Into The Wild has been my favorite movie for a decade now. When I watched the movie that very first time, it made such an impact on me that I started writing about it immediately. It was in fact, the first time I ever wrote anything resembling a movie review. But that was 10 years ago, and I can certainly acknowledge that as we grow older, our priorities change, our rose-tinted glasses fade, our choices evolve and so do our opinions. So, recently when I was telling a friend about how much I love Into The Wild, I secretly wondered – “Do I still love it or did I fall in love with it and decided that it was my forever favorite movie?” I wanted to see if the movie would stand the test of time and took up the task of re-watching it almost a decade later.
The story & analysis:
For those who haven’t seen this movie yet… Into the Wild is based on the book by Jon Krakauer and directed by Sean Penn. It is a story of a disillusioned but determined young man, Chris aka Alex, who, dissatisfied with the society, the rules, the monotony that materialism brings, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and disbelief. Emile Hirsch as Chris/Alex has done a fabulous, convincing job of bringing out the angst, the young rebellion, the wonder and amazement of nature felt by Chris, and the growth of the character through his acting. Although Emile Hirsch enjoys the most screen time, other characters such as Chris’ parents portrayed by Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt, his sister Carine, played by Jena Malone, his hippy friends played by Brian Dierkar and Catherine Keener, his employer at one point Wayne, played by Vince Vaughn and of course the unforgettable father-figure Franz played by Hal Halbrook, all make a deep impact and help shape the story of Chris McCandless. The music used in the movie and the sound direction, lift the already fabulous movie. The direction and the treatment of the movie is also unique as compared to the usual feature films. It involves a lot of narration, voice-overs, and philosophical complexity without oversimplification or explanation.
Come to think of it, the story itself is simple — a young guy rejecting the modern society’s constructs of life and living, and going about finding his own truth. What tips the story to greatness is the way it is weaved, the words, the dialogues… You cannot afford to do anything else while watching this movie because the dialogues will constantly challenge your intellect while the words will be feeding your soul.
The test of time:
It is funny how over the years, the one thing that stood out for me from the movie was the concept of freedom from the materialistic world. I gradually forgot about Chris’ early childhood experiences and eventually stopped questioning whether Chris would’ve taken the steps towards such extremism if not for his difficult past. Somehow, over the years, I enjoyed flirting with the idea of freedom in this movie and would often catch myself imagining getting up and leaving like Chris did, with no money, no career, no materialism and just nature. Realistically, I wouldn’t be able to do it, but it was a nice little escape in my head. So why did this movie resonate with me, despite having an amazing childhood, not many societal pressures and not too many material possessions unlike Chris McCandless?
Upon re-watching Into The Wild, it dawned on me as to how profound the movie really is, in more ways than one. It is a movie unlike any other. It is in fact, the book itself coming to life. There are so many things that bother me, just like they did Chris McCandless. Even I, like Chris, dislike and still struggle with the concept that success, fame, careers, marriage, children are some of the benchmarks against which your life is measured as being successful or not. It also bothers me that today’s world has become a place where careers are a mere rat race, possessions and fame determine a person’s success, traveling has become more about enjoying the ‘likes’ by friends than what traveling does to your soul. It is so easy to lose sight of how insignificant our petty issues and societal expectations are, in the grand scheme of things – a problem that has clearly been around at least for as long as the book has been around (23 years).
So, why not just give up everything, move to the wilderness and live out the rest of our lives in the lap of nature? The movie starts off with a quote from Lord Byron that ends with “I love not man the less, but nature the more” as if an assurance that the movie is not a long monologue on living a lonely, hermit life in nature’s lap. Additionally, the movie at every step of the way reminds Chris, and us, of how much we need people along with a healthy dose of solitude and nature. I also like to think that the movie constantly reminds us that the reason we don’t live like hermits in wilderness, is not just because we crave human contact, but also because we don’t have the capacity to comprehend nature in its fullest. Living in the jungles, among the mountains, waking up to the green-blue lakes and sleeping under the stars might all sound like a beautiful romance between man and nature, but is it really sustainable in the long run? Can you comprehend and take in all that nature has to offer without buckling down under its wonder, its magic, its magnanimity?
Verdict:
Now as for my final verdict on Into The Wild…this story remains ageless, timeless, and a must-watch even today, some 12 years after the movie released and around 23 years after the book first launched. Not only does the movie take us on a grand American tour, but also brings us face-to-face with our own greed, unnecessary accumulations, first-world issues and lack of appreciation of nature. You will hungrily want to take in every word with the desire to absorb at least an ounce of this masterpiece and only hope to practice at least some bits of it in your own life. So, if you still haven’t had the chance to watch this masterpiece, don’t even wait for the weekend; just get on with it already!
VUE 360 DEGREES 