Into The Wild

[Hack&Lube]

He was somewhat willfully ignorant and reckless in what he did though. If he was truely that intelligent and strong-willed, he should have the rational sense to do proper research and equip himself with the right gear. Survivor Man (great show) he wasn't.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

He was somewhat willfully ignorant and reckless in what he did though. If he was truely that intelligent and strong-willed, he should have the rational sense to do proper research and equip himself with the right gear. Survivor Man (great show) he wasn't.

He was a city kid and he made some mistakes in his planning. I think that he was very intelligent and certainly strong-willed but he lacked experience. I do not feel that it makes him any less an interesting person both in what he said and what he did.



SPOILER AHEAD (Highlight To Read):

I found Into The Wild to be a very powerful movie for me. Chris's realization after 100 days in the wild, "Happiness only when shared", really stuck with me and I thought that was a very important moment... even the most solitary of loners like Chris eventually found that he was simply not happy without others to share in his happiness.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

He was a city kid and he made some mistakes in his planning. I think that he was very intelligent and certainly strong-willed but he lacked experience. I do not feel that it makes him any less an interesting person both in what he said and what he did.



SPOILER AHEAD (Highlight To Read):

I found Into The Wild to be a very powerful movie for me. Chris's realization after 100 days in the wild, "Happiness only when shared", really stuck with me and I thought that was a very important moment... even the most solitary of loners like Chris eventually found that he was simply not happy without others to share in his happiness.

I had read about him a long time ago (I have a similar dispensation to what he feels and enjoys) and I haven't seen the film or how it portrays him but in reality, he was somewhat proud of his lack of preparation and confident in his own abilities and that got him into trouble. There are many people around where he ended up that believe he was just being stupid. It's a great introspective story though, and very much akin to my own feelings on life.

[Clarkey]

He would have croaked in 2 days if he didn't find the empty bus. I think his sense of adventure and pursuit of freedom is somewhat noble but going out into the Alaskan wild unprepared in winter is not really the best way to find yourself, it almost seems like an indirect suicide attempt.

[Claeren]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

He was somewhat willfully ignorant and reckless in what he did though. If he was truely that intelligent and strong-willed, he should have the rational sense to do proper research and equip himself with the right gear. Survivor Man (great show) he wasn't.

That is part of the point though.

He rejected so much of what he should have embraced in terms of material wealth and such and ends up dying.

Was he crazy? Maybe he was too rational? Was he happy at the end and would not have changed anything? Is 'man' supposed to grow old and fat or die young in the wild?

Which is natural? Which is a contradiction? Which is unnatural?


There is no right answer. The point is that his story leaves us asking those questions.



Claeren.

[Flashpoint]

I enjoyed the movie but found it to be a highly "idealized" account of the young man. A lot of flakes wind up dead in Alaska (see Timothy Treadwell - Grizzly Man), and this was just one more.

If he expected to survive the experience he was either arrogant or stupid with his lack of preparation. If he didn't expect to survive the experience, then it was a suicide. I tend to go with the former - he had the confidence of youth, and something of a Jesus complex and figured everything would "sort itself out". It didn't, and he died as a result.

He also struck me as a very selfish individual for not contacting his family over the duration of his travels. A phone call wouldn't have killed him.

Just my opinion. When I was younger I probably would have thought more of him. As it is, life holds more meaning to me now, and I think he squandered his for poor reasons.

[Wookie]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

I enjoyed the movie but found it to be a highly "idealized" account of the young man. A lot of flakes wind up dead in Alaska (see Timothy Treadwell - Grizzly Man), and this was just one more.

If he expected to survive the experience he was either arrogant or stupid with his lack of preparation. If he didn't expect to survive the experience, then it was a suicide. I tend to go with the former - he had the confidence of youth, and something of a Jesus complex and figured everything would "sort itself out". It didn't, and he died as a result.

He also struck me as a very selfish individual for not contacting his family over the duration of his travels. A phone call wouldn't have killed him.

Just my opinion. When I was younger I probably would have thought more of him. As it is, life holds more meaning to me now, and I think he squandered his for poor reasons.

Just watched this movie - loved it - but this above post really made me think...

I agree with what you said.

Still a good movie.

Soundtrack is really good, I like Eddie Vedder

[ricosuave]

Had to bump this - just watched it tonight, and thought it was great.

I agree with both sides of the comments here - from selfish to truly discovering the inner self...

It is a great thinking movie - going to have to go out and read the book now...

[Jayems]

That's what got me at the end. Really puts a face that isn't an actor to the story. I'll have to watch it again.

I wonder if he really said no to that trailer chick, however.

[henriksedin33]

been meaning to watch this for a few weeks now, have the dvd lying around somewhere...

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by Jayems

That's what got me at the end. Really puts a face that isn't an actor to the story. I'll have to watch it again.

I wonder if he really said no to that trailer chick, however.

That picture sort of gives me the creeps for some reason...maybe it is just the eery similarities between Emile and the real guy.

[doozwimp]

Great movie. Has become one of my favorites.

[Thor]

I love the movie, really reminded me about the awe of life and what we take for granted.

[Dion]

Watched it a few weeks ago and i agree with Thor. We take so much for granted in the world.

