To preface my review I have not read Into the Wild (the book...although it has now shot up my ever growing list of books that I need to read...maybe some time this summer I'll actually get to a few books) nor did I know that it was a true story. I came into this movie with a minimal amount of scattered knowledge.
In Sean Penn's film creation of Into the Wild he uses an amazing amount of pictures, music, locations, and camera shots to help tell a story of one man's journey into the wilderness of Alaska. Again being based off of a book I found that a lot of the dialogue that was selected for narration was necessary and helped advance the story, build the characters, and was very elegant which was very fitting to the rest of the film.
The were enough flashback scenes and time spent in them so we really go to know the character of Chris/Alexander Supertramp as well as come to know and love the people that came into Alex's life who he was able to share life with for brief periods of time. Which include familiar faces like Vince Vaughn and Kristen Stewart (who I recognized but had to google in order to realize she was in Twilight as well). Kristen surprised me with her acting and Vince was not his stereotypical character which was refreshing. But the character that steals your heart is played by Hal Holbrook as Ron. Hal gives a performance that just knocks everything right out of the park.
There were many visual abnormalities in this film versus a "traditional" style. Times when multiple images would be up on the screen at once, times where the picture when into a breif freeze frame, and times where Alexander's letters would be written across the screen but narrated by no one causing the viewer to actually read them and not just have them read to them connected them to the story on a deeper level.
There is a lot of beauty shown in this film (which was shot in many different locations) and for me personally inspired me to take time in my own upcoming journey across the United States and take pictures of the beauty I encounter and really breathe it all in instead of rushing past it. But along with the beauty all around us this film also reminds us of the beauty that is the other people in our lives and those that are encountering beauty with us.
If you're in the mood for a film with tons of dialouge and excitement - this isn't the film for you. However, what I love about this film is that it can tell a wonderful story and uses music and images to tell to story and give a slight feel that you are reading the story for yourself, navigating through it on your own...flipping the pages. I loved the unique style this film had and how the detail of selecting each camera shot is very evident when you watch it.
Even though I haven't read the book, I feel like this would be one film that does its novel counterpart justice...but like I said, I haven't read it but this is definitely a must see and probably a must read as well.
4 stars.
-Dav3
When you forgive...you love. And when you love, God's light shines on you.
-Into the Wild
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