Shocking, awe-inspiring and truly amazing: Into The Wild

Rating: 10/10 (9 October 2009)

This is truly the most awe-inspiring film I have ever seen. Jon Krakauer's nonfiction novel of Christopher McCandless' life comes to the big screen with one big explosion.
The story begins with Emile Hirsch who plays an excellent portrayal of Chris McCandless, he is freshly graduated from College with a promising future ahead of him. Shortly afterwards though, he gives all of his life savings to charity, abandons his car, burns all identification of "Christopher McCandless" and sheds his real name early in his journey, adopting the moniker "Alexander Supertramp", and starts to hitch-hike across America, his ultimate goal being Alaska. He leaves his privileged life and goes "into the wild" in search of adventure. He lives life like the wind, moving constantly from town to town, hopping trains, camping with hippies (Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker), meeting a topless Dane and her boyfriend (Signe Eghom Olsen and Thure Lindhardt), an underage singer (Kristen Stewart), working briefly with a farmer (Vince Vaughn), and befriending a widowed leather worker (Hal Holbrook). Meanwhile at home, his parents and sister are unknown to the pure happiness he finds in freedom, instead they are riddled with worry and grief, and his sister Carine narrates a lot of the film, telling us of how Chris' decision to leave had an impact on their lives.
The film bounces back and forwards through time, showing the beginning days of his journey then shooting forwards towards the ending of his adventure and then back again.
What happened to him on the way transformed this young wanderer into an enduring symbol for countless people.
Hirsch as Christopher was an amazing decision. He gives off a light throughout the film of someone who wants to learn life's secrets, and he is ultimately kind, naive and selfish, as every human is. The complete understanding Emile Hirsch shows towards Chris McCandless makes the story truly believable and real. Christopher shows throughout the story an idea of being completely solitary and a loner, but at others he is very lively and the life of the party. The supporting cast is amazing too and I especially loved the interactions with Hirsch and Hal Holbrook and Kristen Stewart too. Similarly, William Hurt has a short moment towards the end of the film that is delivered without dialogue and is utterly heart-breaking.
Although many would argue that Chris McCandless was a cruel person, I do not think this is the case. He left his family in search for his big adventure, yes, but he did not intentionally hurt them. We all search for things in life, a thing most coveted is love, but Chris searched for freedom, and he found that in running with the stallions of the wild, he found that in surfing the white-water rapids, and he found that in nature, but he also learnt life's greatest adventure of all is not only in freedom, but in family and hope.
The film also makes full use of the spectacular American landscape, with stunning cinematography courtesy of Eric Gautier.
Into the Wild is a thoroughly engaging, superbly directed film about a remarkable young man, with an Oscar-worthy performance from Emile Hirsch. Highly recommended.
Sean Penn truly delivered with a fascination of McCandless that made itself known throughout the film.
People that see the film will feel inspired, others depressed, others angered by Chris' naivety and decisions but I promise you that whatever you feel, it will hit you with a torrent of emotion and depth.
My favourite film of all time, I recommend that everyone go out and watch it.