A breath-stealing, beautiful film

Rating: 9/10 (15 November 2007)

Knowing the bare bones of the story of Christopher McCandless, and having seen Sean Penn's debut feature The Indian Runner, I went into Into The Wild with reasonably high expectations. The finished film far exceeded anything I could have hoped for - especially from the mediocre advertisements - to become the very best film I have seen in 2007 so far (previous title holder: Zodiac) and one of the most affecting film experiences of my life.
Having said that, I almost don't want to praise the film too much, as it would raise expectations to a level that might not be met by all viewers. This was, for me, a very personal film to watch. Penn (writing and directing) has created a version of McCandless that transcends mere biography or American travelogue (though it is both) to become a cypher through which I judged my own outlook on life and the actions and choices I make everyday. While it never preaches or takes one stance over any other, it is difficult to look into McCandless' eyes (Emile Hirsch in a career-defining performance) and not see your own soul reflected and questioned.
On a purely visual level, this is an astoundingly good-looking film. Panoramic vistas are juxtaposed with minute details, nothing dwelled on too long, but long enough to give a very real sense of place and environment. Its easy to empathise when Hirsch looks on a herd of animals charging across the mountain-side and tears form in his eyes. You feel the cold, the wet, the warmth and you understand. This marks a huge leap forward for Penn as a director, very quickly establishing a visual short-hand in order to cover so much time and so many events in significant enough detail.
At the same time, he has populated the film with some of the very best character actors working today in order to establish maximum character with minimum screen-time. Perhaps the best example of this is William Hurt, who - while only on screen for several minutes - has one of the most moving moments in the closing minutes of the film, in a single, short shot, devoid of words. Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, the always reliable Marcia Gay Harden and first-timer (according to his IMDb profile) Brian Dierker all turn in touching, pitch-perfect performances.
But the highest plaudits must go to Hal Holbrook and Hirsch himself. Holbrook is guaranteed to make you tearful without being maudlin or overly sentimental (Robin Williams: take note!). While he may look frail, he has lost none of his acting chops and delivers an important counter-point to McCandless' final stages of his journey north to Alaska, as well as a surrogate father figure in place of the parents that McCandless left behind. His role in the film is similar to the moment in The Straight Story when Alvin Straight meets a young, hungry hitch-hiker and tells her about the importance of family. And Holbrook fills it with subtle glances and expressions that say so much more than the words coming from his mouth.
Emile Hirsch delivers a performance the likes of which has never been hinted at by his previous roles. In more ways than one, it is a completely naked performance, filled with warmth, charm, fear and fearlessness, determination and vulnerability. It is, in no uncertain terms, an invisible performance, one where you see two people on screen: Christopher Johnson McCandless and Alexander Supertramp, not Emile Hirsch the actor, even when he breaks the fourth wall and looks directly into camera. This is a dangerous technique, but one that, rather than removing the viewer from the experience, pulls you closer to the character looking at you.
In all aspects (including the gorgeous cinematography and Eddie Vedder's score and songs), this is a triumph the likes of which we rarely see in modern cinema. That it stands to be one of the very best, most enduring films of a year that brings us Zodiac, No Country For Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James and There Will Be Blood is testament to Penn's growth as a filmmaker and his understanding and interpretation of the source material.
While the final 20 minutes are among the most difficult I personally have ever sat through in a cinema (I found it hard to breathe during one particular scene, openly weeping during others) this is a rewarding, potentially life-changing experience and a unique work from a major voice in American cinema. The very definition of "must-see".