Movie review: ‘Into the Wild’

Since the 19th century, Alaska has been viewed as a land where dreams can come true. Gold seekers once tried their luck there. Now, it is the perfect getaway for nature lovers in search of inner peace. Some even end up staying for the rest of their lives, despite the rain, snow and cold.

Into the Wild is a movie about a young man whose short but intense life story is driven by a dream of profound self-discovery.

Christopher McCandless (1968 – 1992) is an avid reader of Jack London, Leo Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau. At 22, he cannot stand his middle-class existence and feels stifled by his parents. He wants freedom from relationships and to reconnect with wilderness in a complete state of spiritual independence.

After graduating from Emory University, he donates a big amount of money to Oxfam and begins traveling to Alaska. He changes his name to “Alexander Supertramp” and abandons most of his possessions. During his journey, he meets people on whom he has an important impact and who force him to examine his troubled childhood and appreciate the world around him.

McCandless is clearly not prepared for Alaska. After surviving the winter, he realizes that “Happiness is only real when shared”. In spring, he is ready to go home. However, the stream that he crossed months before has become impassable. Trapped, with no food supply left, he relies on berries and fauna. One morning, he wakes up to find that the berries he ingested the night before are poisonous. This event leads to his subsequent death.

Into the Wild defies the boundaries set up by man. It is a tale of youth, passion and aspirations set against the backdrop of peer pressure and generational conflict. As such, it is a must-see movie for those in search of answers to their questions on life. Emile Hirsch is brilliant as Christopher McCandless. He is naturally gifted and this natural talent makes him one of the best actors of his generation.

Cast
Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Kristen Stewart, and Vince Vaughn.

Director – Sean Penn

Into the Wild is based on the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer.