Into the Wild Reviews

For a movie to be even better than a good book is no small feat. Yet, that's how I felt after watching this film. It really impressed me. One of the reasons is the fantastic cinematography. Man, this is a beautifully filmed and, at 142 minutes, there are a lot of great scenes to admire.

Sean Penn directed and Eddie Gautier was the Director Of Photography. I can't stand Penn as a person but fair-is-fair and I think he's great as a director, having seen his work in "The Pledge" and "The Crossing Guard." The main actor, Emile Hirsch, who plays "Chris McCandless" (a.k.a. "Alexander Supertramp" reminded me of Leonardo DiCaprio with his looks, build and voice inflection. He is very credible as the young guy who wants nothing to do with materialistic society and dreams of living in the wilds of Alaska. The problem was that he was unprepared and underestimated what he was up against.

Two people who fascinated me the most in here were two extremes, age-wise - Hal Holbrook and Kristen Stewart. It was really great to see the veteran Holbrook ("Ron France") again. He was about 82 when he made this film and hadn't acted in a film in a few years. He was terrific, too. He had some of the most memorable scenes in the story. Meanwhile, teenager Stewart was captivating as "Tracy Tatro," who had a crush on "Alex." This young woman is on her way to stardom.

Brian Dierker and Catherine Keener also were really, really interesting as the aging hippie couple, "Rainey" and "Jan." I kept thinking, I know this guy when listening to Dierker's voice, finally guessing it was Jeff Bridges underneath all the beard....but it Dierker, a guy who rarely acts in films.

Knowing the book, the only part of the film that caught be off-guard was the young Swedish couple. I don't remember them in the book but I'll never forget this in this film!! One could debate the pros and cons of Chris McCandless for hours, so no sense going into that here. I thought the film was pretty kind to him. You read more in the book about how he hurt a lot of people with his silence. Either way, it's a a fascinating story and a beautiful film.

Warning: Spoilers
Being a recent addition to the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book I got the opportunity to see this film and I wasn't going miss it, especially it being directed by actor Sean Penn. Based on the true story, twenty-two year old Christoper 'Chris' McCandless (Lords of Dogtown's Emile Hirsch) has just graduated from Emory University as a top student and athlete, but he abandons his normal lifestyle. He leaves behind his family, mother Billie (Pollock's Marcia Gay Harden), father Walt (William Hurt) and sister Carine (Donnie Darko's Jena Malone), all his possessions, and gave his entire $24,000 savings to charity. His life in twenty months becomes a series of endless walking and hitchhikes, like a drifter, under the new name "Alexander Supertramp", to reach his destination, the wilderness of Alaska. The story flashes forward occasional to where the place he has found to find self-discovery, appreciate the world around him and reflect on the "unreal" existence with his family. This location is situated in the middle of the Alaskan woods, inside an abandoned camper van, or "bus", and while we see him find new ways to hunt down animals for food and make it through the winter, it flashes back to see his life on the road. Along the way he meets various characters who shape his life ins their own individual ways, whether it be offering him a lift, passing on the road or river, or meeting him while stopping somewhere. These people include hippie couple Jan Burres (Being John Malkovich's Catherine Keener) and Rainey (Brian H. Dierker), harvest company owner Wayne Westerberg (Vince Vaughn), teenager Tracy Tatro (Panic Room's Kristen Stewart), and possibly most significant, lonely retired leather worker Ron Franz (Oscar nominated Hal Holbrook). Despite surviving the winter, he finds the river he crossed is raging and he seems trapped, so with no way to get to animals he is forced to eat berries and fauna. He is devastated to discover from his book that what he has eaten is poisonous, and it causes not only nausea but starvation and exhaustion, and eventually he died isolated inside the bus, the text says he was found by hunters. Also starring the real Jim Gallien, the last person to see McCandless alive and The Hangover's Zach Galifianakis as Kevin. Hirsch gives a boyish but intuitive performance, Harden and Hurt do pretty well in their brief roles, the landscapes throughout make for great viewing, and the sense of wonder and sympathy for the lead character really resonate, a moving and certainly must see biographical adventure drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Editing, it won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "Guaranteed", and it was nominated for Best Original Score for Michael Brook, Kaki King and Eddie Vedder. Very good!

