'The Walk', which pays tribute to Philippe Petit's death-defying tightrope stunt between the Twin Towers in 1974, generally entertained audiences, especially with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance of the Frenchman. However, criticism on the film's over-narration has been consistent.
According to The Guardian, 'The Walk' wobbles due to the "silly voiceover" which Gordon-Levitt has done for majority of the film. The narration attempted to explain his thought process "every step of the way". The review asked if the film was really meant to immerse the viewers in this event of Petit's life, because if it was, it failed and "undercut so fatally."
Due to this, even the visually stunning landscapes or scenes do not register. The review recognized that key sequence when Petit inches across his once-in-a-lifetime mission still looked "awesome, especially in vertigo-inducing 3D."
However, Deadline Hollywood focused on the visuals. 'The Walk' is one the "most thrilling movie experience of the year."The review lauded the "technical virtuosity on display," one which should be appreciated in a cinema for the full impact. The visuals of 'The Walk' did not disappoint, in its Imax and 3D glory.
This would have made the movie perfect, without any need for dramatic narration, according to the Vulture. The movie has depth and thrill: what to know Petit is already on Gordon-Levitt's face, and everything we need to know about the danger of 'The Walk' is apparent in those vertiginous shots. Unfortunately, those were lost when Zemeckis chose to verbally explain things at the time when Petit was silent. The review went on to say that Zemeckis used the voice over like "cloying crutch." It deprived audiences the chance to draw conclusions on their own, about what they are seeing.
Perhaps one of the biggest losses brought by the narration of Petit's inner thoughts is it robbed the brilliant Gordon-Levitt of the chance to convey it. Consistency, which is often a good thing, compounded the insult, as he repeated voiceovers turning Gordon-Levitt less an Oscar actor contender than an audition to be the host.
Join the Conversation