FILM: Into the Wild

[MynameisnotDeja]

^I didn't get that either.

 

[eggman]

I did a bit of reading on McCandless and the characters he came across. It seems as though that character was manufacturing devices that where being used to access free cable TV

 

[Ximot]

stunning film, moved me to tears. wish i wasn't so attached to civilization and the security it brings

 

[ego_loss]

I did a bit of reading on McCandless and the characters he came across. It seems as though that character was manufacturing devices that where being used to access free cable TV

In the movie, it's satellite TV. At one point during a particular montage Chris picks up a box and says "This is one of those free satellite things, isn't it"... and when Vince Vaughn is arrested Zach Galifianakis' character says "I warned him about them black boxes".

 

[cosmic charlie]

I give it a 5/5 I LVE this movie :D

 

[alasdairm]

i disliked the central character but loved the movie.

alasdair

 

[LoveAlways]

I read the book and wasn't planning on seeing the movie until I read this thread and somone mentioned swedish tits.

 

[Rogue Robot]

It wasn't a bad movie, and I thought it was a decent representation of the book. But, I thought the book made him out to be more of a dumbass. Either way, 4/5 from me.

 

[tennmile]

idealistic mistakes of the young. this one turned out deadly. if the movie portrays the truth, this lad was on his way back to society when he starved to death. sad lesson.

 

[mariacallas]

i disliked the central character but loved the movie.

alasdair

Same here.

 

[ocean]

I liked both the character and the movie.......
I haven't read any journals (as PB mentionsed) or the book- I'm interested to hear more opinions from those who have.....Panderbear, why is he as big of a douche as the grizzly guy? (I didn't think that was possible.....and found that the representation of McCandleless (sp?) was much more educated and philosophical than the grizzly guy, who seemed like a mentally unbalanced weirdo)

 

[mariacallas]

I didnt think the grizzly guy was a douche ...although the guy here in Into the Wild was a bit, uh....
This review from IMDB sums up my thoughts

NSFW:

Christopher McCandless lived a silly life and died a silly death. Here was a guy who gave his savings to Oxfam, left home without uttering a word to his family and who thought salvation lay in the wilderness. Too bad, then, that he ate the wrong type of plant and carked it.

All the time we're told what complete bastards McCandless' parents are. They drove Christopher into the wild. But what was their crime? Apparently they argued some, even lied a little and their children were born out of wedlock. Okay, they're not the best parents in the world, but do they deserve the harsh treatment that their son dishes out – no letters, no postcards, no phone calls?

Well, if you're a massive jerk and you're somehow unable to comprehend that human relationships are more complicated than a simple 'they're good' or 'they're bad', then you may be able to build a case for young Christopher, but if you have any depth of feeling in your soul, you may well think that McCandless punished his parents beyond anything that is reasonable. And also remember that he never contacted his beloved sister. She got the silent treatment as well. However, we have a scene where Christopher goes to call her, but instead he gives his quarter to an old man who is running out of change. What a great guy, we're asked to think. See how he lends a helping hand to strangers. But what about his poor sister, the person who loves him most in the world? This apparently is his one feeble attempt to reach out and tell her that he's okay.

But no, Christopher is determined to live alone in the wilderness - to find himself. He wants to escape from a sick society where people treat each other poorly. Hell, his parents even have the nerve to offer to buy him a new car and pay for a Harvard education. Those phonies. Those shallow fakers who give him a home to live in and money to spend. How disgusting they are.

Okay, so fair enough, the parents that we're presented with here are stiff, middle class dweebs who are more interested in appearances than anything of any substance, but what had me shaking my head was the assertion that Christopher's disappearance made them better people. Suddenly they're thoughtful and united and in tune with one another. Yes, that's what every strained marriage needs – their children to put them through a couple of years of hell.

But what I find most objectionable is the romanticising of the wilderness. Is this the only way that anyone can find themselves, by opening their arms and standing on the edge of a mountain and by kayaking down a river? Isn't there any other way? Apparently not. We even get a scene where Christopher, briefly stranded in LA, looks into a restaurant populated by smarmy bastards and sees a yuppie version of himself. You see what he'd become if he stayed in the city? Hunting moose and talking to hippies is the only way to become a rounded individual.

But the disaffection with society in this film is incredibly adolescent. In one scene, Christopher and a buddy of his just start impotently shouting 'society!' Yeah, society sucks and the wilderness is great. The wilderness never starved anyone, ate anyone or froze their balls off. In the eyes of every bear and moose is truth and beauty, and on the cold streets of civilisation is a steady flow of lies and deceit.

