When talking about Into the Wild it’s wise to separate the discussion to two parts: the movie and the ideas. Otherwise, it’s very easy to get lost.
Well, the easier of the two will obviously be the movie. It’s a wonderful cinematic experience with amazing photography, breathtaking scenery, carefully orchestrated soundtrack (that fits the ideas perfectly) and great acting. Beside the great potential that came with the story itself, I think that Sean Penn deserve a big round of applause for orchestrating such a wonderful and modest cinematic piece.
The harder aspect to talk about is obviously the ideas behind the movie. There are few layers in this movie, starting from the overall Americana spirit, through capitalism and to the place of the hobo, tramp if you would like, in modern consumer society. I think that anyone interested in really diving into these ideas must consume another brilliant piece of American hobo culture – On The Road. Although set into the same universe (some might disagree with me here), it gives a somewhat different approach. I am not going to really discuss the ideas (the interesting sides and their ‘holes’), it will be too lengthy, but maybe one day, over a glass of beer.