Mr. Penn's Grand Opus

Rating: Null/10 (16 April 2008)

Deeply thematic, the story of a young man's wilderness experience is rendered compelling because the events really happened. Non-fiction is usually more potent than contrived fiction. And in this case the story's climax packs quite a dramatic punch. Mostly as a result of how the story ends, viewers are bound to come away with strong opinions about the idealistic protagonist, Chris McCandless, and his quest for truth. As such, "Into The Wild" works, but only because the real life events force you to think.
That said, it's been quite some time since I have endured a movie wherein the film direction was so annoying. You would think that Director Sean Penn would fashion a low-key, restrained film in sync with McCandless' disdain for money and showy materialism. No such luck.
Penn constructs a two and a half hour grand opus, bombastic in tone and smug in its philosophical righteousness. The main character is portrayed as some modern day spiritual guru endowed with miraculous insight. Penn hangs on every word the guru says. The film's plot structure is unnecessarily convoluted as if to suggest profundity. Camera work is gimmicky and flashy. And the soundtrack is overbearing. In short, McCandless' genuinely moving real life story provides the opportunistic Penn with a chance to display his flair for showmanship.
With all that ostentation and excess, the film screams out for recognition. It's as if Sean Penn is campaigning for every cinematic award in the books. I would thus argue that "Into The Wild" is not so much about Chris McCandless as it is about ... Sean Penn.
I normally like outdoor adventure stories and films based on real life events. But I found this film something of an ordeal to sit through. The basic story is quite compelling. And much of the film's scenery is gorgeous. Both casting and acting are quite acceptable, especially the performance of the always reliable Hal Holbrook. But the film's direction is so distracting in a tacitly self-congratulatory way, I don't think I could sit through it again.