Review: Into The Wild

Hello everyone, Rhianne here. The next addition to our Discovery blog, which is another review, still with many more brilliant ones to come! It was only last night that I saw Into The Wild for the very first time and I thought it would be a great chance to tell you about it.



Into The Wild is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, a young man who sets out to live in the Alaskan wilderness. He gives his entire savings to charity, and leaves behind his family to carry out his ambition. Sean Penn directed and adapted the screenplay for the film, which results in a stunning piece of film-making. The film is deeply moving, taking us on an emotional roller coaster as we follow the story of Christopher.

Although the film focuses on Christopher's journey, his sister narrates the story, which I think gives us a deeper insight into the effect he has on leaving his family. The voice-over is a welcome addition as it is informative and the film would have less meaning without it. Christopher does make it to Alaska as the film has flashbacks to his incredible journey that lead him there. After abandoning his home, he sets off on what is to become an unbelievable journey to find himself, and changes his name to Alexander Supertramp so he isn't found. To reach Alaska he treks, kayaks and hitch-hikes, meeting some amazing people along the way.

He forms a friendship with the older Ron Franz(Hal Holbrook) which creates an amazing on-screen partnership. Emile Hirsch working with Hal Holbrook is truly brilliant, as Holbrook brings a deeply emotional presence to the screen. Their characters have such an impact on each other, and their final scene together is one of the best in the film because it is so moving.

The film relies heavily on Emile Hirsch's acting, which I think is outstanding. His performance is exceptional for being in his early twenties as it is such a hard-hitting tale. It is a gritty and powerful performance, and he owns the role. The cast is quite small but they all play their parts well, as the film needs to keep Christopher's story at the heart of it.

Into The Wild is an incredible film that manages to show the beautiful and harsh outcomes of Christopher's story. It is deeply touching and manages to take the viewer on a journey at the same time. The end sequence is unforgettable, and gives the film a very sensitive ending to the extraordinary tale of Christopher McCandless.