I always liked the movies directed by Sean Penn so I was really eager to watch this flick but I never thought it would be that good. I mean, I heard the critics were good but I didn't expect to be blown away like this. Until now, I thought Sean Penn was a pretty good director but this one is his best by far. Indeed, I thought it was a really fascinating and thoughtfull story with some great directing and acting. Emile Hirsch shows here he is a very talented actor and I am really curious to see what he will do in the future (Eventually, 3 years later, I'm still waiting...). The thing I most enjoyed is that the main character was, at the same time, inspiring and rather fascinating, but through his choices, he was also displayed as a rather selfish and arrogant young fellow and the duplicity of this character made him even more human and even more interesting to watch. I don't know, I guess, to enjoy this movie, you still have to relate with the main character's state of mind, otherwise the whole thing might seem pretentious, juvenile or even stupid to you. I mean, I would have never dare leave home like this (I did immigrate to the Netherlands when I was 22 years so I still get some extra points, I guess) but I sure can understand that someone would get fed up with our society, drop the whole thing and just get on the road. To conclude, I really loved this flick, it is one of my all-time favorites and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Sean Penn's work as a director.

''I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here...rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth.''

After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

Emile Hirsch: Chris McCandless

Into The Wild is a powerful, emotional journey of a young, spirited man. A story and film inspired from a true events, shared with the World thanks to Sean Penn's directorial passions and patience.
Sean Penn waited 10 years to make the film to make sure he had the approval from the McCandless family. This is powerful innovative film making. This is Into The Wild; Chris McCandless's enlightened yet tragic aspiration.



So what sets Into The Wild into cinematic history? What is utterly moving and soul falteringly effecting to audiences?
The soundtrack with it's soothing gentle tones of grace play with the visuals in an almost discordant, playful temperament of beauty.
Original Music by Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder is just mind blowingly effective in melting the emotions. To top it off the cinematography by
Eric Gautier whom was also director of photography, delivers work reminiscent of beauty; The epic vastness of the wilderness, the sprawling icy regions, the huge city scapes, simply take your breath everytime you watch. It's majestic, it's wow, it's freedom.

The cast is of course the finest assemble possible for a story of this magnitude, for a film inspired by such a turbulent truth, a life of a deep, inspiring individual unafraid to go against the grain, against the imprisonment society sets for it's materialist, brain washed pawns.
Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian H. Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart and of course Hal Holbrook as Ron Franz all deliver believable, caring love for the characters they portray on screen.
It is of course Emile Hirsch playing Chris McCandless who gives a performance that gives the film it's energy, it's vibrance, and it's unwavering determination and eternal soul.
As Chris McCandless gives all his life savings away to Oxfam, all $25,000 we watch. As Chris cuts up all his cards, and loses his car in a storm, we watch. As Chris McCandless adopts a new person of his own creation, he becomes Alexander Supertramp, and we watch on...in awe.
This is a young, intelligent man whom has graduated among the top of his university. Yet this is also a young bright man whom realizes the truth of the World and it's captivity. His rich, conservative parents obsessed with material wealth blind to the suffering and nature of their own children. Into the Wild is liberty. Into The Wild is realization. Into the Wild is truly about a prophet ahead of his time in terms of thinking and relevance who tragically died for what he believed in, who wanted to be one with nature, and one with himself.

Into the Wild coaxes us into remembering what the purpose of life is. How meaningless jobs, money, politics, business, and materialism can be. How we can be a prisoner without even realizing the situation. To be free is not as simple as it sounds, the truth is not as easy to understand or for some incomprehensible. This is not to be mistaken for hippy induced pragmatic wheel spinning, this is serious thinking for a better tomorrow. This is breaking away from the system and being truly, pure and independent from the chains of commercial imprisonment. A cage of numbers and soulless fundamentalism; In essence the love of wealth, the system, and the hive collective of zombie resembling puppets.

Overall, Into the Wild is a truly blessed envisioning that resounds in ones being. When Ron offers to adopt Alexander, you will cry in appreciation of this poor fellow man. When the parents realize he may not be coming back it is heart crushingly hopeless. When you watch Into the Wild you will guaranteed be effected by the ordeal, the pleasure and enduring spirit of one who stood up for what he believed in. An unwavering light in the face of oppression and darkness, unblemished by a lying, faceless world obsessed with the material constriction.
Into the Wild questions everything, provides answers if interpreted in the correct fashion. This is a taste of the real reason for existence, this is truly a testament and awe inspiring journey of a prophet.

''The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.''

This film is one of the most beautiful films that I have seen in a long time. It is not only beautiful because of being in the wild but of the connections and the friendships between Chris/Alex and the characters of the film and this film are very thought-provoking aswell. Chris/Alex has friendships with Rainey and Jan Burres, Tracy, Kevin and most of all Ron Franz. Most people would say that this film is a real inspiration to them but it was a little inspiration to me but not that much. The plot is extremely well put together from famous Oscar winning actor Sean Penn. He wrote the script and directed it ever so well. Its 1992, and straight-A graduate Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) destroys his ID, donates his savings to charity and, with no warning to friends and family, drops off the radar to bum around the US under the monicker Alexander Supertramp.


