Into the Wild

“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.

10/10