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Directed: Sean PennStarring: Emile Hirsch, Vincent Vaughan, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden

Into the Wild is one of those rare gems that when they come along they will really take your breath away.Based on a true story concerning a young man by the name of Christopher McCandless who, in 1992 after graduating from Emery University, decided to turn his back on society for a while. He got rid of all his worldly possessions bar what he could carry around in his backpack, turned his back on a place at Harvard law, and gave all his $24,000 savings to charity.

With that, he began a 20 month self imposed Odyssey of self-discovery and healing as he hitchhiked and worked his way towards Alaska whilst calling himself Alexander Supertramp.What drove McCandless to be so extreme in craving to get to the wildness of the earth could be found in the abusive relationship of his parents. Having grown up to witness a destructive and negative co-dependent marriage that hid disturbing secrets and hypocrisies, McCandless yearned deeply to be alone and find out the world for himself and try to find truth within it. By diving in and being up close to nature that screamed truth at him every second of the day became a breath of fresh air for this romantic wanderer.

Along his way he came upon interesting people who he inspired with his philosophies on life and the world, and they too inspired him. His belief in a nutshell was, if everyone managed to live in synchronicity with compassion and honesty and a simple ethic and respect for the world around us, it would empower us all. Finally he makes Alaska and camps down in an abandoned bus that looks over an incredible vista and lives with enthusiasm and awe as nature breathes around him. But, suddenly, winter encroaches and a hard one it is. It impacts upon him just how naive he has been and how ill-equipped he is to deal with the harshness of it all. He is unable to trek back home in the Spring; the once frozen river he walked over has now become a surging torrent, and he is forced to try and live it out a few more weeks. In his desperation at the lack of food around he decides to forage for nuts, berries, and plants, and accidentally digests a plant not for human consumption. His last weeks lived out in such isolated loneliness tragically enforces his belief and love of people and life when he declares in an entry in his diary "Happiness is only real when shared"

This is one of the best films i have seen this year. With Sean Penn directing the film, a brilliant screenplay to bring depth to the film and actors, a fine actor in the young Emile Hirsch, and amazing cinematography to boot, we have a platinum film in our midst here. If your one of those people who crave to find a meaning in this life, and there's probably many in this 21st century where we have everything at our disposal but still remain unhappy, then this film will give you rich food for deep thought. I must warn you though, you will need those hankies at the ready because its an incredibly moving film!

Rate 10/10

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