Why didnt Emile Hirsch earn an Oscar nor Golden Globe nomination in this film as Christopher McCandless? His performance is the best out of everybody even better than Hal Holbrook in his Oscar nominated performance. Hal was awesome but I dont think he was in the film long enough to earn an Oscar nomination. I would have said either Alan Rickman in Sweeney Todd or Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood. This film should have had an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Music Score, Best Song, Best Director and Best Screenplay because this film had it all. This is a film was snubbed for the Oscar Best Picture nominations. So was Sweeney Todd. I love 4 of the 5 nominees but I would say I would swap Sweeney Todd and Into The Wild for Michael Clayton (the one I dont like that much) and probably Atonement.


2007 is an amazing year for films because there have been masterpieces from various directors, outstanding performances and awesome winter and summer blockbusters. This is one film of 2007 that should have earned more credit than it earned. It has reached on my favourite films of 2007 list but not on favourite list of all time. I might watch some more Sean Penn director films like The Crossing Guard, The Indian Runner and The Pledge. Last thing I would like to say is that it can make people think about a lot of things in life like making your decisions about what you have a destiny and a great passion for like Chris had a destiny to live in the wild and experience a life of his own. It is a true story which is another reason why I really liked this film.

“I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.”

Into the Wild kept me engrossed and in complete awe for its entire length. It has proven to be perfect through my eyes, and I film that I will surely treasure and admire for years to come. With a potent and gripping story, incredibly beautiful and stunning scenery, and full of mesmeric and moving performances, this film is one that certainly can’t be overlooked.

Based on the bestselling novel, Into the Wild tells the poignant and riveting story of Chris McCandless’ life and the extraordinary adventures he came across. After graduating, Chris abandons his life with his corrupt family and leaves his past life behind, with a vision and dream to make his way to Alaska and live his life in the wild. Along the way on his adventure, he encounters many characters and events that impact his life, encountering many challenges as well as many emotional, heartbreaking and rewarding experiences. His pursuit of freedom and personal triumph becomes a ride full of many emotions and confronting imagery, but is held together beautifully by transfixing performances and overall striking scenery, capturing every aspect needed for a masterpiece.
The ending was effortlessly remarkable and astonishing. It is rare for a film to leave me as emotional as I was at the climax and end of Into the Wild. It just had that spark of hope even at the end when the story becomes heartrending and powerful beyond anything I would have expected or have seen before. Through all of the sadness and emotions even of disappointment, I found a message that will stay with me forever and satisfaction that this film did in my opinion end on a high note.

The directing by Sean Penn was incomparable and exceptional. The overall look and feel of the film came almost entirely from the masterful and appealing directing, which showed breathtaking and spectacular shots of scenery and throughout, making the whole experience more imitable and enthralling. The screenplay was incredible beyond words. There were countless points in the movie when I felt completely compelled and engrossed in the film, which gave Into the Wild the ability to take the viewer to a whole new world and forget that we’re watching a movie. There were several points in the film when the words spoken gave an incredible sense of success and freedom, delivering some emotions that I haven’t felt while watching a film for a long, long time.
The original soundtrack from Into the Wild was incredible and entirely mesmeric and potent throughout the entire film. It provided entirety to the complete atmosphere and stunning scenery that Into the Wild delivered. The best moments in this film were held together by the striking score, and had the ability to completely captivate them within its unique story. Even after the film comes to its moving and poignant end, as the music plays it gives an incredible feeling to the viewer. It certainly stayed in my head long after the movie had finished, and is now recognizable to be as one of the key reasons why I loved and admired the overall film so much.

Emile Hirsch was outstanding and brilliant for every moment he was on screen. He gave an incredible and gripping performance, delivering inimitable and transfixing performance and some remarkable emotions. This level of success continued throughout the entire film, and as his character changed the same compelling and expressive performance was kept. He was through my eyes the perfect Chris McCandless, and now I couldn’t ever imagine anyone else with the same role and perfecting it as he did. Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt were extensively engaging for their smaller roles. Jena Malone was also incredible and gave an engrossing and exceptional performance. Her words came perfectly for her narration in Into the Wild, and added to the powerful and enthralling atmosphere. Catherine Keener and Brian H. Dierker as some of the unlikely characters that Chris came across were also brilliant. Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook were among the other names that significantly contributed with their near perfect performances. The character of Chris seemed was obviously the main focus, but even other smaller roles contributed to the overall impact the film maintained.

