I just watched Into The Wild...

yellowled24

In My Dreams wrote:

I finally saw it too the other night. I remember reading past threads on this subject where a poster thought he was so selfish for not contacting his family. Maybe so, but I got the impression that in the end he realized how important it was to be with people, including his family. Very sad he realized it too late. The hell of it is, his death could have been prevented. I think someday I will read the book.

It is indeed a shame that he figured it all out just a little too late. To think he was searching for happiness, freedom etc and only at the end did he have that revelation. That would have to be what made it sad for me, was that he finally did find it but it was too late. But the journey to find it all was probably the most important thing, do you agree?

DriftingByTheStorm

Jeremy's Spoken wrote:

I did not cry, only because I expected it since I read the original book. You would think the ending would be sad, but it was a very happy moment, esp when Big Sun was played. They made that ending VERY AWESOME.. almost like I got goosebumps when I saw them panning out of the bus, with almost a smile on Chris' face and to hear the jingle and strum of Ed's guitar.. it was awesome..

You got "HAPPY MOMENT" out of that?

To anyone else who has seen this, did anyone else get this?
I thought the overwhelming point of this was that although his intentions in doing this were in the interest of self-actualization, not only was he being self-absorbed in his pursuits to the detriment of his loved ones, but further his final realization was really that the most important thing in life is human relationships -- man was not meant to be an isolated beast, he is a social animal.

Therefore, i find it a bit peculiar that someone took away a sense of hapiness from the end of this, as if Chris had somehow "found peace" and "died happy doing what he loved" ... didn't they go to great length to detail that he spent his last days miserable and feeling misguided, and that his death was exrutiating and essentialy in vain?

yellowled24

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

You got "HAPPY MOMENT" out of that?

To anyone else who has seen this, did anyone else get this?
I thought the overwhelming point of this was that although his intentions in doing this were in the interest of self-actualization, not only was he being self-absorbed in his pursuits to the detriment of his loved ones, but further his final realization was really that the most important thing in life is human relationships -- man was not meant to be an isolated beast, he is a social animal.

Therefore, i find it a bit peculiar that someone took away a sense of hapiness from the end of this, as if Chris had somehow "found peace" and "died happy doing what he loved" ... didn't they go to great length to detail that he spent his last days miserable and feeling misguided, and that his death was exrutiating and essentialy in vain?

ill second that.

fanch75

My initial reaction - what was up with the crazy ass white people that were listening to MC Hammer on some shitty radio along side the Colorado River? It's like, "Hey honey, let's get way the hell out of town and park our canoe on some random bank on the Colorado River, and THEN let's make animal faces and listen to MC Hammer on a shitty radio. I'll take my top off!"

NOCODE#1

yellowled24 wrote:

And I have NOT stopped crying...this movie was such a powerful experience for me, and truly is one of the best films I have ever had the privilage of viewing. The way that "Alex" finally discovered what he had been looking for, but being too late....oh my god!
Any other reviews?

um? what did he find? besides the fact he didnt realize the river would unfreeze and that he cant read the herbology book.

dont get me wrong i loved the film, but i dont see what he found. i thought he died happy.

smithnic

NOCODE#1 wrote:

um? what did he find? besides the fact he didnt realize the river would unfreeze and that he cant read the herbology book.

dont get me wrong i loved the film, but i dont see what he found. i thought he died happy.

Starving to death he died happy?
From reading the book you get the distinct impression that he did not have a death wish and would not have been very happy about starving to death. There were help notes left at the bus begging for someone to help him out.
I don't think Chris was a happy man starving to death.

smithnic

One other thing about the story is that we see Chris' life through the lens of the end. What I mean is that everything you see and hear about him is colored with the fact that he dies and dies from starving. Certainly that's a big part of the issue, but I listen to Penn and Krackauer and to a certain extent Vedder talk about why this is important to them and I think the same why it's important to me. Not that he died, but because there is this thing in some of us (maybe all) that feels a need to get back to, or into nature. There are no more places left to explore. It's all been mapped out. There is no more unattainable mountain. To look into death's eyes, to not blink and to return is a long held burning in the souls of many that nowadays gets overlooked and ignored.
The important part though is that he failed. I do not think for a second that he was happy about that failure. He starved to death. That is a bad way to go.

yellowled24

NOCODE#1 wrote:

um? what did he find? besides the fact he didnt realize the river would unfreeze and that he cant read the herbology book.

dont get me wrong i loved the film, but i dont see what he found. i thought he died happy.

he found out that happiness is better shared. he discovered that all he was running from, held parts of things that made HIM happy.
Shouldnt have killed that damn moose!

yellowled24

I just picked up a MASSIVE Promo poster for Into The Wild from our local video shop....for free! Yay!!

prljmngrl

I too love the movie. What got me about the real story is that if he had only walked a short distance down river, he could have crossed and made it out alive. But because he didn't know the area and didn't take a map-he had no clue. :(

yellowled24

prljmngrl wrote:

I too love the movie. What got me about the real story is that if he had only walked a short distance down river, he could have crossed and made it out alive. But because he didn't know the area and didn't take a map-he had no clue. :(

very true! you know what else I thought was poignant? The 'no socks' thing in the movie. Chris got told to wear socks at work, and in the first part of the movie where its showing his parents in college, his Dad isnt wearing socks either...cool. the way that Penn connected all this imagery together throughout the movie was so powerful.

NOCODE#1

smithnic wrote:

Starving to death he died happy?
From reading the book you get the distinct impression that he did not have a death wish and would not have been very happy about starving to death. There were help notes left at the bus begging for someone to help him out.
I don't think Chris was a happy man starving to death.

sean penn didnt tell me that, so how would i know?

threefish10

I really didn't like the film at all.

it was slow, boring and too long. the wife and i were watching it and i thought, it must finish soon, and i checked the time left on the dvd player and it said over an hour to go, we both almost died.

it's not often i'm just waiting for a movie to finish.

ZiggyStar

I was crying too.....in pain!

I thought it was overrated crap. I got half way through and had to stop it. The lead actor wasn't good enough to carry the film, imo. I might torture myself and try to watch the end this weekend.

prljmngrl

Yes the movie is excruciatingly long. I think that its easier to watch when you know the non hollywoodized story prior to viewing.

Danimal

I think I am going to go get a breakfast sandwich. Maybe a bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel.

fanch75

Danimal wrote:

I think I am going to go get a breakfast sandwich. Maybe a bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel.

Good call, playa. I think I'm going to grab something similar, and then come back and listen to The Whigs on my office iPod and get some work done on this glorious Friday afternoon.

Danimal

fanch75 wrote:

Good call, playa. I think I'm going to grab something similar, and then come back and listen to The Whigs on my office iPod and get some work done on this glorious Friday afternoon.

I DEFINITELY need to get an office iPod! I listen to music through Pandora radio on my computer.

harmless_little_f***

yellowled24 wrote:

Oh yes? Are you off to Alaska??
It really makes you question how much we really get out of our day to day living, and our possessions doesnt it?

Not off to Alaska, but I am leaving my job... without knowing the path ahead.

DriftingByTheStorm

threefish10 wrote:

I really didn't like the film at all.

it was slow, boring and too long. the wife and i were watching it and i thought, it must finish soon, and i checked the time left on the dvd player and it said over an hour to go, we both almost died.

it's not often i'm just waiting for a movie to finish.

Either you or ZiggyStar ever try to watch Lawrence of Arabia? Just out of curiosity?


One of the best movies ever, imho.
And it makes ITW look like an old short film.
[though, to be fair, it does have one thing ITW didn't have: an intermission. ]