The Walk (5 Stars)

True Stories #39

Name: Philippe Petit

Lived: 13 August 1949 – still alive

Film dates: 1968 to 1976

Film made in 2015

Philippe Petit was the only person ever to walk on a high wire stretched between the two towers of the World Trade Center. In 2008 a documentary was made about his feat called "Man on Wire". Critics call this the best documentary ever made, though I suspect their judgement has been clouded by sentimentality about the World Trade Center. Seven years later the same subject matter was filmed as a biopic, "The Walk". Was it necessary?

My answer is a resounding Yes. "Man on Wire" concentrates on the walk itself, whereas "The Walk" gives a lot more details about what led up to it. It wasn't an event that happened overnight. Philippe needed years of planning. He called it the coup of the century. This is an accurate description, because what he wanted to do was highly illegal.

It's a masterful artistic stroke that Joseph Gordon-Levitt acts as narrator, in character, on top of the Statue of Liberty. Throughout the film we see him on his small platform explaining what's happening. In the opening scenes he tells us the story begins in 1973, which is one of the film's small historical inaccuracies. It was actually 1968 when he first became aware of the construction of the Twin Towers in New York. From this day on he was determined to perform a feat which the world would never forget.

No man can commit the coup of the century alone, so he began to gather accomplices: his girlfriend Annie, a photographer called Jean-Louis and a school teacher called Jeff. In his first visit to America he finds other accomplices: a life insurance salesman called Barry and the owner of an electronics store, Jean-Pierre. The coup is on.

Philippe's mentor is Papa Rudy, the family head of a circus high wire act called the White Devils. Nobody knows what nationality he is. Philippe guesses that he's Czech, but this is neither confirmed nor denied. This eccentric old man is expertly played by Ben Kingsley. He helps Philippe in two periods in his life. He's the one who teaches Philippe the art of high wire walking, possibly before 1968 – it's not clear – and he gives Philippe final advice on walking between the Twin Towers.

This is a stupendously brilliant film. Who else could have played Philippe Petit but Joseph Gordon-Levitt? The facial appearances aren't similar, but Joseph imitates Philippe's cheeky grin. "The Walk" is a masterpiece, better than "Man on Wire", whatever the critics say.

Success Rate:  - 0.3

	Order from Amazon.com
	Order from Amazon.co.uk
	Order from Amazon.de