For sure one of the greatest films I’ve seen leaving a lasting lingering impression too sticky to shake. And I dont want to loose its impact anyhow. A true tale of a mind, a soul, a spirit in a man deciding to follow its own course of destiny. And for that a renown for all time.
Into the Wild has a great website and is comprehensively covered on Wikipedia, where I’ve plagiarised the plot from:
“Chris McCandless grew up in Annandale, Virginia, and died at age 24 in a wilderness area of the state of Alaska. After graduating in 1990 from Emory University, McCandless ceased communicating with his family, gave away his savings of $24,000 to OXFAM and began traveling, later abandoning his car and burning all the money in his wallet.
In April 1992, Jim Gallien gave McCandless a ride to the Stampede Trail in Alaska. There McCandless headed down the snow-covered trail to begin an odyssey with only ten pounds of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, a camera, several boxes of rifle rounds, some camping gear, and a small selection of literature—including a field guide to the region’s edible plants, Tana’ina Plantlore. He took no compass or map. He died sometime in August, and his decomposed body was found in early September by moose hunters.”
For me personally there are numerous significant stand outs:
1. McCandless seemed to nurture and ability to enjoy a moment with such intensity. A purity of senses to stand in a place of simplistic beauty and soak up more than another individual could.
2. His stand against materialism was extremist, yet posed a challenge to myself in what is needed, what equates to happiness and joy, and just how much freedom he seemed to have in a position I’d view as restricted by its confounds.
3. The realisation of it all being of little meaning, unless shared, was profound. A timely reminder to self.
A tragic ending, but one that has immortalised Christopher McCandless. Yet I was left feeling he had lived, he had seen, he had felt, he had tasted, he had heard, so much more than most of us ever will to old age.
I couldnt recommend the film more. Brilliant acting, such a powerful performance by Emile Hersche. And incredible directing by Sean Penn. I’ve not read the book by Krakauer, but am sure the film does his work, as well as the original journals justice.
It’s left what I hope will be a lasting impression of a road less travelled in fullness.
5 Responses to "Into the Wild – A movie for the wild hearted"
It is a challenging movie but I think it does not talk so much about materialism as much as it sends a message that people should be prepared and know what they are doing.
McCandless went into the wild without a map and almost no proper equipment. If he at least had the most basic map he would have saved himself.
McCandless might be a romantic hero in some aspect, but I think he was wasteful with his life. To throw it away as he did, in such arrogance, in such extreme neglect, is amazing. I think it should be considered that maybe he wanted to end his life. Movie explores his family situation from which he escaped, the suttle psychlogical aggression to which young people at his age are very sensitive to.
I do not think movie shows him as a hero, but I see it as a realistic documentation of his path to end his life.
I will add that it is easy to escape but hard to stay and fight for the improvement.
I agree with everything Nikola wrote. It is a shame and very sad the way he ended his life….it is a shame that there were many more and will me many more.
What he did to his family and in particular to his sister was selfish. He was a selfish kid with little consideration for anyone but himself and even that was limited.
oh dear, it all sounds a little to sad for me! Ill stick to my stupid girly brainless romantic comedy!Did someone say Jane Austin Book Club?
Not a great date movie to be certain: however, one should read Krakaur’s book to get a true sense of the story and the character (I would read any book by Krakaur, actually I may have read them all). One should also consider the setting – post Veitnam American aerospace industry family – it may be a very different perspective and up bringing from your own. I have heard a range of opinions on the young man. One woman who had been diagnosed with depression and spent considerable time in therapy believed that he was clearly depressed and self destructive. My particular take is that he had an incredible need for freedom from the usual societal norms and essentially turned this passion into a unique and extreme adventure sport, not too different from many rock climbers who engage in extreme unroped soloing. Like all extreme adventure, there is an element of danger and people die. These various opinions make it an even more intriquing story. Having failed to extinguish myself in my youth I am now firmly in Ruth’s camp, except I prefer tales of comedic college debauchery and light heated adventure romps.
For me the crux was getting to: Christopher McCandless: [written into book] Happiness only real when shared.
After he said: Christopher McCandless: You don’t need human relationships to be happy, God has placed it all around us.
Anyhow, beautiful how we all got such different impressions from the same source. I dont share the sentiments of Nikola and Gary on this one.
Dan
Below some more quotes…
Chris McCandless Quotes
The following quotes by Chris McCandless are attributed to him by Jon Krakauer in Into the Wild book, through letters and postcards to friends, and excerpted from Chris McCandless’ journal entries.
“I read somewhere… how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong… but to feel strong.”
— Read more about this reference by Chris McCandless from a short story called Bear Meat by Primo Levi
Two years he walks the earth.
No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, ’cause “the West is the best.” And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.
— Alexander Supertramp
May 1992
Into the Wild book”So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
— Chris McCandless
“Surely all Americans have the right to give their money only to those causes which they support. But what kind of society has this created? A society where the ignorant reign. A society where enlightened must hold their tongues. A nation whose politicians must profess half-hearted devotion to an ancient fable or face the disastrous consequences of speaking their true mind.”
Chris McCandless writing on religious fanaticism in The Emory Wheel student newspaper, October 1987
“Some people feel like they don’t deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past.”
— Chris McCandless
“The core of mans’ spirit comes from new experiences.”
— Chris McCandless
“If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed.”
— Chris McCandless
“Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.”
— Chris expanded on the original quote by Henry David Thoreau
“Mr. Franz I think careers are a 20th century invention and I don’t want one.”
— Chris McCandless in Into the Wild movie, speaking to Ronald Franz.
“Greetings from Fairbanks!
This is the last you shall hear from me Wayne. Arrived here 2 days ago. It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. But I finally got here. Please return all mail I receive to the sender.
It might be a very long time before I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again, I want you to know your a great man. I now walk into the wild. Might be a very long time before I return South…
I now walk into the wild.”
— Chris McCandless, in postcard sent to Wayne Westerberg in Carthage, South Dakota, from Alaska
“…henceforth will learn to accept my errors, however great they be…”
— Chris McCandless’ journal from Alaska, written weeks before he died
“I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” — Chris McCandless’ journal from Alaska