The film is a tour De force

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2012)

"If u admit that life is ruled by reasons,then the possibility of life is destroyed"...five minutes into the film and u know that Into the wild is going to make u sit up and watch Christopher mccandless' journey into the Alaskan wilderness a memorable and heart-rending one.the life of the protagonist comes full circle when from Christopher mccandless he becomes Alexander super tramp and back to Christopher mccandless when the final realization dawns on him..in one word the film is a tour De force..a story narrated with superb deft and excellence..one doesn't get to see much of Carine Mccandless(Christopher's sister) but her presence looms large in the entire film through her poignant narration which shapes up the story and engages the audience in her brother's journey..one becomes assured that life indeed cannot be measured with reasons and some questions are best left unanswered..when an accomplished and talented actor gets behind the camera u cant expect anything less than this.Sean Penn does cinematic justice to the book by Jon krakauer,a true story,which won wide acclaim worldwide..the actors in the film are brilliant and significantly contribute to the film's success..it would be unfair not to devote a few sentences on the lead character,Emile Hirsch's performance..he proves to be the perfect choice to play Christopher,with his vulnerability and freshness..the innocence yet rebellious attitude of the protagonist comes out with ease..his eyes vividly portray the pain of a disturbed upbringing and failed relationships..not to forget the last few scenes of the movie when his only means of expression of his desperate attempt of survival is through this sensory organ..Christopher's epiphany ultimately comes but it is already too late by then..the super tramp gets "trapped in the wilderness",that wilderness,in the attainment of which he gives up everything-materialistic pleasure,friends,family and a settled career...the message is loud and clear..dnt mess up with nature..and value life with all its beauty and ugliness..adventure does not necessarily mean desertion and renunciation of societal norms and human existence..the film beautifully interweaves the array of emotions..the helplessness of Christopher's parents,the acceptance of his sister who knows that nothing can bring him back from self-annihilation,the disharmony in marital relations as it comes out in the hippie couple,the carefree attitude of the couple in the island enroute to Christopher's river journey to Mexico,the pangs of a young lover in tracy and ultimately the need for human bonding and accompaniment as in the case of franz who wants to adopt Christopher as his grand child..the well composed songs add a soft and lyrical touch to the otherwise hard realistic adventure thriller..the Alaskan wilderness and Christopher's journey is beautifully captured..and lastly one might debate whether the length(148 minutes) of the movie is justified or not..but by the time the movie ends, the hours spent in watching the film makes up for the experience gathered for a lifetime..it will already go down to any movie watcher's list of all time favourites.