeckis’s 2015 film. The film is light on plot and heavy on graphics. JGL narrates the film, giving a brief backstory before introducing the obsession and planning of the World Trade Center Walk. Since it is a well-known story (I’ll talk about the books and docs in a minute), you know Petit accomplishes the feat. So you would assume that the film’s suspense would be lost. But Zemeckis has a keen eye for tension that is maintained throughout the planning stages. Every obstacle, injury, and setback works to perfection. He sustains the question of Petit’s motivation: why would a man break the law and risk his life to attempt this impossible stunt? And JGL carries the film the rest of the way. He gives Petit the right amount of charm and charisma. The movie would lag and flounder without such a magnetic lead. Together they capture Petit’s unique dream. It is an inspirational story about finding your niche, the thing that makes you happy, and chasing it to whatever end.
Upon release, it earned positive reviews but underperformed at the box office. It has since been forgotten or unseen. A few key factors were working against the film.
- The Twin Towers: Any film featuring the twin towers has to be handled with care and respect. Especially a story like this that relies so heavily on their presence; they are essentially like characters in the story. As an audience, we naturally have a somber reaction. We go in with questions: How much should the film acknowledge the later devastation? Who wants to see the towers restored in CGI? However, I think Petit’s mindset and motivation help the film immensely. He had a genuine fascination, a feeling of awe for the engineering masterpieces. This love is clear through narration, JGL’s performance, and the credits summary.
- Marketing: I remember seeing the film advertised. The trailers stressed and showcased the graphics, instead of the characters. It boasted about being in 3D even though it was 2015 and that post-Avatar craze had largely burnt out. The film seemed more like an attraction you had to see in IMAX or not at all. So I think a lot of people skipped it. I didn’t see it in theaters but still enjoyed it. I don’t know why they thought they had to rely so much on the graphics angle.
- Too many storytellers: The film suffered from being the last in a series of adaptations and tellings. Petit performed the stunt in 1974. Since then, the story has been kept alive in the culture through numerous autobiographies, children's books, news specials/rewinds, and a 2008 documentary that covers Petit’s entire career. The film can feel like one too many times hearing the same story. It can feel ridiculous to watch the fake when you can look up photos and footage of the real Petit.
But like I said, JGL and Zemeckis make a great team. And the film should not be overlooked. When it comes to inspirational films, sports movies or movies about racism, or movies about both dominate the genre. This is a breath of fresh air. This is a unique flower in the bunch. Petit’s drive was so singular, so focused. His dream was so specific and so so so very insane that even though you know he makes it, you cannot help but watch and cheer and feel somehow inspired.
