c.g._eads
09-24-2007, 09:53 PM
I talk vaguely about the end of the film below (but don't give anything away). If you don't want to know, don't read.
Apologies if this was already posted. Couldn't find it.
Don't know if anyone was at the Arclite theatre Saturday night but if you were, you know that around 8:20 there was a fire alarm and the ENTIRE building had to be evacuated. This happened about 15 minutes into the showing of "Into The Wild" I was attending and after I spent the next 20 minutes bitching (it was literally chaos. Over 1500 people were evacuated at once) I realized that I had only been 15 minutes into my movie. Imagine how pissed I would've been if I was right in the middle of the climax, like some people there were. I also realized that if there really was a fire, we would all be dead because the amount of time it took everybody to evacuate was ridiculous.
Anyway, I went back to see it the next night and... wow, I don't really know how to describe this movie. It really is like nothing you've ever seen before. It has this sort of melancholy poetic pace to it all. At some points, barely a word is spoken for ten minutes. I like that. However sometimes the pretentious voice over makes its way through, and while I don't think it's terrible, I think the movie is strong enough to have survived without it. Just music and images. That's what film does best.
There's this vague narrative about making it to Alaska, but that's all that's really holding the film together. Otherwise it's just a man exploring nature (and occasionally people). You can't expect this film to make sense because it doesn't have any plot or plot points or any intention to do so. It just happens. And when it happens it's beautiful at times, and difficult at times. The end scene alone is incredibly disturbing.
The film inspires some great discussion such as "What is society?" and "Should we be so dependent on it?" And if it is such a terrible thing, is completely abandoning it the right thing? Sure you can shun society and embrace nature, but what happens when nature turns on you. Do you have anyone to turn to? What is family to you? This guy doesn't seem to care. And there is a heartbreaking scene with an old man near the end where this question is challenged to its fullest extent.
This film is definitely not for everyone but there's no denying that it's an interesting one. If you're into experimental or super independent films, check it out. It's worth it.
Apologies if this was already posted. Couldn't find it.
Don't know if anyone was at the Arclite theatre Saturday night but if you were, you know that around 8:20 there was a fire alarm and the ENTIRE building had to be evacuated. This happened about 15 minutes into the showing of "Into The Wild" I was attending and after I spent the next 20 minutes bitching (it was literally chaos. Over 1500 people were evacuated at once) I realized that I had only been 15 minutes into my movie. Imagine how pissed I would've been if I was right in the middle of the climax, like some people there were. I also realized that if there really was a fire, we would all be dead because the amount of time it took everybody to evacuate was ridiculous.
Anyway, I went back to see it the next night and... wow, I don't really know how to describe this movie. It really is like nothing you've ever seen before. It has this sort of melancholy poetic pace to it all. At some points, barely a word is spoken for ten minutes. I like that. However sometimes the pretentious voice over makes its way through, and while I don't think it's terrible, I think the movie is strong enough to have survived without it. Just music and images. That's what film does best.
There's this vague narrative about making it to Alaska, but that's all that's really holding the film together. Otherwise it's just a man exploring nature (and occasionally people). You can't expect this film to make sense because it doesn't have any plot or plot points or any intention to do so. It just happens. And when it happens it's beautiful at times, and difficult at times. The end scene alone is incredibly disturbing.
The film inspires some great discussion such as "What is society?" and "Should we be so dependent on it?" And if it is such a terrible thing, is completely abandoning it the right thing? Sure you can shun society and embrace nature, but what happens when nature turns on you. Do you have anyone to turn to? What is family to you? This guy doesn't seem to care. And there is a heartbreaking scene with an old man near the end where this question is challenged to its fullest extent.
This film is definitely not for everyone but there's no denying that it's an interesting one. If you're into experimental or super independent films, check it out. It's worth it.