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034 OCTOBER 2015
MAN ON WIRE
It took several years to get The Walk into
production.Why did it take so long?Would
you have been able to get the film made
without the success of Gravity , a movie
which similarly employed state of the
art technology at the service of dramatic
storytelling?
Good question. Maybe, not… Certainly one
of the big struggles I had getting this film made
was that it’s very difficult to make any film
[today] that’s not derivative. Anything that tries
to be unique and original is the hardest type
of film to make. And then to say it’s about a
wire-walker and I want to make it in 3D – that’s
almost an impossible feat. But to answer your
question, yes, I think when audiences embrace
something – like they did with Gravity, which
they embraced for its unique story and use of
3D – it made it a little easier to think that they
might like something that has spectacle along
with emotion, like this.
In a recent interview you said you wanted
to make The Walk because of how it would
lend itself to 3D…
Well, it wasn’t the reason to do it. I’ve always
felt there’s a place for 3D if it comes from inside
the story, rather than it being what most films
are, which are just [3D] conversions. They’re not
designed from the inside out to be 3D. So I was
looking for a story that should be made in 3D.
This story should be made in 3D. But I didn’t
make it just to make a film in 3D.
What was at the core of the story that spoke
to you?
What speaks to me is the idea of this artist
who will risk everything to create his art.
That I completely relate to. That I completely
understand, that thing that happens when
you just must do this at all costs. You have to
achieve this thing… What I [also] love about
it is that it’s just a magnificent fable. It’s just
got all the great things that you love in telling
stories. Like Casey at the Bat (Ernest Thayer’s
iconic-American baseball poem) or Robin Hood
or any of those great stories, it’s this sort
of magnificent fable. And it resonates very
powerfully now because the Towers don’t exist
anymore. It can never happen again. So it’s
really only a fable now.
You’re known for pushing the technology
envelope with your films.With this one it
looks like you’re doing it once again.
I’ve always believed that one of the things
we go to the movies to see is [spectacle]. I’ve
said this many times, but one of my favorite
quotes from any filmmaker is François Truffaut’s
when he said, “A really great movie is the
perfect blend of truth and spectacle.” And that’s
what I think we go to the movies for. We go to
see a story that is rooted in human truth and
the human journey. But we also go to see
spectacle. That’s what movies do better
than any other art form. Sometimes
that spectacle is a close-up. You know,
it’s not always a visual effect. So it’s not
just big stuff. Sometimes it’s the power of a
performance. That’s spectacle too.
What’s been the biggest challenge with this
film?
Listen, here’s my feeling. I feel that reward
is directly proportional to risk. This is a risky
venture, because it’s a story that is… On paper,
there’s no simple description of the movie that
you can hang your advertising hat on. It’s not
based on a comic book or a pre-sold title. It’s
unique. That’s risky. Whenever you do anything
that’s original and unique, then it’s risky.
It sounds like you have a lot in common with
Philippe Petit.
Yes, we’re also flying without a net! That’s
how we’re like Philippe. There’s no net.
What was it like working with Joseph
Gordon-Levitt?
I just felt when I first met Joe that he
completely understood the heart and soul of
this character. If you look at Joe’s body of work,
he’s very much the consummate showman.
He’s one of the few young actors who not only
[can] perform, but can also at the same time
entertain.
We discussed the spectacle of what
you’re filming. But it also sounds
like a caper film as well – how
Petit and his crew managed to
pull off this stunt. Is that how
you approached it?
It’s a caper film, but nobody is trying
to steal anything or destroy anything.
They’re not trying to blow up the world
or rob anyone’s jewels. Philippe’s walk
has been described as the artistic crime
of the century. That’s kind of what it is.
So it does have all the elements of a
caper [film], but no one is a victim. It’s
a caper of love. And the movie is a love
letter to the Twin Towers. They’re very
much present in the film as characters.
So it’s also a celebration. In the tragic
history of those buildings, this is one
glorious and human moment that
happened. And I think that’s something
that’s important to remember.
The Walk is director Robert Zemeckis's dramatisation
of the true story about that crazy French guy who
illegally walked a high-wire between theTwinTowers
in the ‘70s. And it’s in 3D.
Q&A
•The Walk
is in cinemas
on Oct 15
and is reviewed on
page 30