Into The Wild

Movies based on true stories always have more of an impact on us. Whether its admiration, revulsion or any other emotion we feel for the movie's characters, they are more pronounced when we know that those characters exist(or existed) in the real world. Into the Wild is tautly paced, gorgeously filmed and well-acted but its the knowledge that it is based on a true story that makes it truly effective. One of 2007's best films, it is a poignant and powerful film about a brave and interesting individual.

Into the Wild documents the story of Chris McCandless(played by Emile Hirsch), who, after graduating from college, donated his college fund to charity and set off to Alaska, intending to live his life in the state's wilderness. The film lays out his life in two tracks interspersed with one another. In one we see Emile in Alaska, adapting to life in the wild while in the other, we see the journey that took him to Alaska. The contrast between these two tracks is enhanced by this technique. While he is surrounded by people - first his family and then all the people he meets on the way - during the journey, he is cut off from life once he reaches the Alaskan wilderness and is completely on his own. As we see scenes from both stages of his life, the contrast between them is striking.

Emile meets quite a diverse group of people during his journey and they are the ones that make those segments interesting. With his unique journey, its no surprise that he strikes up an instant rapport with the people he meets. The hippies, the enthusiastically funny European couple on the river bank, the grain harvester who runs some shady operations on the side, the lonely old man who warns him about losing his family - all these characters are well-etched and make a mark. During his life in Alaska, its all him. We see his enthusiasm and skill as he adapts to life there armed with just a book. And Emile's physical transformation(that reminds us of Tom Hanks' turn in Cast Away) plays a big part in making everything seem real.

Emile isn't really an admirable character since he is at best, eccentric and at worst, selfish. But he grows on us and so earns our sympathy easily. We feel for him when he finally realizes whats important in life and our heart goes out to him when he wishes to return but nature conspires against him. And the last scene is a telling shot that conveys how he has changed.