Into The Wild
After viewing this film, my companions and I entered into a lively discussion centered around how we felt about the protagonist. We all had strong views about him as a person, and not a lot of overlapping agreement. I report this because I did not realize at the time that we all had such deeply entrenched opinions of him because Into The Wild painted such a vivid and layered portrait of Chris McCandless, the true-life subject of the movie. This young man effectively dropped off the face of the earth after graduation to hoof it from Atlanta to Alaska. Besides surviving and leaving the burdens of his childhood wounds behind, he has no plan.
The film is based on the book by Jon Krakauer, which appears to have been taken from McCandless’ diaries (I am unclear as to the availability of non-family interviews). As represented in the film, the diary entries are sparse, numbered impressions more than detailed narrative. Krakauer and screenwriter/director Sean Penn, with doubtless careful research, fill in the story of this rebellious young man so vividly, we three could each differently psychoanalyze him with the wealth of material provided.
I probably was the least approving of his overall actions of my group. McCandless is a space alien to me, with equal parts insane bravery and myopic selfishness (I did admire the bravery). My companions (both male) were more forgiving in degrees but we all read his motives differently. While that may seem to be a failure of the script, I see it as a real, true depiction of a complicated cat with some complicated issues even he could not figure out. I also credit Emile Hirsch for his balls out performance and Penn for assembling the means to bring it out. Hirsch plays McCandless as vivacious and fierce, focused, polite, but remote. He has a startling body transformation during the leaner times of the tale as well, and a soft voice to bring us into his secret thoughts.
As a work of film, Into The Wild surprised me. As a solo vision quest, it does us the kindness of dispensing with the navel gazing and lets the scenery and the environment do more of the expression of peace and glory. Hirsch conveys the unbounded joy that drags Chris out there, and the rest of the movie reveals the darker undercurrent of the odyssey. Voice over reflections of Chris’ sister and the groovy, adrift people he meets along the way, fill in the shadows. I resented his abandoning his family, forging bonds and breaking them along the way. The light in him draws hew friends like a moth to a flame, but he only burns for his one goal of Alaska, Alaska.
Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker, as hippie gypsies he meets, paint a picture of the off the grid life that still keeps its own society. Hal Holbrook, as a man deadended by grief and age, provides a heartbreaking picture of the loneliness of going it alone, even when still remaining in society. Vince Vaughn gives a real grown-up performance as a man who still yearns for Chris’ liberty but is too gregarious for his own good. They are all wonderful foils and all turn in great work here. Chris’ relationship with the machine of expectations and responsibilities is tried by Keener and Holbrook in particular, but he sticks to his guns and leaves a wake of bittersweet gaps behind him. It’s gorgeously shot and will definitely give you something to chew on. See it.
MPAA Rating R-language, some nudity
Release date 9/21/07
Time in minutes 140
Director Sean Penn
Studio Paramount Vantage
