The Walk

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Robert Zemeckis/Starring: Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Ben Kingsley and Charlotte Le Bon

There once were a handful of people in the world who could claim they scaled Everest but now the feat no longer seems extraordinary (though it is) since the mountain became a tourist destination. Setting foot on another planet may also become commonplace one day. But there is a spectacular feat only one member of the human race ever attempted and succeeded at: crossing a high wire between the former World Trade Center buildings. The militant rabble who later brought the towers to the ground didn't see the buildings as a stage for artistic expression as the wire-walker Philippe Petit did, but as something to violently erase from the New York City skyline. These same lower-life forms have seen fit to destroy some precious works of art and architecture in the Middle East. I guess those who create will always be heavily outnumbered by the empty-headed who destroy. But that's another topic not entirely germane here. What is relevant is director Robert Zemeckis' new film; The Walk; an otherworldly beautiful, exhilarating and often whimsical film that insists we feel wonder and awe, which it convincingly expresses.
Based on high-wire walker Philippe Petit's book; To Reach the Clouds, The Walk tells the story of his historic walk on a wire suspended between the World Trade Center towers in 1974. Providing narration is the wonderfully talented Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as Petit, who affects a reliable French accent. It is entirely appropriate that Petit stands (by way of CGI) on top of the Statue of Liberty as he tells his story; the twin towers standing proudly in the background.

As we learn something of Petit's life in France before the climb, the film's playful, jaunty tone takes hold. We see him in his early years at a circus, standing mesmerized before the high-wire performers. The story moves forward, as an older Petit sneaks into a circus tent. As he scales a ladder to mount the wire, he is stopped by a man named Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley). Petit learns Papa Rudy is the high-wire expert, whose sons have all performed as he has. In a short time, Papa Rudy becomes Petit's mentor.

But Petit's audience isn't circus patrons but those in the city streets, as he rigs his wire between lamp posts. His public performances begin to clash with another street performer; a busker named Annie (the stunning Charlotte Le Bon), who doesn't take kindly to his creative intrusions. Petit and Annie soon become an item and collaborators as she plays her guitar during his high-wire performances. After a disastrous performance at a fair, where Petit's high-wire comes undone, Papa Rudy offers the young wire-walker crucial advice about rigging, which proves to be invaluable later.

Petit becomes more ambitious and daring as he rigs a wire between the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral, an act he successfully performs. Gaining fame and acclaim, he looks for a bigger challenge. Seeing an article about the newly built World Trade Center buildings in New York, Petit decides the towers will be his next performance. The preparations begin in earnest as Petit gathers vital statistics about the building and its dimensions.

Petit recruits two Frenchmen to accompany he and Annie to New York; one of whom suffers from acrophobia, which he finds hardly disqualifies him. An amusing scene takes place in customs at Kennedy Airport, as a puzzled agent questions Petit about his cables and equipment. Rather than prevaricating, Petit tells the agent the truth about the equipment, which elicits only a shrug.

In New York, Petit's resolve weakens slightly when he and Annie stand before one of the towers, which are more imposing in real life. After finding a way to the top of one tower, he is able to look across the yawning chasm between the buildings and even steps out on the edge of a girder to survey the distance, which also provides inspiration.
The preparation for his climb becomes the narrative focus; the logistical details are not only fascinating bits of minutiae but generate suspense as well. Petit finds it necessary to recruit Americans to help him carry out his performance; one of whom is a WTC employee while another is a stoner who fears being busted by the cops. It is very entertaining to watch Petit and his team encounter numerous obstacles en route to the climb; including a nail-biting incident at the uppermost floor of one tower, where Petit and a team member hide from a security guard under a tent, only to find themselves suspended over a shaft that leads to the bottom of the building. The preparations begin to feel like a bank heist as the team dodges WTC workers, security guards and even cops.

The problem of sending the cable from one building to the other is cleverly accomplished with a bow and arrow, which is first worked out in a park with the precise distance measured out.

As the day and time are chosen for the walk, the thrills and tension mount. But the team discovers Petit is difficult to work with. Annie finds it necessary to reproach him for not showing gratitude to the team, which he promptly rectifies with an unusual gesture of thanks.

I must say that the actual act is one of the most exhilarating and terrifying moments I've ever experienced as a filmgoer. I also noticed something that has never happened to me before while watching a film; my palms were actually sweating.

Watching Petit take the first steps is breathtaking. It is also disconcerting and surreal to see fog engulf the upper reaches of the building before it miraculously clears to reveal the first beams of morning light. Listening to Petit's narration of his experience is quite touching as his fear and worry give way to a feeling of confidence and finally a feeling of euphoria. It is a magical sequence made possible by extraordinary CGI. One would swear the towers were still intact and Leavitt-Gordon is actually suspended above the New York City streets.

One may squirm when Petit chooses to make not one but several crossings; all in the presence of the N.Y.P.D., who gather on both roofs to apprehend him. In a climactic, harrowing moment during a penultimate crossing, Petit stops midway to lie on the wire when a seagull comes to rest briefly on his chest. Down below, Annie draws the attention of a vast crowd, who breathlessly watch Petit high above. I felt only relief when he finally stepped off the wire and into the arms of the police officers, who quickly handcuff him.

The aftermath is triumphant, as Petit is applauded by the police, WTC workers and the city of New York.

The film and Petit's high-wire act are nothing short of poetry. I must say I've had problems with Zemeckis' films in the past--one in particular I absolutely detest, but he also has his share of winners; Romancing the Stone, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Back to the Future. I think The Walk is another achievement in his career. Having seen the excellent 2008 documentary on Petit's walk; Man on Wire, I felt a narrative film was superfluous and very unnecessary... until I watched Zemeckis' take.

Gordon-Leavitt is a hypnotic presence and an actor that never ceases to surprise or amaze but he is helped along by CGI, which made an astonishing re-creation possible.

I expected something perfunctory when I sat down to watch the film but instead I came away feeling ecstatic and more importantly; a feeling of wonder. October films have already compensated movie-goers handsomely for the dull Summer fare. The Martian and The Walk have restored my flagging enthusiasm and with the Steve Jobs biopic on the horizon, things can only get better for cinephiles.

I'm glad Zemeckis told Petit's story. An extraordinary feat is made thrilling by a spellbinding film.