Into the Wild
If the Into the Wild comes to a theater anywhere near you, please take the time to go see it. The film tells the tale of Chris McCandless and is based on the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer. I have not had a chance to read the book yet, but it is now on my list. You will likely recall hearing about McCandless back in 1992, when his body was discovered in a bus in the Alaskan wilderness. I was in my last year of high school at the time and dismissed the incident as a random case of foolhardiness. Both my subsequent experiences and this film have caused me to reevaluate my opinion of this "crazy" young man.
Sean Penn directs an utterly absorbing, heartbreaking retelling of McCandless' journey. Overall it got excellent reviews, though I have heard it panned, mostly for its nonlinear presentation. I believe this is an incorrect evaluation, and that, if anything Penn's technique enhances the story. It flows very smoothly from scene to scene, and never is there a moment of confusion or a lack of cohesion. I do not think a chronological format would have worked nearly so well. The cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking. The film is obviously a labor of love on the part of Penn, who co-wrote the script. He manages to capture every detail. There are some wonderful touches- moments of surprising insight and tenderness.
The cast is perfect, particularly Emile Hirsch who plays McCandless. Brian Dierker and Marcia Gay Harden deliver powerful turns as an aging hippie couple. Dierker so thoroughly captures the role that I wonder if he is not an actual hippie (I use the term quite affectionately here by the way). His laid back nature and sage-like wisdom are so instantly recognizable that I was overcome by the feeling that I had met him before. He is the perfect amalgamation of so many I have met in my travels (and in my life apart from my travels as well).
I am of course biased. To say that I identify with the protagonist is to wander into the realm of extreme understatement. Where many will no doubt see a confused, lost, even angry soul wandering through life without purpose, I see an educated man disillusioned with the status quo. There was a fire within him, a thirst for the truth that cannot be quenched with all the learning in the world. Prepackaged answers and a carefully mapped out life will simply not suffice for such a man. Was he careless an ill-prepared? Certainly. Though I actually find this thrilling, necessary even, in this age of fear and meticulously planned, cautious living. As a friend pointed out, everyone cannot lead such a life of wild abandon and freedom. Perhaps this is true, but those few who are able are the very ones who maintain the flame of man's spirit. To attempt to bend such a man into some corporate manikin is to attempt to fit a grizzly bear into a tutu. Even with all the many adventures I have undertaken, this fellow makes me feel a mere poser by comparison. He may have lived only to twenty-three, but how beautifully he lived. We are of the same spirit.
My own travels are similar, to be sure, though I have only ever lived as he does during my first trip to Europe when I was hitchhiking, living in fields, bathing at gas stations and living off very little money. And that was only a month. Of course this only goes as far as his "leather tramping" days, not the point at which he actually goes into the woods. This is not to say that I have not done similar things (trekking, whitewater rafting and such), only that I did not quite go to the extremes he does.
The Alaska trip is not something I would undertake at this point in my life, My knowledge of wilderness survival is nowhere near adequate, and living in the wild is not quite my cup of tea. That said, I can definitely see the attraction, and I might be tempted to try if at some point, or something similar anyway. Certainly, four or five months would not be difficult. For now, brief camping and hiking (or as I call it walking in the woods) excursions are sufficient. At any rate, my destiny lies on the other side of the world. If you do not know and want to understand what motivates such individuals, see this film.
Sean Penn directs an utterly absorbing, heartbreaking retelling of McCandless' journey. Overall it got excellent reviews, though I have heard it panned, mostly for its nonlinear presentation. I believe this is an incorrect evaluation, and that, if anything Penn's technique enhances the story. It flows very smoothly from scene to scene, and never is there a moment of confusion or a lack of cohesion. I do not think a chronological format would have worked nearly so well. The cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking. The film is obviously a labor of love on the part of Penn, who co-wrote the script. He manages to capture every detail. There are some wonderful touches- moments of surprising insight and tenderness.
The cast is perfect, particularly Emile Hirsch who plays McCandless. Brian Dierker and Marcia Gay Harden deliver powerful turns as an aging hippie couple. Dierker so thoroughly captures the role that I wonder if he is not an actual hippie (I use the term quite affectionately here by the way). His laid back nature and sage-like wisdom are so instantly recognizable that I was overcome by the feeling that I had met him before. He is the perfect amalgamation of so many I have met in my travels (and in my life apart from my travels as well).
I am of course biased. To say that I identify with the protagonist is to wander into the realm of extreme understatement. Where many will no doubt see a confused, lost, even angry soul wandering through life without purpose, I see an educated man disillusioned with the status quo. There was a fire within him, a thirst for the truth that cannot be quenched with all the learning in the world. Prepackaged answers and a carefully mapped out life will simply not suffice for such a man. Was he careless an ill-prepared? Certainly. Though I actually find this thrilling, necessary even, in this age of fear and meticulously planned, cautious living. As a friend pointed out, everyone cannot lead such a life of wild abandon and freedom. Perhaps this is true, but those few who are able are the very ones who maintain the flame of man's spirit. To attempt to bend such a man into some corporate manikin is to attempt to fit a grizzly bear into a tutu. Even with all the many adventures I have undertaken, this fellow makes me feel a mere poser by comparison. He may have lived only to twenty-three, but how beautifully he lived. We are of the same spirit.
My own travels are similar, to be sure, though I have only ever lived as he does during my first trip to Europe when I was hitchhiking, living in fields, bathing at gas stations and living off very little money. And that was only a month. Of course this only goes as far as his "leather tramping" days, not the point at which he actually goes into the woods. This is not to say that I have not done similar things (trekking, whitewater rafting and such), only that I did not quite go to the extremes he does.
The Alaska trip is not something I would undertake at this point in my life, My knowledge of wilderness survival is nowhere near adequate, and living in the wild is not quite my cup of tea. That said, I can definitely see the attraction, and I might be tempted to try if at some point, or something similar anyway. Certainly, four or five months would not be difficult. For now, brief camping and hiking (or as I call it walking in the woods) excursions are sufficient. At any rate, my destiny lies on the other side of the world. If you do not know and want to understand what motivates such individuals, see this film.
posted by Joel Hardin | 10:36 PM
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