Summary of Into the Wild
"A young man leaves his middle class existence in pursuit of freedom from relationships and obligation. Giving up his home, family, all possessions but the few he carried on his back and donating all his savings to charity Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) embarks on a journey throughout America. His eventual aim is to travel into Alaska, into the wild, to spend time with nature, with 'real' existence, away from the trappings of the modern world. In the 20 months leading up to his Great Alaskan Adventure his travels lead him on a path of self-discovery, to examine and appreciate the world around him and to reflect on and heal from his troubled childhood and parents' sordid and abusive relationship. When he reaches Alaska he finds he has been insufficiently prepared for the hardships to come. Despite making it through the winter his plan is ill-judged and prepares to return home in spring, only to find the stream he crossed in the snow has become an impassable raging torrent and that he is trapped. With no means of sustaining himself adequately he takes to eating berries and fauna, that he identifies using a book. Unfortunately, he awakes one morning to find that the berries he consumed the night before were in fact poisonous, and causes him to starve in his so sought after isolation. Throughout his epic journey the people he meets both influence and are influenced by the person he is and bring him to the eventual and tragic realization that "Happiness is only real when shared" " ("Synopsis for Into the Wild").
Relations to Transcendentalism
- McCandless sets out on his journey to reach Alaska. This reveals how he embodies the transcendental characteristics of confidence and self-reliance
- McCandless says, "I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here... rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth" ("Memorable quotes for Into the Wild"). Transcendentalism is clearly represented here. Thoreau, an important Transcendentalist, believes that people need to live an honest life. People need to be who they truly are and do what is best for themselves rather than what is expected by others.
- Thoreau believes in simplicity. This can be applied to McCandless because he lived a few years of his life with nearly nothing. He disposed of all of his possessions because he simply thought they were unimportant in life.
- McCandless says to Ron Franz (an old man he meets on his journey), "I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God's place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things" ("Memorable quotes for Into the Wild"). This can be related to Emerson's idea of the oversoul in which god, nature, and man are all connected. The answers to your questions are in you. Everything in life has a purpose
- McCandless rejects society as a whole and is a non-conformist. These are also transcendental principles.
- Importance of the Individual--McCandless embodies this principle because he completely relies on himself and he is traveling alone
- Importance of Nature--McCandless relies on nature to help him survive
- He is living his life and overcoming fears--transcendental idea of not being comfortable
How do the film techniques highlight transcendental values?
- Silence is utilized frequently in the shots. Besides the noise McCandless makes, the rest of the surroundings are silent. This is unlike normal society when there is never silence. This reveals that McCandless has complete freedom and control of his life. This embodies the transcendental principle of getting up and doing something in life. McCandless is rejecting society and has the power to control his future.
- McCandless is always living in the moment in each of the scenes. He is never worrying about what he is going to do next. For example, there is a scene in the movie when McCandless has tears in his eyes when he is watching the animals run free. He is appreciating the beauty of this moment and feels a connection to nature and animals.
- (Click HERE to watch a YouTube clip that pinpoints silence and McCandless living in the moment)
- There are side-by-side shots in the movie as well. One scene showed McCandless hunting for his food and eating his food later in the same frame. This demonstrates how he needs to work diligently to catch food to feed himself. Having both shots at once shows that a great amount of effort is necessary for even one meal. This is unlike society where food is very accessible for people. These shots embody the transcendental idea of self-reliance. In order for McCandless to stay alive, he must rely on himself and work for what he wants.