The story of Christopher McCandless is one of amazement and inspiration, while at the same time being horribly tragic.
Last year I read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, in anticipation of watching the film. I wrote a review about it if you want to know if it was worth reading and what the book was all about, but I can tell you right now that it was awesome and definitely something to add to your collection.
The movie Into the Wild basically takes the book and puts it on the screen for you to see, without any real changes to its heart, content or message. The chapters in the movie are really the only difference that I noticed. The film is broken up into segments, like a book, that describe Christopher’s journey as a trip through a human being’s life. Childhood, adolescence, adulthood and wisdom.
Emile Hirch, who was in the recent and very underrated Alpha Dog, gives a pitch-perfect performance as McCandless.
The main controversy surrounding this entire saga of McCandless is whether or not he was a selfish child who thought of nothing but himself. The way he leaves his family behind without a single word to any of them, even his beloved sister, causes most people to think of him as totally uncaring and selfish.
The other area of debate is McCandless’ mindset, especially concerning his Alaskan trip. Many think he was ill-prepared for such a huge undertaking and deciding to venture out into the wilderness was akin to suicide.
Was he suicidal?
I wont give you my answer, but I think if you read the book and watch the movie, you’ll come to the correct conclusion. At least, the one I think is correct.
As for whether or not he was selfish, that’s a different story. He was escaping something and trying to find out who he was, and this was the way he went about doing it. Did he hurt the ones who loved him? Absolutely. Was it right?
Who knows?
The movie is just a beautiful piece of film making, with amazing cinematography and some great supporting roles by actors such as Hal Holbrook (who won Best Supporting Actor), Kristen Stewart (right) and Catherine Keener. But I really loved Jena Malone and her overall narration during the film. Her voice conveyed a lot of the emotion that you could feel overtaking the family during the two years he was gone.
From what I can tell from the credits, the film is shot all over the country, presumably at most of the exact locations that McCandless was known to have visited or passed through. The authenticity this adds to the movie is very apparent.
The other wonderful aspect of Into the Wild was the soundtrack, done by Eddie Vedder. He agreed on the spot, according to IMDB, to do the soundtrack when director Sean Penn asked him about it.
You can view a sample of it below in a music video made for the film.
As I said at the time, I felt Atonement should not have been nominated for Best Picture this year, and in its place I would have put Into the Wild.
Mike’s rating: 9.5 out of 10
Hard Sun Music Video – Eddie Vedder – Watch more free videos
great review mike. like i told you earlier, i loved this movie too. i really think it should have got more oscar recognition as well.
nicky’s last blog post..Swim time is here!
I only made it through about the first 25 minutes before I had to stop it for some reason. Unfortunately, someone (and I’m not naming any names) took the movie back before I finished watching the rest of it so I can’t yet give a full opinion on it.
I’m hoping it got a lot better than the first 25 minutes, though. The kid didn’t seem very bright.
Dude shoulda read the chapter on “Living in the Wild?… how to identify ALL poisonous plants”
Finally, a film that does a book justice. The acting, music, cinematography and directing of this film are truly amazing.
After reading Krakauer’s piece that was republished last summer in Outside Magazine, I became hooked on this story. I have read multiple articles on Penn’s preparation for the movie as well as his connection with the family – both have aided to the overall quality of this film. If I recall correctly, he shot at 36 different locations for the film.
For those that choose not to read the book, this movie will serve as a solid substitute for those interested in taking a look at the journey of Christopher McCandless.
i’ve heard this movie talked up left and right… tons of people have said the book on which this movie is based rocked.
patrick’s last blog post..Atonement
Movie review of “Into the Wild”
The story begins with an unhappy family, proceeds through a series of encounters, Christopher’s parents (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden), whose volatile marriage and regard for appearances begin to seem contemptible to him. After graduating from Emory University he set off on a cranking journey which ultimately leads to his death. A young boy leaves the privileged life he has known to become a self-styled super tramp. It's an intensely physical movie, yet it's never just physical. You can experience, feel and touch the loneliness that Chris encountered during the journey towards southern Dakota. Every image that he meets on the way tells its own story — of a terrain that must be met, and then conquered. The people Christopher meets, and touches, along the way are as much a part of the trip as his crash course in wilderness survival. His detachment, renunciation with the people and materialistic world during his journey is really a remarkable. He does not court danger but rather stumbles across it – thrillingly and then fatally – on the road to joy. Into the Wild,” which Penn wrote and directed, follows faithfully in his footsteps, and it illuminates the young man's personality by showing us the world as he saw it. Conclusively, the acting is awesome and it's hard not to find yourself in tears at some scenes.
Reviewed by: Dipesh Dhakal (dhakaldipesh@yahoo.com
Badly thought-out sequel with an appalling script and several half-hearted performances – you'll have more fun watching the original again.
NA