One of the most critically praised and buzzed about films of 2007, Into the Wild (written and directed by Sean Penn) now arrives on DVD in a two-disc Collector’s Edition.  The film didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, but earned near unanimous praise and numerous year end awards (although it was slighted somewhat in Oscar nominations). 

Into the Wild is the retelling of Christopher McCandless’s (Emile Hirsch) escape from his wealthy, suburban life in Virginia into the wilderness of Alaska to live off the land.  McCandless was a young man, just graduating from college, who seemed to have it all but was just dying to break away from it.

His parents were obsessed with money, power and all things material which Christopher rebelled against.  His father had a previous marriage and family before cheating on his ex-wife with Chris’s mother, which was told to Chris and his sister at a young age (and shaped their view towards their parents in a very negative light). 

Christopher spent most of his time reading and obsessing over the works of authors like Jack London and Henry David Thoreau and became enthralled with their ideas and philosophies.  This is where he came up with the idea of breaking free from society and living in the wilderness for a time.  So after he graduated, he left everything and everyone behind and began his odyssey. 

The film spends most of the time during Christopher’s time on the road making his way from Virginia to Alaska.  He meets a cast of interesting people along the way who help him reach his goal (and some try and stop him from making a grave mistake). 

CRITIQUE

Into the Wild is an incredibly moving and poetic film about true connections not only to other people but to our surroundings and ultimately the soul.  Sean Penn romanticizes Christopher’s life and in doing that delves deeply into aspects of life that only few films even attempt to skim the top of.  The only negatives I’ve heard against the film are around whether Christopher in actuality was just a spoiled brat with a serious case of rebellion.  That is completely beside the point as this film tells the story from the aspect of Christopher being a tragic, heroic and hopeful character that was full of love for life and other people but was stuck in the folds of our society and desperately wanted more.  And in that respect, the film is simply breathtakingly perfect. 

I’ve always been a fan of Sean Penn’s directing style and his choice of stories (even though almost all of them are complete downers) but with this film he found the perfect vehicle for his particular style.  Penn has a meditative, slow style of storytelling, trying to explore every emotional avenue while using the surroundings to enhance those feelings.  He uses the beauty of this country, the ideals of the authors of which Christopher was so fond of, and this impeccable cast to fully flesh out this touching and tragic story.  In my opinion, he should have been nominated for Best Director and the film should have been in for Best Picture ahead of Atonement.  The film is incredibly beautiful (cinematographer Eric Gautier was also snubbed by the Academy) and each moment is fully realized.

The cast is exceptional.  Emile Hirsch is a complete surprise in this film.  I’ve never been a big fan of his work in other films but he delivers a fine, nuanced performance here carrying the film end to end.  From what I here, he was on the short list of potential Best Actor nominees to get that last slot that eventually went to Viggo Mortensen and looking at those two performances I’ve got to go with Hirsch.  Well, at least they got one thing right in nominating Hal Holbrook for his heartbreaking turn as Ron.  That scene between him and Emile in the truck at the end is just devastating.  Another great supporting turn here is from the always great Catherine Keener as a hippie who lost her own son years ago and develops strong maternal feelings for Christopher.  The rest of the cast is also spot-on, including Vince Vaughn (toning it down nicely), Kristen Stewart, Jena Malone, and William Hurt.

THE VIDEO

The film looks outstanding and flawless.  This 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is clean, crisp and stunning.

THE AUDIO

Into the Wild is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the presentation is impeccable and impressive.  One thing to note about the film is the incredible score from one of my favorite artists in Eddie Vedder.  This score is a character in its own right and it is a travesty that the Academy ignored it (because of some goofy rule that eliminated the chance of him being nominated). 

THE EXTRAS

For a 2-disc Collector’s Edition, there isn’t much here.  The first disc is just the film and the second disc has only two featurettes.  That is it.  That being said, the two featurettes are fantastic, I just wanted a heck of a lot more.

First is Into the Wild: The Story, The Characters which is runs about a half hour and goes into the journey Sean Penn went through in getting this film made.  It includes interviews with the key players (mostly Penn) and really gets into Penn’s inspirations in writing it and how that translates on screen.

The second is Into the Wild: The Experience which is really just an extension of the first featurette (it didn’t really need to be sectioned out into two).  This one goes into the actual filming and all the trails and tribulations there (it was almost a year shoot at about 30 different locations).  Features interviews with the key players and also runs just short of a half hour.

That’s less than an hour’s worth of a making of documentary in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Into the Wild is a poetic masterpiece to be treasured.  This 2-Disc Collector’s Edition features a flawless transfer and a great audio presentation but there is only less than an hour’s worth of extras which leaves you wanting more.