The Critics: ‘Into the Wild,’ the Movie

Travel Blog  •  Michael Yessis  •  09.21.07 | 11:13 AM ET

imageAfter a couple months of hype, including an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Sean Penn’s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild” opens today in New York and Los Angeles. The big-screen telling of Christopher McCandless’s self-imposed exile from mainstream society and tragic journey into the Alaskan wilderness is Penn’s “warmest, most celebratory and most completely realized film and, though you might not guess it from the material, it is also arguably his most personal,” writes Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times.

Turan adds:

He focuses almost entirely on McCandless’ sweetness and idealism, emphasizing the largeness of his spirit in an attempt to mythologize him as an avatar of advanced consciousness.

Director of photography Eric Gautier, who also shot “The Motorcycle Diaries,” gets a nod from Turan for his “striking outdoor photography” of Alaska and the American Southwest.

New York Times film critic A.O. Scott also notes the beauty of the film in a positive review. He writes “though the film’s structure may be tragic, its spirit is anything but. It is infused with an expansive, almost giddy sense of possibility, and it communicates a pure, unaffected delight in open spaces, fresh air and bright sunshine.” It is, he says, “a movie about the desire for freedom that feels, in itself, like the fulfillment of that desire.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman gives the film an A-, saying it has “a darkling purity that will haunt anyone willing to take the trip.”

Salon’s Stephanie Zacharek has more of a mixed take: “The story Penn has made from Krakauer’s book is sometimes absorbing and occasionally quite touching,” she writes. “And Penn is perceptive enough to see that the act of ‘finding oneself’ isn’t necessarily just a groovy, harmless quest; it can also be a profoundly manipulative act, a way of cutting deeply into the people who love you most. But it takes Penn too long to tease the really interesting (and somewhat dark) observations out of McCandless’ story.”

New York magazine’s David Edelstein also offers a mixed review, but his praise is telling. “After all the nits are picked, Into the Wild has a crazy integrity—Penn believes.”

Based on the reviews, I’m upgrading my expectations for a second time. I plan to see the movie next week when I’m in Los Angeles.

Related on World Hum:
* ‘Into the Wild’: Sean Penn Adapts Jon Krakauer’s Book for the Big Screen
* Outside Magazine Returns ‘Into the Wild’
* ‘Into the Wild’: Has the Truth About Christopher McCandless Been Lost?

Tags: Pop Culture Travel, News and Briefs


4 Comments for The Critics: ‘Into the Wild,’ the Movie

Colin Maddocks 09.25.07 | 1:30 PM ET

I read a brilliant article about Christopher McCandless’ odyssey some years ago in “Outdoors” magazine.  If the film is half as good as the article I would really recommend it.

Dan Mcadam 02.22.08 | 1:53 PM ET

Hy! i want to say only that:
- Hal Holbrook was just perfect, as was the cast as a whole, and I think Emile Hirsch is really going places - he was fantastic and he owned the role. Eddie Vedder’s music worked perfectly as well - not distracting or quirky - just a part of the whole.

James 03.28.08 | 5:34 AM ET

I enjoyed the movie, and read the article from “Outside” magazine. The article is such a “teaser” to the movie. Chris McCandles story is very inspiring. Not to go out and die, but to see the world as it is, the importance of being conscious of the truth to ones personal life. I liked how in the movie it portrayed his views on, love, and being rightfully true to yourself. Even though he learned this to late in the bus…I recommend this movie and have a copy of it in my collection.

On a side note: It is so motivating[in that he just wants to be free from society] that my parents wont show it to my step-brother because they are afraid he might do the same thing.

Matthew 07.15.08 | 8:38 AM ET

This remarkable film deserves every penny and accolade it got. Actually, it deserved much, much more. A film like this is rarely made, actually able to capture the raw essence of numerous people’s lives of all its wide varieties.
If the ending of this film doesn’t draw strong emotion in you, full of its tragic but beautiful way, then you truly do not know what it means to be human.
After seeing this film, Sean Penn has proven to me he is as good - if not better - than such huge directors such as Spielberg and the like.

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