By Ned Jordan
Into the Wild is the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a
young man from a well-to-do family who upon graduation from Emory University
decided to donate all of his money to charity, turn his back on his family, and
head across country and make his way to Alaska where he could live on his own in
the wild. He was given everything he could need while growing up, but his
bickering materialistic parents (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden) raised him
in a spiritual vacuum, leaving Christopher desperate to seek out some sort of
meaning out of life by shunning all of its materialistic trappings. He
took his time getting to Alaska, staying in a few places long enough to begin to
make some friends, but before any bonds or ties could really take root he would
move on again. Once in the Alaskan backcountry he took up residence in an
abandoned school bus he happened upon and began to live of off the land.
Unfortunately, he soon found that he was woefully unprepared for wilderness
living and that nature could be merciless, and he also began to realize the
importance of some of the things he had given up, especially the bonds of human
love and friendship.
Into the Wild is a good movie because it doesn't tell you what you should
think of McCandless. He's not portrayed as a noble spirit or as a naive
and misguided fool, but rather with an evenhandedness that allows you to make up
your own mind about him. No matter what you ultimately decide, it's hard
not to be affected by the film in some way or not to feel saddened by the
tragedy of the story. Into the Wild is one of those movies that will stick
with you for a while, occupying your thoughts on what's important in life and
what can be left behind.
Into the Wild is a movie that really benefits from the transition to hi-def
on Blu-ray. It is a beautifully filmed movie, and the gorgeous scenery can
only be done justice in high definition. The features on the disc are
unfortunately only presented in standard definition, but they provide some
additional interesting background information on the movie and McCandless and
are worthwhile viewing for anyone captivated by this amazing and tragic true
story.
Final Rating:
