If you haven't yet seen the film and read the novel Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, I highly recommend both. They each highlight particular aspects of one young man's intense spiritual quest to find fulfillment, completion and meaning in the raw, open wilderness of Alaska. If you haven't seen either, and you're not familiar with the story of Chris McCandless, I won't spoil the outcome for you. But both versions of the (true) story probe deep into a curious, restless and passionate soul, in in so doing provide an insightful look at the human condition.
The film (directed by Sean Penn) does a marvelous job of bringing forward the key elements of McCandless' story, emphasizing the unexpected transformation he undergoes in the wild and bringing it home with full emotional impact. The book, while holding its share of poignant moments, fills out the details of McCandless' psyche a bit more, exploring the story from a journalistic perspective that can be a bit dry and overly informative but is nonetheless quite illuminating.
To top all that off, the film's soundtrack, written and performed by Eddie Vedder, of Pearl Jam fame, is phenomenal. Vedder was the right man to convey the raw grit and subtle beauty of this story. Journalistically, in film, and musically, this is an all-around well-told story of tragedy and unanticipated redemption.
No comments:
Post a Comment