Into the Wild

Review 1 of 11

Gorezilla writes:

4of 4 Stars

When I sat down to this film I had no prior knowledge of the story, thus did not know of the tradgedy at the end.
I found this a most enjoyable movie to watch the cinamatography was superb and I was very moved at the end. A hollywood blockbuster, probably not.. A brillant film definately!

Jun 30, 2008 23:45:44

Review 2 of 11

sprocketyboo writes:

4of 4 Stars

Best F****** Movie ever!

My hubbie and I are currently travelling (from Australia) in Canada on a shoestring budget, and there is so much that strikes right to the heart in Christopher's journey to what many trully feel and experience when they get out there and seek adventure, meaning and perspective outside of the B.S. and the life they have lived and would have been destined to fulfill for others (whether they had a say in that lifestyle or not, such as in Christopher's case).

The particular message and meaning I especially love includes Chris' short visit back into a city that is blindly carrying on amidst it's homeless and needy to it's upcoming and wealthy in a cold and bustling setting of traffic and night-lights, and sees himself through a bar window as an arrogant young man in a suit giving a sarcastic salute to his current self in his grubby, weather-worn state.

Then you remember the line Chris spoke earlier in the film about 'how important it is to measure yourself at least once' and it brings a new facet to that statement, besides what I believe the statement to mean about how in hardship and in the most primal of conditions is when you can trully discover yourself and feel strong. Chris' bravery, to be stripped of all his possessions and identification and set out upon an unknown journey, is quite amazing.

Most profound of all is Chris' self-discovery of his one regret at the end, which he discovers alone in the wild at the end of his own life, and that is the value of friendship, which shows him at peace with everything he set out to seek despite the tragedy of his end and the clear message that he did not wish to die; perhaps what he discovered was that equally as meaningful as the journey itself were the people who came into his life along the way.

The final message of the film was perhaps about not appreciating the value of human kindness and friendship in the thick of pursuing one's dreams and truth "happiness only real when shared" (refer again to my previous paragraph about Chris' visit to the city and you see the same flaw in both "people" regardless of the perspective one has over the other). What can be remembered almost more than the majestic scenery is the special people that touched Chris' life along the way who he inspired in his spirit of adventure and freedom.

Ironically though, how does one really gain the perspective to trully appreciate these relationships without tragedy?
(Eg. Chris' message to his parents in his mind before he dies, that if he were home now and in their arms, would they trully see then what he sees now)

I think this movie cries out about many of the failings of mankind in it's blind ambition and the flaws in human relationships just as much as the journey to discover oneself, and is told primally and simply through the eyes of a young man rebelling into the wild.

And who better to put it all to music than Eddie Vedder. I Love it love it f****** love it!

Personally and selfishly, this movie will always remind me of my journey to North America and how much it meant to be doing it!

Make more movies Sean Penn! You're trully gifted.

May 1, 2008 12:42:48

Review 3 of 11

Toonking writes:

3of 4 Stars

The performances were all top notch (especially Hal Holbrook's turn). Yet, several aspects of the film bothered me.

First there's the fragmented screenplay. Though i understand Penn's desire to flip-flop between Alaska and Chris' trek to Alaska, this decision never allowed the film to build momentum -- just when you're getting involved with a character or a particular situation, the flick decides to break away and never return. Would have been nice if Chris' daily journal dictated the elements of the journey.

Second, and far more troubling, is Penn's reluctance to, dare I say, "trust" his actors with two-shots and framing action. Instead, his choice of (in my opinion) excessive editing gave at times either an MOW feeling of coverage (Movie Of the Week, by the way), or a sense of editing for the sake of art, both major distractions. Why Penn chooses to not allow Hirsch and Holbrook to work together within a shared space, or Hirsch and Keener, or Harden and Hurt -- instead relying on the editing machine to dictate flow, is beyond me.

The photography is amazing, as is the soundtrack (though at times used when not needed).

Nov 29, 2007 17:19:29

Review 4 of 11

JoelKefa writes:

4of 4 Stars

"Forgive me. I did not see. I have failed you all", whispered the mortally wounded Boromir. "No, Boromir," said Aragorn, "you have fought bravely, you have acheived a great victory."

With these words, the life of Boromir came quickly to an end. What was the "great victory" achieved by Boromir at the end of a life marked by the betrayal of a fellowship he had sworn to defend? How does a mortally wounded man, condemned to die, win victory in the most terrible of circumstances?

These are the questions explored by screenwriter and director Sean Penn in what is, in this writer's estimate, the best movie of the year, "Into the Wild." "into the Wild" is the faithful account, warts and all, of a young, highly intelligent graduate of Emory University named Christopher McCandless, who upon graduation from college sold all he had, gave his life savings to the poor, and embarked on a two year journey to "kill the false being" within himself. After traipsing about the country for just over two years, his badly decomposed body was found in a dilapidated bus in the Alaskan wilderness. The cause of death: starvation.

The movie follows Chris's ill fated spiritual odessey, showing the audience how Chris abandons his former life to such an extent that he renames himself, "Alexander Supertramp". It is the gripping story of the prodigal who won't come home, who can't come home until he discovers only to late that real happiness comes from sharing your life with others. This point is artfully demonstrated by Sean Penn when Alex is shown reading aloud the words of Tolstoy about a life lived for others, in service of others.

By the time Alex comes to his senses, he realizes that he must leave the Alaskan outback if he is to survive, only to discover that the way back is through an uncrossable river now swollen with melted snow. Alex is trapped to his doom. The director shows us how terribly Alex suffers as starvation sets in. The actor portraying Alex is transformed into something akin to a Holocaust survivor before our very eyes. I have seen it twice now, and both times the audience gasped as the emaciated Alex appears on screen. Its brutal and horrifying to watch, but watch we must.

