Into the Wild, He Said

It's one of those films that many of us know what the end is going to be. I'm not spoiling the film when I tell you that Chris McCandless was found dead in an abandon bus in the Alaskan wild. But as is so often is the case, it's not the end of the story that provides the value, but the journey the subject takes. Sean Penn has brought us a movie that beautifully tells this tale of a young man searching for himself and his place in the world.

Sean Penn's passion for this film is obvious in the construction and presentation. He wrote the screenplay from Jon Krakauer's book. The book is a story of young Chris McCandless. Once he graduated from college Chris took off on a odyssey to find himself that eventually lead to his accidental death. That trip, a search for reality and truth, is beautifully portrayed by a young unknown actor, Emile Hirsch. Hirsch has the right combination of charm and seriousness that brings the message to the front and puts the adventure in perspective. The sensitivity with which Penn presents this tale reflects his open admiration for McCandless's journey. He does this by not only showing us how the people that Chris runs into as he travels effect him, but how he in turn effects them.

This film is a masterpiece in every aspect. The script is clean and straightforward. The acting is superb. The photography is breathtaking. See this film.