Magnificent

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2013)

All these years, The Dark Knight (2008) has been my favorite movie. After watching Into the Wild though, I may have to reconsider.
Based on the eponymous book written by Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild is the true story of Christopher McCandless; a graduate from Emory University who gives up his possessions and sets out on a journey to Alaska. Self proclaimed as 'Alexander Super tramp', he roams the countryside searching for solace from his violent parents and the demanding society. Armed only with a backpack having few tools and a burning desire for truth and simplicity, Christopher ends up finding both through overpowering experiences.
Best described as a travelogue, Into the Wild is a hard-boiled account of a man who dared to do something we all yearn to do – escape the society. Eric Gautier's sinuously mobile camera supplies the film with breathtaking visuals of Alaska. It lends an artistic feel to an already well-made product, taking the film to a level that renders the audience helplessly awed with its creative rawness.
Yes, the cinematography is THAT good. Everything Christopher encounters or touches is a part of his journey; the journey to a life of primitiveness. Director Sean Penn offers infinite moments to make you feel Christopher's suffering, his freedom and his happiness. Eddie Vedder's background score adds to the emotional potency of each scene, and makes watching this film a truly enriching experience.
Often branded by his critics as a suicidal thrill-seeker, to me Christopher McCandless' philosophy which led to his asceticism is quite simple. He was just a person who had too much of the society and wanted out. Emile Hirsch delivers a remarkable performance; hitting all the important notes on the graph of character nuances. There's a subtle ingenuity in his acting: he obediently devotes his body, mind and soul to this role and makes sure that it stands out as a towering central performance. Everyone in the supporting crew performs reasonably well, especially Hal Holbrook as the old and lovable Ron Franz. You may argue that you have already seen more than half a dozen films which take digs at society and promote anti-consumerism. Into The Wild drives the same car but hits the gas too hard; so if you are willing to take it, you're in for a spellbinding ride.
Into the Wild is not for the squeamish, or for the ones looking for light-hearted entertainment. It is a no-nonsense film about the struggle and determination of one man. Mammoth-sized, both in length and scope; this film is a riveting piece of cinematic achievement which will be looked upon as a classic in the years to come.
I am still shaken by the intensity of its crushingly moving climax, and I cannot help but feel indebted to the whole team behind this film because they lent their creativity and effort for a higher cause: making the world aware of an indomitable spirit, a real human being. A film then, about a real human life – a life worth celebrating with the reverence it deserves.
As Jack London put it, "It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity laughing at the futility of life and the effort of life. It was the Wild, the savage, frozen-hearted Northland Wild" (White Fang). This quote says exactly what Chris was up against – what he knew he was up against. He wanted to live simply, in the raw, harsh wilderness and he did. People describe his Alaskan odyssey as 'tragic, stupid and inconsiderate'. I can almost see him smiling on this urbanized pot of pollution and social botheration, which we now call the 'modern world'.