Two movies

So as usual, I am the victim of badly made movies. In the recent past, I have watched Welcome, Race, Bombay to Goa, Golmaal Returns, Hello, the list goes on. Thankfully I have also managed to watch some decent movies too. Man on the Moon (Jim Carrey dir. Milos Forman), Across the Universe (musical based on Beatles music), and many others. When I started off with this post, I planned to write on one good and one bad movie. But heck, life is too small to be wasted on criticising…so I said so myself earlier. So I dive right into the last good movie I watched: Into the Wild. 

 

Vitalstatistix: 

Starring: Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless

Director: Sean Penn

Based on book of same name, by Jon Krakauer

Running time: 148 min

Year of release: 2007

I realise its a very ‘my type’ of movie. Its not a film which everyone I know will like. However, that being said, Into the Wild remains an excellent film. Into The Wild narrates the life of Christopher McCandless. Chris born into a broken home who refused to divorce ‘for the kids’. As a result, Chris grew up troubled and lonely. He idealised Tolstoy, Thoreau and Jack London. He believed in a period of solitary confinement to search oneself. 

Chris started his journey in 1991, often calling himself ‘Alexander Supertramp’. He started by donating the $24000 in his college fund to Oxfam, an international charity, and burning all his credit cards. Always on the move, challenging himself to look beyond the obvious. He spent time working on grain elevators in Arizona, California and North Dakota. He canoed down the Colorado river, all the way into Mexico, without any papers! He stayed with some hippie friends, just before making off on his famous Alaskan Odyssey. And throughout his time on the road, he only stayed in contact with his sister through letters.Outside her, Chris felt that no one understood him. 

In Alaska, the last person to see him alive was a Jim Gallien, who gave him a ride from Fairbanks to the Stampede Trail. He tried to convince him out of it, but Chris was hellbent. After hiking for a while, Chris found an abandoned bus. This was to be his home for nearly four months he spent, living by himself. He caught and cooked his meals, explored the territory, and read. However, the fortunes turn against him, and finally spirals down to his death. Watch the film for superb acting, simple yet engaging songs by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, and exhilarating Alaska. A must watch.

 

Chris in front of the Magic Bus, found undeveloped in his camera

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