2007, USA
Adventure, Biography, Drama
REPRINTED FROM THE DESERT SUN (Extended version):
Inspirational mountain men are a rare breed of poets whose names recall the truths gained by living in the wilderness. Thoreau. Muir. Supertramp.
Upon graduating with honors from Emory University, Christopher McCandless shed his given identity to discover his truest self. After donating his savings to charity and discarding all ties to a regulated economy, he got an itch for the wilds of Alaska.
Sean Penn returns to the directing chair to build a respectful cinematic environment for the true story that Jon Krakauer presented in his book, Into the Wild. Even the credits prove Penn’s dedication: thank yous to McCandless’ family and friends come first, then a list of the numerous on-location shoots, quote sources for McCandless’ discussions and lastly appears the usual list of cast and crew.
Penn begins the film with the humbling beauty of Alaska that drove McCandless on his quest and then rewinds to the moment when he first hit boot to pavement and allows chronology to proceed until it catches up with his final days. On the road he becomes his traveling persona, Alexander Supertramp.
With the knowledge that he will achieve his goal, the focus rests in the journey itself. The reborn Supertramp travels with out the trappings of excess material baggage, striving to "kill the false being within." Escaping a crushing home life, he creates new families along his travels. Despite his kind and generous demeanor, McCandless never seems to comprehend the effects he has on his new friends in his pursuit of a solitary life.
Emile Hirsch is devastating as the raw and quietly confident McCandless who thrives best when alone in nature. Catherine Keener portrays half of a rubber tramping couple he meets along the road, heartbroken from the disappearance of her own son and concerned for McCandless’ parents. Hal Holbrook plays an elderly man at the end of his family’s lifeline, searching for someone to carry on his name. With each hole that he fills for others, it becomes clear how much has been missing from his own home life.
McCandless’ revelations are exposed through postcards scribbled across the screen, views of his journal or voice-over narration by Hirsch. His younger sister, Carine (narrated with careful attention by Jena Malone), describes the facade in which their parents enveloped them. She speaks eloquently and without pity or confusion about the life McCandless recreated and her complete understanding for his soul searching.
Was McCandless a sage mad man or a sane anarchist, mislabeled by the conventions of society? With the speed of technology and escapes to nature reserved for weekend warriors, how often does a suburbanite heed the call of an untamed land? Into the Wild inspires societal mutiny for those who no longer wish to view the road merely as a conveyance to the 9-to-5 but rather as access to lands less traveled.
Comments (3)
It is a good movie, but I found it too long and draggy in spots, especially with the chronology jumping around, in the flashbacks of events. Hirsch was very good, but Penn’s direction blew it in a few spots. As for instance, when Chris/Alex is going to hike out from the abandoned bus after a season camping in it, and hikes through the woods, only to come upon the river he easily forded months before, but which is now a raging torrent. Then, in the closing scene, behind the credits, as the view rises higher and higher above the bus, it is very apparent that the bus is located right on the edge of a cliff, overlooking that river. So Chris/Alex should have been more than aware that the river had risen so significantly.
Posted by Sue C. | November 4, 2007 5:18 PM
Posted on November 4, 2007 17:18
The bus was located next to the Sushana river. That is not the river he had to cross to get back. The Sushana river (next to the bus) is the river on the west side going further into the wild of Alaska's Denali Nat. Pk. where it was Chris's orginal idea to head into. The river you are refuring to is about 5 miles east (back towards the road he came in on) and another 15 miles or so back to the town of Healy where he left. The river that he came upon that was raging is the Teklanika River. The Teklanika was 5 miles east from the bus. Chris had no idea the river that he walked across would be raging. Actually, even if he could have made it past the raging Teklanika, he would had to also cross, just one mile later, the Savage River that probably would have been raging also. It is a shame to think, had Chris known, only a mile north on the Teklanika where he crossed, was a Gauging Station with a pully string trolly he could have used to cross the river on.
Posted by Lon | November 11, 2007 3:39 PM
Posted on November 11, 2007 15:39
Thanks, Lon, for the clarification about the rivers. It was interesting and helped me a lot. Thanks again.
Posted by Sue C. | November 12, 2007 10:28 PM
Posted on November 12, 2007 22:28