DVD REVIEW: INTO THE WILD

02/29/08

“I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong.” Christopher McCandless not only makes this statement but he brings it to life by leaving it all behind, literally, and taking on the world. Chris is not exactly the body builder type so he must have felt very strong because he succeeded for a long period of time, something that I’m sure the majority of us would not be able to do. This movie takes you on his journey step by step as he searches to find purpose, meaning, truth, and basically himself. This is like nothing I’ve ever seen. The closest concept I can think of is Castaway with Tom Hanks except for one major difference: Chris chooses to go on this adventure. The movie was long at well over 2 hours but so was the journey. The movie was slow at times but so was the journey. The movie was odd and unexpected but so was the journey. The movie was breathtaking and beautiful and so was the journey. This film was like watching a master artist create a piece before your very eyes until it culminates with the finished masterpiece at the end. You might or might not like it, but it is still considered a masterpiece.

Christopher McCandless, a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp (Emile Hirsch), is a bright young man who graduates from Emory University. Having deeply rooted issues with his parents and not wanting to conform with the “norm” of society, instead of getting a job and settling down, he decides to embark on a journey of a lifetime that peaks at the peak of the United States; Alaska. The problem is that he takes whatever he could stuff into his backpack and his old car. That’s it! He leaves all his other possessions behind including all of his money. Actually he gave away his entire savings of $24,000 to charity and burned whatever he had left in his pocket . . . yes burned. So how did he survive? Exactly! But somehow he does and for a very long time. He starts out heading West for as long as his car survives. After that he’s on foot, hitchhiking, or riding the Colorado River rapids. He works odd jobs here and there so he can pay for necessities and he meets the most incredible people along the way that become his new family. But when his travels finally take him to his final destination, the wilderness of Alaska, he truly disconnects from everyone by going “Into the Wild” with only his backpack of stuff and a gun for hunting his meals, all the while reading up on the philosophies of life from the top authors of the books he took with him and incorporating the philosophies of his new family.

There are three things that stand out above all else in this picture: the story itself, the gorgeous cinematography (which was shot entirely on location), and Emile’s performance. While watching this film you will wonder if this guy is crazy or is he a genius, is he stupid or is he taking on the challenge, is he just plain suicidal or is he an adventurer, is this unrealistic or is this extreme realism as he escapes what he calls sick society to find ultimate freedom. He totally isolates himself from his former life by eliminating all ties, destroying any form of ID, and leaving no trails so as not to be found. This determination reaches it’s climax with a man vs. nature showdown. The real kicker about this drama is that it is based on a true story. I don’t know what rock I was under but I really don’t remember hearing about this case back in 1992 and it did make national news. Needless to say, I was dumbfounded while watching this story knowing that it actually happened. Emile has accomplished his biggest career changing role ever with his best performance to date which I think has potential for an Oscar nomination. But Emile was not completely alone. He did have a talented supporting cast with the likes of William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden as his parents, an interesting appearance by Vince Vaughn as a wheat farmer, and soul-touching performances by Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook as two different characters encountered during the journey.

Director Sean Penn is demonstrating that he is for real. This was not an easy story to tell but he took on this challenge, similar to Chris taking on his, and came out with a good product. The imagery combined with the connection created between the audience and Chris are top notch. I won’t be surprised if Sean gets an Oscar nod. I’ll leave you with this thought given to Chris by Ron Franz (Hal Holbrook): “if you forgive, you love . . . if you love, God shines His light on you.” So does God shine His light on Chris? You’re going to have to find out for yourselves.

Review By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com

VIDEO:
16x9 Widescreen

AUDIO:
Dolby Digital 5.1 in English , French, and Spanish - English 2.0 Surround Sound.
Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish.

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DVD REVIEW: INTO THE WILD 02/29/08

DVD REVIEW: INTO THE WILD

02/29/08