'Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day' Depresses More Than it Inspires
If you're expecting to see a fun follow-up to The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, then this isn't your film. Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day feels like an apology letter to Walter, more than a thought-out documentary. During a key scene in The King of Kong, Billy Mitchell sends a glitchy videotape of his submitted score for Donkey Kong, which is accepted with almost no hesitation aside from one question from Walter about the tape, which is simply looked over instead of being rejected. Meanwhile, Mitchell's competitor and the film's underdog, Steve Wiebe, was submitting a live score at the arcade, which was ignored because Billy's videotape was fueling a mob mentality against Steve. It has been a point of controversy for Walter that the internet continues to pounce on him to this day. After watching this documentary, you understand that Walter's the last guy in the world who deserves to be lambasted by keyboard warriors.
This movie is not really about arcades or the Mitchell v Wiebe competition. It's about a man who has led a selfless life that has touched many people. Where The King of Kong is pure entertainment, The Ballad of Walter Day is a much more somber film about compassion. After the way Billy was depicted in the TKOK, he told me in an interview that he was adamant that this film should not be about him. The result is a movie about Walter, which is touching, if not unintentionally gloomy.
Walter doesn't live a very glamorous life. He resides in a small, single-story house that resembles a mobile home in the middle of Iowa. When I saw piles of boxes and clutter all over Walter's place, I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Sadness was not the intention of the movie. It's supposed to lift your spirits, yet it left me feeling down. Material value doesn't buy happiness, but it sure helps. Maybe I'm a shallow American who equates financial well-being with happiness. That's on me for being a terrible, hollow man.
The point of the movie is to emphasize the power of community. Walter might be poor, but the lives he's touched are of more value than living the American dream. That's a sweet sentiment, but it doesn't quite resonate with me. Maybe it's because whenever I see Walter, he's either in his car with a guitar or sitting in a rundown room that looks more like a storage closet. Through transcendental meditation, Walter finds peace within himself despite living under the threat of bankruptcy, which is being enforced by various lawsuits that jeopardize his livelihood.
Since The King of Kong gained widespread popularity, allegations have surfaced that Walter was instrumental in helping Billy Mitchell cheat to maintain the highest Donkey Kong score in the world. Mitchell has been accused of using emulators to achieve that score. In a hilarious scene of irony, Billy references Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa as exemplifications of what competing is like. After the reference, the man behind the camera tells him they are both cheaters. A fact that left the guy sitting next to Billy during the interview in stitches, while Billy remained expressionless. The Ballad of Walter Day portrays Billy in a positive light, showcasing how he supports his friend by attending his first live performance.
Arcades & Love Songs is about Walter's music. He's written 150 songs drawn from the breakup he had with a lost love who reconnects with him in the film. It's a tender moment that highlights the terrible heartbreak Walter carries with him to this day. The film concludes with Walter performing at an event attended by his peers.
The Ballad of Walter Day is a movie about the loss of peace and the enduring power of friendship. It's bittersweet, at times touching, but dry. It shouldn't be compared to The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, as it doesn't aim to be a sequel. Yet it rests on the shoulders of the original film, regardless. The movie keeps cutting back to the 2007 cult classic, reminding you of how fun that movie was and how old we are now. Everyone except for Billy and Walter has aged significantly. Wait until you see Brian Kuh. He looks good, but he's unrecognizable.
This film lacks the rewatch value that the 2007 original had. The most gripping moments in this movie aren't the ones where Walter's performing. It's the legal trouble he faces. The Ballad has a happy ending that feels like it's trying too hard to make us feel good. Probably because Walter may never find love again, his old flame supports him, but it seems like there will never be closure. Just a beating heart for a woman and a career that didn't work out.
Helping people is good, but maybe we should also help ourselves. One can't feed the poor and then starve themselves. Nor should they overeat. Like meditation, it's all about balance. If we forget to calibrate our financial well-being with our relationships, life will pass us by. That may not be how Walter feels. However, it triggered an existential crisis in me, leaving me feeling disheartened. I can't fix that. Maybe you'll have a bigger heart than I, and you'll be moved. Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day has all the best intentions, but it comes across as a reminder that most of us will likely grow old and die with our dreams unfulfilled, while there are very few who have the talent and connections to accomplish them.
Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day releases Worldwide 6/9 on VOD via Apple, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Fandango, and Vimeo-on-Demand
Checkout my interview with Walter Day and Billy Mitchell here