Overall Into the Wild was a film that I am incredibly happy and pleased to have seen. This is a film that achieves perfection through all elements and tells a tragic and remarkable tale. See this for stunning directing, impressive scenery, powerful acting, a heartbreaking story and overall an appealing atmosphere. I strongly recommend this to anyone and everyone, a film that can’t be ignored and one to be treasured by all viewers.

"The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences."

Sean Penn's beautiful film Into the Wild is yet another masterpiece of 2007 that divides the blockbuster/action lovers from those who seek magnificent filmmaking.

Into the Wild is a gorgeous production affluent in poignant messages about life. The 140-minute film is exquisitely paced and carried by not only the performances but elegant shots that depict beautiful pictures of nature.

The film is based on a best-selling novel by Jon Krakauer that tells the tragic tale of a young man who escapes the banalities of life, leaves his middle-class family and explores the world. Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) graduates from university with fantastic grades. His marks will open up endless opportunities for jobs and careers for his imminent future. But Chris doesn't want to continue an acquisitive life that is orientated by money and materialistic possessions. Instead he wants to travel to Alaska where he feels nature will provide true happiness free of obligation and relationships. Chris donates most of the remaining money of his college fund to charity, burns the rest and hits the road as a dirty hitchhiker under the alias of Alexander Supertramp with the goal of Alaska in mind.

His excursion introduces him to a procession of people whom he becomes emotionally involved with. These people shape Chris' life and are touched by his vigour and dedication that will lead him to his eventual ambition of reaching the wilderness of Alaska. Chris is an inexperienced bushman but is devoted to his belief of finding contentment in the natural world away from a world that relies on wealth and materialistic belongings.

Into the Wild is powerful, riveting and moving. Sean Penn's direction is fundamentally perfect. He wrote the screenplay and transitioned this script to the big screen. The cinematography was one of the first things that really struck me. The colour palette felt natural; showcasing some landscape scenes that are absolutely beautiful to watch. Be it running water, stunning mountain ranges, animals in their natural habitat or the wind grazing the trees; these are all unique examples of accurately showing the mainstream environment of its location. Even shots that show the mundane city or the typical life of suburbia look graceful thanks to the great cinematography and powerful score. The soft guitar music was frequently utilised and it gives each shot a magical feeling to it. The music suits each and every scene it features in; each note was carefully planned out to suit the shot that it's being used for. This care and dedication to on-screen perfection means that the audience can never be bored.

I was never bored in amidst the fascinating events and the engaging story. Emile Hirsch's performance as Chris/Alex is close to Oscar worthy. I will admit that his character was a selfish human being who brought the tragedies upon himself, but Hirsch plays the role faultlessly. Hal Holbrook was nominated for an Oscar for his minor role in the film. He only appears for little time during the final quarter, but the character is one of the most significant in the film. Hal's performance has a heavy, powerful impact on the audience. He almost had me in tears during his important lines that are vital for the advancement of the story. Jena Malone was a stand out as Chris' sister who also delivers lines of narration throughout the film's duration.

Into the Wild is a remarkable tale that is thoroughly engaging and immensely entertaining. Into the Wild is stunning, gorgeous and memorable. It celebrates the extraordinary, tragic tale of an ambitious man who abandons his money-orientated existence and gives up all possible prospects of becoming highly successful in the pursuit of happiness. Highly recommended.

There isn't much to say on a movie like this. I haven't read the book so I can't say if the movie did it justice but I hope it has.
It goes on in a pretty steady pace and has meaning in it's own way but it's not until the last 15-20 minutes that it has a true impact and makes it a beautiful film.
Then there is the soundtrack that matched it perfectly.

This was a very well made movie by Sean Penn. It blended the location in Alaska well with the road trip that led McCandless to his bus. Hirsch really captures the spirit of the character and the idea behind a true road trip.

I went on a 10,000 mile road trip through the western states, Canada, and Alaska this year so I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. I love the intimacy you get when you travel on the road. You meet a lot of interesting people and get to see sights that you will never forget.

I think that Penn was able to capture the spirit of a true road with McCandless. He wanted to reach that ultimate goal of getting to Alaska. And believe me, it is a trip that is well worth taking. The cinemaphotography was beautifully done in the movie and is worth watching for this alone.

This is a movie to watch if you have ever done or had the dream of taking a road trip and leaving your box behind for awhile. I don't think this is a film you would want to take the family to. Most kids can't connect to this kind of story line. This movie is well worth the price of admission.

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