"Rather Than Love...Than Faith...Than Fairness, Give Me Truth" [Into the Wild]

Originally Posted 10/23/07:

I saw Into the Wild this weekend, based on the book by Jon Krakauer which I've never read but is supposed to be excellent. It couldn't possibly be much better than the movie. Oh my god, what a film. The best thing I've seen in a theatre in a LONG time.

The story is about Chris McCandless, the son of rich but dysfunctional parents who basically decides to leave his entire life behind. After graduating from Emory, he donates his whole life's savings to charity, and just starts driving, and after his car breaks down, hitchiking across the country. He brings almost no money, no IDs and tells no one, including his family where he is going. He meets interesting person after interesting person and eventually ends up, on his own, in the Yukon territory in Alaska.

Into the Wild is, for me, fundamentally about happiness--what is it, where does it come from, and how do we know when we have it? Chris, who, on his travels, changes his name to Alexander Supertramp, hates his parents, and by extension, has come to hate to hate the society that they exemplify. He reads Thoreau and Tolstoy over and over again, and seeks to escape the clutches of culture as they did. At one point, Chris tells an old man he meets along the way, Ron Franz, that (I'm paraphrasing) "It's a mistake to think that happiness comes from human relationships." This is his misconception, fueled by rebellion and anger rather than love or compassion or even truth, that he must learn to see for what it is.

Nearly everything about this film, except for the kind of tacky opening titles, is superb. Into the Wild makes frequent use of voice over, which I assume are passages from the book. I was wary of this at first, but it proved to work very well. Moreover, it is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen from a purely visual standpoint, and the soundtrack is excellent as well. The acting is also excellent, especially from Hal Halbrook playing the aforementioned Ron Franz. Oh man, what a character, and the final scene between him and Chris is spectacular.

I can't really say enough about Into the Wild. I haven't seen many movies this year, but I'll be shocked if I find a better one. It's gorgeous, moving and incisive. Just see it, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.