Into The Wild DVD Review

"Into The Wild" reviews

DVD

Into The Wild

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2008-03-17 09:03:22

Provider

DVD Review

It's obvious that the true life tale of Christopher McCandless who left his civilised his well off life behind in 1990 to live in the Alaskan wilderness is one that holds a lot of interest for Sean Penn.

The actor, perhaps tapping into his own rebellious spirit, has been trying to get the film made for years. Not that it's an easy subject to tackle. McCandless' character (played to good effect by Emile Hirsch) is always going to divide people.

Donating his $24,000 school funds to Oxfam, he takes off on his journey without telling his parents (Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt), whom he harbours an astonishing amount of anger for. Changing his name to Alex Supertramp he meets an assorted motley crew of people on his travels including a shady farmer (VInce Vaughn), an ageing hippy couple (Brian Dierker and Catherine Keener) and an elderly man who loves Alex's company (a heartbreaking performance from Hal Holbrook).

While some may admire Alex's stance against the daily grind of modern life, others will see him as a spoilt kid who cut himself off from his parents in an incredibly cruel way.

Penn and Hirsch show both sides to this character which, while admirable, ensures the film is unfocused - not helped by a far too extensive running time.

Stunning visuals and sheer passion from Penn save the film and are on screen for all to see. This carries the film through its meandering moments. Plus the ending, as you expect, carries a suitable strong punch.