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Into the WildClaudia PuigIn the midst of his rambling journey, starting at 22, Chris McCandless dubbed himself "Alexander Supertramp." But the restless soul at the center of Into the Wild is as much a descendant of Henry David Thoreau as he is a modern hobo. Into the Wild, a film that explores the incessant wanderlust of Virginia native McCandless, is captivating and multifaceted. Written and directed by Sean Penn, the film is a haunting and moving experience, highlighted by evocative original music by Eddie Vedder. Anyone who has read Jon Krakauer's fascinating non-fiction best seller upon which the film is based is bound to be satisfied by this cinematic retelling, despite its considerable length. Passages of the book are used in the film, which organizes McCandless' life with such chapter headings as "The Getting of Wisdom," possibly in an effort to impose some structure onto his seemingly aimless roaming. McCandless' sister, played by Jena Malone, also provides narration. She describes her brother's traumatic estrangement from his parents, which helps us to empathize with him and comprehend his unorthodox choices. In his book, Krakauer analyzed aspects of McCandless' longing to escape the mundane and materialistic elements he felt dominated modern society. That same questing spirit comes through in the film. Though he has evident empathy for his subject, Penn doesn't judge him. It doesn't seem important to Penn that we like McCandless, just that we understand him. And even then, we may come to different conclusions about his essential character. Was McCandless an innocent dreamer, a sensitive soul yearning to be closer to nature? Or was he a childish and self-absorbed tenderfoot who took unnecessary risks? Was there mental illness involved when he burned all his cash and holed up in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness? The film presents the facts and gently explores his psyche, as much as anyone can. No matter where you stand on the wisdom of McCandless' choices, his saga is a fascinating and disturbing one. Emile Hirsch deftly plays McCandless with intelligence and a kind of offbeat verve, appropriate for the character. Impressively, he shed 40 pounds for the film's climactic scenes. The rest of the ensemble cast is strong, notably Hal Holbrook as a lonely widower and Catherine Keener as a kindly hippie. The film rambles a bit, but that is actually effective given the rootless nature of the subject. McCandless' vagabond ways don't pan out for him. He grows increasingly desperate as he becomes more solitary and food is scarce. Nature is impervious to his pain, but viewers will not be. The exquisite scenery leaves a searing impression, as does the absorbing mystery of McCandless' odyssey. ?? Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. |