However, at the end, Christopher maybe finally begins to understand that his quest is full of crap. He writes something along the lines that happiness is meaningless if you don't have someone to share it with. It took you all that time to figure that out? That human connections are what make life bearable? You could have found that out back home, sitting on your couch in your underpants, stuffing Cheetos down your throat.

But of course, it's the journey that matters, isn't it? And what a tedious journey it is. Christopher meets hippies and quirky foreigners (who are good) and men with badges (who are bad). He helps people like a shaggy-haired Littlest Hobo and enjoys the milk of human kindness. Well, he enjoys the milk of human kindness as long as the people are poor. Everyone who has no money in this film is an insightful, kind-hearted, itinerant poet. Plus none of the hippies he meets are smelly, ugly, incoherent bastards who drown in their own drug-fuelled nonsense. No, they're inspiring people, who plaster their vehicles with outdated sentiments like 'freedom', 'peace' and 'love'.

But it's notable that there's a moment when even a bear won't eat Christopher. Supposedly the bear turns his nose up at him because the kid stays calm or perhaps because he's so sick he doesn't smell that good. But I'd like to think that the bear turns his nose up because it's BS he can smell, and lots of it.

However, as we all know from Timothy Treadwell, bears don't mind a bit of BS, but alas the film can't even come close to the genius of Grizzly Man, a film that shows you're no closer to finding reality in the wilderness than you are on the city streets. The problem here is that Penn is celebrating McCandless' folly instead of investigating it. Not for one moment are we asked to consider that this kid is perhaps a bit of an idiot. We're meant to find his journey inspiring and his plight tragic. But instead it's neither of those things. And at the end his death is elevated to grandiose status (it's shot like he's ascending to heaven, that he's communing with god). But in reality his death is what happens when a deluded moron tries to live in the wilderness without a map or enough food.

 

[TheDeceased]

I'm reading the book at the moment, which portrays McCandless to be more of a fool than the film did. However, he was young. To call him an idiot is unfair. When I was that age I was full of angst and made some stupid decisions. But I didn't have the courage/stubborness to follow through with my beliefs. A lot of us have had the same feelings of returning to the Wild. But very few of us actually follow through with it.

The review posted above says McCandless lived a silly life and died a silly death. Well, I'm not sure I agree. Is it any less 'silly' to work in a job you hate and spend your life paying off a house that you'll never really get to enjoy until you finally die in a hospital bed?

McCandless was a dreamer, not an idiot.

He was misguided and he died young, but those few years before his death were crammed full of weird adventures. And as I read about them, I can't help but feel a little envious.

 

[AxnJxn]

I'm reading the book at the moment, which portrays McCandless to be more of a fool than the film did. However, he was young. To call him an idiot is unfair. When I was that age I was full of angst and made some stupid decisions. But I didn't have the courage/stubborness to follow through with my beliefs. A lot of us have had the same feelings of returning to the Wild. But very few of us actually follow through with it.

The review posted above says McCandless lived a silly life and died a silly death. Well, I'm not sure I agree. Is it any less 'silly' to work in a job you hate and spend your life paying off a house that you'll never really get to enjoy until you finally die in a hospital bed?

McCandless was a dreamer, not an idiot.

He was misguided and he died young, but those few years before his death were crammed full of weird adventures. And as I read about them, I can't help but feel a little envious.

Well said. The debate about McCandless is an interesting one - was he a complete dope or was he living the dreams of many? Probably a combo. The hard part is the benefit of hindsight, and realizing that he could have easily survived if he had done a few things differently.

I thought Sean Penn did a really nice job with the movie, and Eddie Vedder's soundtrack is pure brilliance.

In the end, whether you agree with McCandless and his actions or not, it does make for a fascinating story.

 

[Mysterie]

I liked the book better than the movie and that isn't saying too much

Chris McCandless (Alex Supertramp) . the guy who played < wasnt a great actor imho and this ruined it for me

 

[Cobain33]

emile hirsch did a great job in this film, then he also did a great job in Milk, actually i believe he should have received a best supporting actor nomination for the latter.

 

[TheDeceased]

Hirsch is an excellent actor.

 

[JayJohnson]

Great movie, great book. Like someone said flawed, but still fucking good. Also thought Vedder's soundtrack was perfect for the movie.

Yes, he was young and careless. It's the way he shrugged off society's plan for him that makes me wish I had half his courage. Shitty way to die - but I'm just a cog in the wheels of society. I'm living longer, but how much have I really lived?

Plus I'm a sucker for a true story with a tragic ending.

 

[mariacallas]

Hirsch is an excellent actor.

Agreed. Very charismatic and talented.

 

[kingme]

i disliked the central character but loved the movie.

alasdair

this is also true for me, at the end i found myself fascinated by the story but could not feel for the guy. I mean i know what he wanted, i just did not agree with him.

Very good acting though, from all involved