Into the Wild (Blu-ray) Blu-ray, 2007

Powerful, soul-searching drama based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who left his middle class existence to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Giving up his home, family, and all possessions bar the few he carries on his back, McCandless (Emile Hirsch) embarks on a journey through America. His ultimate goal is to reach the wilds of Alaska, to spend time with untamed nature, away from the obligations and relationships of the modern world. Penn proves himself to be a formidable directorial talent.

Sean Penn’s fourth feature as director is a mature drama based on the life of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a gifted student who, upon graduation, donates all... more >

Sean Penn’s fourth feature as director is a mature drama based on the life of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a gifted student who, upon graduation, donates all of his savings to charity, confounding all societal (and parental) expectations by hitch-hiking to Alaska to live in the wild accompanied only by a rifle, a camera and a small collection of books.

Penn’s film, unlike the John Kracauer book upon which it is based, charts McCandless’ odyssey – deeply informed by the spirits of Jack London and Henry David Thoreau – through the eyes of his sister Carine (Jena Malone). As with Penn’s earlier films as director, at the core of Into the Wild is an independent sensibility harking back to the days of the New American cinema. The film features an excellent supporting cast including William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden as Chris’s parents but the true revelation is the (Oscar-nominated) performance by 82 year-old veteran Hal Holbrook. Pearl Jam singer/songwriter Eddie Vedder and prodigious Atlanta-born guitarist Kaki King provide the music for one of the outstanding films of 2007.

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