A testimony to a very human dilemma and the true land of America

Rating: Null/10 (23 March 2008)

First of all this movie is fantastic and Sean Penn and his team have excelled. The acting of Hirsch and all the actors in this film is faultless. Into the Wild is a magnificent film on many levels. It deals with the fundamental problem of many young people in modern society that are over indulged and have everything at their fingertips as far as being 'successful' yet their mental problems and dysfunctional families leave a stain on their psyche that leads them into severe difficulties. This young man could have just as easily gone in to crime, drugs or alcohol with his hang ups and inability to deal with his problems but instead he choose to leave society and become a hobo travelling around the magnificent land of America and surviving for months on end. Of course it could have been seen as a selfish act and yet it was a young man coming to terms with himself and finding nature as the only thing that could help him. He did form relationships with people along the way but he was not able to really commit to anyone and I did not see that as a fault but something admirable. He did carry a special energy in himself - whether it was his vulnerability that made people love him or his strength it is hard to say; there was a combination there for sure. Into The Wild is so beautiful cinematographically; Sean Penn is a master film maker and the movie excels in every visual way as well as never making anything that happens trivial or without sensitivity. This film portrays the real beauty of the land of America and also shows the banality of city life and the fruitless existence that humans can carve out for themselves. By the time the young man comes to terms with himself he has put himself into a very dangerous position and this is portrayed in a way to make the viewer understand everything about this young man without words and merely using scenery and the power of the directing and the acting - it is marvellous. This a rare film and a must see testimony to America, the dilemma of our human frailty and the superb acting and directing deserved awards at the Oscars which unfortunately it missed out on.