Very Interesting

Rating: 8/10 (25 March 2016)

Into the Wild establishes human's obsession for a better life through contrasting the protagonist's view of the dream and the infatuation of materialistic things of the people around him. This idea was prevalent in the 1990's as a lot of America has already achieved the American Dream demonstrated in Of Mice and Men. The film explores through Christopher McCandless that this preoccupation with physical things disconnects people from true human experiences. This is displayed through the repetition of "things, things, things, things" which emphasizes how people now only think about material possessions. This is further expressed when he quotes Thoreau "rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness, give me truth." This accumulation of human ideals signifies Christopher's straight view of happiness, excluding major parts of his life to search for a contentment. Penn not only criticizes materialism but also delves into the American Dream and how it dictates everybody's approach to happiness. This is illustrated when Christopher says "If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed." Through Christopher, Penn expresses the issues with people's preoccupation with physical ideals and society's compulsion to impose everyone's happiness.