At the end of his life, Alex achieves the great victory that Tolkien atrributes to Boromir, a spiritual victory. Alex has now returned to being Chris McCandless, and, as such, boldly signes his real name to his farewell note, "thanking the Lord" for his good life and calling on God to bless those that he knew he was leaving behind.

So often we long to see the Prodigal return home, but in real life this seldom happens, because actions always have consequences. It is tempting to be like the elder brother of the Prodigal and judge the actions of the Chris McCandlesses through harsh and bitter eyes pointing out the folly of his short tragic life without realizing that the greatest victory one can ever have comes from having your soul stripped bare, having your folly exposed to all, and ending up impaled on a cross begging for mercy. This is, I believe, the predicament of Chris McCandless, and as such the film succeeds in its art on virtually every level. For anyone who has ever traveled the lonely path of Chris McCandless, this film is for you.

Oct 28, 2007 20:26:52

Review 5 of 11

docfilms writes:

3of 4 Stars

Reel Geezers give you an insightful review Sean Penn's new film
Into
the Wild. They leave you with something to think about...

Check it out at

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AkIuIPQObWQ

Oct 16, 2007 13:16:58

Review 6 of 11

episkyros writes:

4of 4 Stars

"Into The Wild" is about a number of things, all of them well depicted in the film. First, the failure of many of our relationships and the learning curve necessary to take proper stock of them, and the (brief) triumph of other relationships and our inability to fully embrace them because we are psychologically unprepared. Secondly, the thin line between courage and arrogance on which we sometimes dance. Thirdly, our sorrowful estrangement from the freedoms and dangers, beauties and terrors of Nature.

Random link here, but I'm reminded of the characterization William Manchester makes of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan the end of his book, "A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind & The Renaissance."

As another review here indicates, the positives are more about the storyline than about the filmmaking, but that's because "Into The Wild" the movie is more powerfully about its storyline than about how it is told. The word 'cliche' is too cynical a term to use here; the story needs to be seen in a broader spiritual context, so hints to that effect serve the valid purpose of tying Chris McCandless' odyssey to other, similar stories in world culture:

Under a big, old tree on the outskirts of an old town in India a young prince named Gautama, who had renounced his comfortable life sat down for a long meditation on the meaning of life, at the end of a journey through his country seeing poverty, infirmity and death up close for the first time.

At the entrance to the temple of Apollo in the ancient Greek city of Delphi was etched the advice to "Know yourself" as the necessary starting point to understanding the enigmatic utterances of the Delphic Oracle. Taking a cue from this, and from his own experiences, Socrates reportedly quipped that the unexamined life wasn't worth living, some 100+ years after Gautama. So he spent his time chatting up young people about life, until society tried to make him quit.

399 years after Socrates a young Palestinian Jewish carpenter by the name of Yeshua supposedly took off into the desert wild for 40 days and 40 nights to exorcise the weaknesses of the flesh and of the mind, and afterward talked to people about love and some of its important elements (service, gentleness and forgiveness), things one needs to be in relationship. Society didn't quite appreciate him for it.

Taking a cue from ancient Athenian theater, it would be cool to compare and contrast "Into The Wild" with the following films: "Jedediah Johnson" OR "Castaway", then "Rebel Without a Cause" OR "The Breakfast Club," then "Wall Street" OR "The Right Stuff," then "The Big Chill," and end it with that satyr play by the Coen Brothers, "The Big Lebowski" OR watch Dan Aykroyd/Eddie Murphy cracking it up in "Trading Places."

Oct 13, 2007 08:03:53

Review 7 of 11

gmhleaf writes:

4of 4 Stars

In response and defense of the first three reviews above. Who cares how dillegent he was at setting up base camp, or how well his survivor skills were. Who cares if he bit off more than he could chew or if it wasn't suspensful. That wasn't what the movie was about, that wasn't the point being looked at and maybe you went to see it for the wrong reasons.

The movie was about his spiritual journey, a soul that the social, superficial materialistic world didn't make any sence to. It was about his courage and spirit to break away from that and go and find himself outside the B.S. of our mixed up society. To strip away and simplify and get in touch with something deeper. He may have met his demise alone and sure he made alot of superficial mistakes but he probably leart more about his true self than most people who grind there whole lives away succeeding as society deems fit.

He let go and let life take him where it may and he met some amazing people along the way. Its not suspensful, action packed, and he wasn't survivor man. He was just someone wanting to leave all the attachments behind and find the truth for himself.

Of course its not a movie for everyone as neither is any movie but go and see it for the right reasons. If you ever think about what lifes about, what the point of all this is. If you ever fantasise about just letting go and letting the chips fall where they may then you will find this movie inspiring, uplifting and touching. Even if you dont it may find a way in and light a spark in your heart.

Oct 12, 2007 10:26:27

Review 8 of 11

willderrness writes:

3of 4 Stars

I understand the previous reviews and the price of admission was worth the filming alone - I will probably not watch the DVD however...

As a person who has lived in the wild all my life, the first thing one does after finding a base camp is survey the landscape as far as one can walk in a day or two and return - had he done that, he would have found his way out with the river wire only a quarter mile away or feasted on the food from Uncle Sam...

Also, as he had fire, the Forest Service would have reacted in real time to a smoky bonfire...

Anyone who goes to the wild does not need a rocket scientist to learn a few simple rule about survival...

I have a big problem with the use of a kayak instead of the canoe with oars that is much more believable?

In any case, if this was meant as an instructional video on how not to be in the wild and it scares the hell out of some novices - I would give it a five...

Oct 8, 2007 13:26:31