Into the Wild, November 20, 2007

There’s a bit of stuff that I could nitpick here. I didn’t like the way that the direction used somewhat trite quotes and then enlarged the words until they filled the entire screen, to emphasize that something was VERY IMPORTANT. I also didn’t like the way some scenes were intercut like strobe lighting for effect. But, then again, this is not a particularly subtle movie. And usually I dislike things that are not subtle, but this one I could get on board with, primarily because I agreed wholeheartedly with what the movie was trying to say.

There’s a lot that I could relate to. As a young(ish) person, trying to find your own identity, with a family you can’t do much about one way or the other, it’s always hard to find a good balance. But the fact of the matter is you have to strike a balance, because you need family and friends in order to have a fulfilling life. Nobody can possibly be completely isolated, otherwise special moments, and special things, and even yourself as an individual, are meaningless. This movie shows an evolution to this realization, which unfortunately for the protagonist comes a bit too late.

In a lot of ways, Into the Wild reminded me of Grizzly Man. The main difference in character and motivation, though, is that while Timothy Treadwell was obviously delusional and insane, Christopher McCandress was extremely angry. And it took a long time for that rage to subside, but it would have, in the end, because he wasn’t stupid, and he wasn’t completely crazy. He didn’t give himself that chance, though. It was reiterated that he was uncompromising towards himself, and in his standards for other people. But by the time he fully learned that compromise and love are essential for a decent human life, he was stranded in Alaska with no way to escape.
He brought it upon himself, though, so in a way he deserved what he got. We can’t all be Thoreau, who walked from Walden Pond back into Concord most every day to hang out with his friends and get his mommy to do his laundry. We can’t all have the luxury of making a statement while keeping our lives fairly normal and stable. But I got the impression that this guy was so extreme and uncompromising that he wouldn’t have been able to act like Thoreau, even if he’d tried. Plus, he didn’t like mommy all that much anyway.

General comments about things I did like about the direction: gorgeous cinematography, really good music, the way items and images tied together different parts of the movie. The acting was rather indifferent, but that might have been because the screenplay wasn’t that good. But, as a whole, one of the best movies I’ve seen all year, that will probably stick with me long after I forget the details of more artsy or subtle movies.