Into the Wild [M]

Christopher McCandless, after graduating from college, abandons his life of comfort and the material to pursue a life of true freedom and happiness on the road and in the wild; a quest that takes him to a number of places, causes him to meet wonderful people, and leads him to the Alaskan wilderness which affords him the ultimate challenge of his life. 

Inspired by the true story and directed by Sean Penn, Into the Wild is a moving self-portrait that brings both insight and grief to its audience. Filmed in a beautiful and constantly moving and sweeping documentary style, it’s a film that really holds your attention and causes you to pose questions about the true meaning of the words life, society, freedom, and people. It’s astounding. 

Christopher McCandless, after graduating from college, abandons his life of comfort and the material to pursue a life of true freedom and happiness on the road and in the wild; a quest that takes him to a number of places, causes him to meet wonderful people, and leads him to the Alaskan wilderness which affords him the ultimate challenge of his life. 

Rivalling the breathtaking performance from Emile Hirsch, who starred as the film’s protagonist, is the dazzling and astounding cinematography and camerawork. 

Seeing that the film is titled Into the Wild, it simply would not do if it did not harbour copious aerial shots and helicopter sweepings of the breathtaking scenery: the deserts, the streams, the mountains, the snow, the flora, it was all these natural elements that culminated together to make this film something really special. This is the only film, that I’ve ever seen, that used the marriage of the camera and its ability to capture these beautiful but sometimes harsh and desolate landscapes and, by so doing, create the drama, suspense, and the sense of threat that the story requires. Seriously, the camerawork is absolutely amazing! 

As we established earlier, Emile Hirsch stars as Christopher and he delivered a spellbinding performance that was dramatic, sure, determined, poetic, insightful, charming, and quite funny at times. He was absolutely breathtaking! 

Starring Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian H. Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, and Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild is a captivating and deeply moving film that’s filled with breathtaking scenery, comedy, drama, wildlife, insight, rawness, and it’s particularly beautiful how the protagonist influences the lives of the people his path crosses. It may seem long and drawing at some points, but all in all it’s really a beautiful film.