INTO THE WILD
US, 2007, 148 minutes, Colour.
Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook.
Directed by Sean Penn.
This is a very impressive film in its characters, scope and the wonder and beauty of the locations. Many audiences will find it a very interesting and challenging story. On the other had, it would not be surprising if some audiences did not find the central character interesting or sympathetic and gave up on him and his journey. Into the Wild is also quite long at two and a half hours.
In the late 1990s, author Jon Krackauer wrote an article and then a book on the quest of a young man from a comfortable family who, after graduating college, gave his money to Oxfam, took his old car and went on what was a two year journey in search of meaning, of himself and of America. So much of his time was spent alone, in reading and writing a diary. This itself presents a challenge to a film-maker who has to find ways of communicating an inner life while keeping the narrative moving.
Sean Penn began preparing his film a decade earlier and was finally given the green light by the parents and sister of the young man, Christopher Mc Canless. The cast had many discussions with the family – and their allowing the film to be made is courageous as the parents do not come out of it well. Sean Penn has proven himself as an actor (from Dead Man Walking to Mystic River) and has directed some arresting films, The Indian Runner, The Crossing Guard and The Pledge. He has fashioned a filmic story by working on several time levels to draw the audience into the complexities of the young hero’s life and relationships: his timeline of his journey is followed alongside the detail of the final months of his time in Alaska at the end of the journey. Into these stories (along with chapter headings indicating birth, adolescence, manhood and, significantly, the getting of wisdom) flashbacks of childhood are inserted. These have been filmed in home movie style which makes these parts of the story more credible.
Emile Hirsch has appeared in a number of strong films, especially The Emperor’s Club, Imaginary Heroes and Alpha Dog. This is certainly a breakthrough performance as the whole film focuses on him: the brash young graduate, the individualistic young man in search of meaning, the young man who works on farms and in Burger Kings to support his journey, the idealistic and naïve young man who encounters a whole range of people, especially on the margins of society, and finds warmth and friendship rather than hostility, the emaciated young man who finds himself trapped in an old bus in the snow and ice outside Fairbanks. You might not like Chris, who renames himself Alexander Supertramp, and disagree with his attitudes and behaviour, but Hirsch certainly brings him alive.
William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden have few moments on screen but create strong impressions of the parents. Jena Malone appears and does voiceover story as the sister. Along the way, Chris meets two older hippies, Catherine Keener and Brian Diercker, and is an unaware catalyst for change in them, the man actually mentioning that Chris was like Jesus. Vince Vaughn is also very good as the friend who employs him on the harvester in the plains of Dakota.
Particularly impressive is the encounter with an old man, played with conviction by veteran Hal Holbrook (81 at the time of filming). Since this occurs in the final part of the film and we have already had quotes from Byron, Thoreau, Jack London and Tolstoy about nature, beauty, solitude and relationships, we are ready for their mountaintop discussion where the old man helps Chris realise that he is on a quest for God.
This is a wonderful road movie, with vivid pictures of Dakota, Arizona, rapids and the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, California deserts and communes, the west coast and its mountains and, as the goal of his quest, Alaska.
One thing that Chris, Alexander Supertramp, comes to realise is that we are not meant to be alone and happiness is life shared.
1.The acclaim for the film? A piece of Americana? A memoir, based on a true story, the writer-director and his career, challenging the audience? The regrets about a young life?
2.The impact, the work of Sean Penn, directing as well as writing the screenplay? The strong cast? Locations?
3.The scope of the film: the framework in the bus, the magic bus, in Fairbanks? The variety of chapters, the graduation, the back-stories, Carine and her voice-over, Chris’s diary? The flashbacks and the home movie style? The variety of times, the mosaic pieces, coming together with Chris’s death?
4.The quotes from Byron, from Thoreau, Tolstoy and other authors? Jack London? The musical score, the lyrics, the new songs, old songs?
5.The location photography, Alaska, Georgia, the Dakota farms, California, Los Angeles and the inner city, the communes, Arizona and the rapids, the Grand Canyon? Mexico? The American west coast? The combined effect of all these locations? Filming on actual locations?
6.The background of Chris’s parents, the initial waking up and his mother anxious, the final scene of the father, his grief, sitting on the street? The graduation, Chris leaping onto the stage, the family support, the meal, the father and his severity, criticising the group celebrating, offering Chris the car, his not wanting it? Chris’s leaving, giving the gift of money to Oxfam? Burning the other money? His old car? Going without a farewell? His sister’s sadness? The filling in of the truth about his parents, the marital situation of his father, the other son? Their careers, high-powered, the discussion about divorce in front of their children, the image of Crystal and the mother caring for a bowl but not for her children? Their fights, the brutality of the father, “Look what your mother made me do”? Their staying together, their grief after Chris’s departure, praying in church, the change, their daughter’s comment about how they were different people? Carine and her sadness voiced throughout the film? The perspective of Ron and his comment on parents? Jan and the loss of her son? The audience reflecting on parents’ loss as children move away?
7.Chris as a boy, walking the six blocks by himself, his strong relationship with his sister, his parents fighting, his studies, the decision to go to Harvard or not?
8.In search of America, the various states and places, the people and types? His being generally welcomed? Officials and officialdom and their criticisms, the licence to go down the river, his being bashed from the train?
9.Chris and the questions about his life, the reason for his going away, his idealism, naivety, love of nature, wariness of human relationships? His awareness of what he was doing to his parents, its not always striking home? No message for his sister? The flash flood, caught in the car, leaving the car, throwing away the numberplate, his meeting with Jan and Rainey, their friendship, talking with Rainey about his relationship, Rainey’s remark about whether Chris was Jesus, going for the swim with Jan, the reconciliation, leaving the message in the sand? Meeting them again, his joy, listening to the story of Jan’s son, selling the books and reading, Jan’s final gift – and his using it to landmark the other side of the river in Alaska? The meeting with Wayne, his work, enjoying of work, the initial information of the film – written to Wayne? The farm, Wayne’s arrest? His meeting the Scandinavians as he went down the rapids, their friendliness, telling him about Mexico? Going to Mexico, the storms and the sand, his return, the border, not having identity? Getting into the trains? In Los Angeles, the streets, the people in need, going to the shelter, the woman at the desk and her kindliness? His going to the Saltan Sea, the commune, seeing the young girl, the singer, walking with her, her age, respecting her, the issues of sexuality and his renunciation? His meeting Ron, the lift, his leatherwork, doing his own belt with the story of his journey, the getting of wisdom, listening to Ron, coping? His going to Alaska, working hard, the joy of nature, his quest? His talk about God with Ron on the top of the mountain – and the light coming out? Ron opting to adopt him?
10.The old bus, calling it the magic bus, writing in his diary, the decision to stay, the hunting, eating, the moose, trying to preserve the meat as he had been advised, the flies, the maggots, the wolves and the vultures eating the flesh? His writing of it as a tragedy?
11.The decision to leave, underestimating the spring thawing of the water, the river too wide? His staying, his reading the book, getting the berries, his illness, emaciated, his finally dying – and his notice that he had lived a happy life?
12.The summary of his life, beauty in nature, his sense of wonder, adaptation, his suffering, finally knowing that he had to share his joy if it was to be fully human?