[jayswin]

Great movie, it really reminded me of another movie. It's about this guy that goes rafting down a river near Sundre Alberta with his buddies. After their rafts all capsize, the man finds himself alone in the desolate Alberta back country, with only a raft, empty cooler, bottle of gin and a can of soup. Once the snow starts, he realized that the only way to prevent frostbite on his toes is to pee on them. He wakes up and wanders around looking for civilization, would he make it out alive? ...I don't want to give away the ending, but there's some screenshots floating around the web....

[Thor]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Great movie, it really reminded me of another movie. It's about this guy that goes rafting down a river near Sundre Alberta with his buddies. After their rafts all capsize, the man finds himself alone in the desolate Alberta back country, with only a raft, empty cooler, bottle of gin and a can of soup. Once the snow starts, he realized that the only way to prevent frostbite on his toes is to pee on them. He wakes up and wanders around looking for civilization, would he make it out alive? ...I don't want to give away the ending, but there's some screenshots floating around the web....

ROFL, its 4x4's ###### version of the movie.

I mean that with high praise for 4x4

[Ryan Coke]

Read the book years ago, and just watched the movie (about McCandless, not 4X4). Good flick and book, but the big word in my head watching it was 'IDEALISTIC'. I know several people similar to this that are looking for meaning, and think they have these deep and profound thoughts that everyone else is missing out on. Newsflash--many of us have similar thoughts, but don't need to reject family and society to find a sense of balance and understanding. His thoughts weren't unique, his behaviour was really the only thing exceptional. And I don't mean that in a compimentary way.

It's like when you meet people that do some travelling, and suddenly feel that they've got this brilliant understanding of things, people, society, whatever, that they didn't have before, and that people that haven't travelled 'just don't understand'. Lots of people don't need to live in Africa to 'get it'--my thoughts didn't really change after I spent time in various parts of the world, I could relate more with first hand experience, but it didn't give me a higher level of worldly insight. It didn't make my thoughts 'special'.

Anyway, good movie, but a highly idealistic kid that learned his lessons too late. Sad for him, sad for his family, but I will commend him for going out and doing what he thought he needed to do.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

It's like when you meet people that do some travelling, and suddenly feel that they've got this brilliant understanding of things, people, society, whatever, that they didn't have before, and that people that haven't travelled 'just don't understand'. Lots of people don't need to live in Africa to 'get it'--my thoughts didn't really change after I spent time in various parts of the world, I could relate more with first hand experience, but it didn't give me a higher level of worldly insight. It didn't make my thoughts 'special'.

.

Ugg, I know people like this, and it makes me sick when they start talking in that condescending/almost arrogant tone, where they draw out words to ephasize their stupid point. "You Knoooowww, these people live in houses the size of our bathrooms, and struggle to find food. For fun the kids play soccer with an old delapitated ball and a field of rocks, but you know what? They have fun, because they're sooooo strong and sooooo brraaavvvee, the hope in these people's eyes...it's soooo inspiring. Then over here in Caaanada, we don't appreciate anything...well me and Jim do, now that we've seen things. People here are sooo spoiled and sooo blind to the world. If I could give one gift to the world, it would be for everyone to experience what we got see on our trip. It's changed us as people"

Everyone knows people like this, and these same people are always right back to complaining about the same minor problems and spending money on the same useless things as the rest of us within a few weeks.

[chid]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

He was a city kid and he made some mistakes in his planning. I think that he was very intelligent and certainly strong-willed but he lacked experience. I do not feel that it makes him any less an interesting person both in what he said and what he did.



SPOILER AHEAD (Highlight To Read):

I found Into The Wild to be a very powerful movie for me. Chris's realization after 100 days in the wild, "Happiness only when shared", really stuck with me and I thought that was a very important moment... even the most solitary of loners like Chris eventually found that he was simply not happy without others to share in his happiness.

I couldn't agree more (with your spoiler), I watched the movie twice. The first time I just thought it was pretty stupid, but it really sunk in the second time. I'm very independent and more recently have started to feel similar feelings to that.

[4X4]

LOL @ my fame!!

Originally Posted by flameswin

Ugg, I know people like this, and it makes me sick when they start talking in that condescending/almost arrogant tone, where they draw out words to ephasize their stupid point. "You Knoooowww, these people live in houses the size of our bathrooms, and struggle to find food. For fun the kids play soccer with an old delapitated ball and a field of rocks, but you know what? They have fun, because they're sooooo strong and sooooo brraaavvvee, the hope in these people's eyes...it's soooo inspiring. Then over here in Caaanada, we don't appreciate anything...well me and Jim do, now that we've seen things. People here are sooo spoiled and sooo blind to the world. If I could give one gift to the world, it would be for everyone to experience what we got see on our trip. It's changed us as people"

Everyone knows people like this, and these same people are always right back to complaining about the same minor problems and spending money on the same useless things as the rest of us within a few weeks.

People like this make me laugh. I do agree that traveling opens a person's eyes somewhat, but all that really says to me is that your eyes were closed before you went on your 'profound' trip. I mean, I'm pretty aware that there's poverty around the world. I don't need to go to Ethiopia or under a freeway overpass in Detroit to know this.

In an act of spontanuity, I decided not to come home from a trip to Europe and ended up living there for a year and a bit. When I finally came home, everyone asked me if it was some kind of life altering experience. Sure it was. I saw a bunch of stuff and did things that lots of people only wish they did. But it's not like I'm suddenly a philosopher. I did not conclude the meaning of life getting wasted in Italy for a year. I did see alot of bums though. And I continued to think "get a job".