Into the Wild

By: Andrew Moran

2 ½ Stars out of 5 Stars

Starring (Alphabetical Order): Signe Egholm Olsen, Brian Dierker, Marcia Gay Harden, Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, William Hurt, Jena Malone & Vince Vaughn

Click Here for Trailer

Into the Wild is based on a true story and the best-selling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) abandons his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

Into the Wild is an excellent portrait of nature that the United States has to offer.  From West Virginia to California to Arizona all the way to Alaska, the United States has beautiful scenery.  The direction by Sean Penn (21 Grams & The Assassination of Richard Nixon), which was his directorial debut, was innovative and hard at the same time; hard mainly because of the scouting location and continuity purposes.  However, the story itself is self-righteous and hebetudinous.  It claims basically what most Liberal Hollywood pictures claim: corporation evil and we, the humans, buy into their marketing ploys.  All we care about is money and nothing else.  However, the character himself was very hypocritical.  An example would be that the main character, played by Emile Hirsch (Lords of Dogtown & Alpha Dog), consistently wears his Rolex watch while he shoots animals and destroys nature to help himself, how ironic.

One of the main problems of the picture was the dialogue, or should I say voice-overs.  Nothing but voice-overs and constant quoting of Tolstoy, Scott and Thoreau but not one quote, except for a picture of the Crime and Punishment, of Dostoevsky.  How insulting.

The soundtrack was overbearing and deafening to the point that I couldn’t hear myself criticizing the film through the running time.  The score, in my opinion, should’ve been less 70’s radical political change music and more film score.

A lot of the ‘side’ characters were extremely well done and should’ve been more on screen.  For example I would’ve loved to see more of the relationship between the characters played by Jena Malone (Pride & Prejudice & The United States of Leland, William Hurt (History of Violence & The Good Shepherd and Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River & The Hoax).

Overall if you’re a fan of nature then you should see this picture.  If not, then I say you should wait for this picture on DVD/VHS.  The main character is a hypocritical, self-absorbed and dull character.  However, the portrayal by Emile Hirsch is riveting