A Hitch hiker's Odyssey

A young lad dressed ike a destitiute, vaguely concerned in his appearance, wind blowing that makes his hair sway nonchalantly. A exuberant beard on the glowing cherubic face that held visage to his enlightened mind. A bulky backpack that clung to his shoulders and followed him all through his journey.  Alexander Super Tramp, the aesthetic voyager never deigned to turn back from his voyage whch he embarked two years ago. Christopher John Mccandless would have been the only gifted one to be devoid of all spiritual degeneracies, was even envied of his life by the nature that he faced the ill-fate of succumbing to its treacherous foul play. Still it was more than his life to him than any thing

The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.

Graduated from Emory University with a Master's Degree, he had every prospect for a regular middle class life riddled in bourgeois affluence. Instead he chose to be different, he chose to be free, feel free and breathe free. As Chris quotes Thoreau, " Rather than love, rather than money than faith, give me truth." Yes it was truth he chased all the way to Alaska, the summit of his spiritual consummation. Directed by Sean Penn, the film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Jon Krakauer. The film is all his eyes ears and mind visualized through the narration of his most endeared sister. It was not evasion by an escapist, but he was a true human being who suffocated in the airs of hypocrites and sick minded and that's why he took upon his relentless adventure waiting for none. Chris was always a voracious reader and was so deeply influenced by the works of Tolstoy, Thoreau and Jack London that he found company in the characters he loved. Chris had enlightened the souls of many who he met on his road to freedom and truth. Among them the one who was deeply moved was Ron Fanz. An Ex- Military service man who resorted to a lonely life depriving himself of all worldy joys after dealing badly with the mourning of his son and wife. So deeply touched by the hitch hiker was Ron that after Chris, he sold his house, freed himself of all constraints and set off for a life in the road.
Like Chris quotes "You are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God's place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things. If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed.". According to him, the core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences and should be seamless like having endlessly changing horizons.

So perfectly made for the screen by Sean Penn that the film is flooding with life. The film calls out its spirit through a soulful back ground score by Michael Brook and original soundtracks both penned and tuned by Eddie Vedder, the lead vocalist of the evergreen grunge rock band Pearl Jam. Its Eddie Vedder who has sincerely etched the spirit of the film to his words and tunes that the soundtracks alone prove able enough to be the thematic narration for the ravishing cinematography. Emile Hirsche, the lead was almost like christened by the soul as Chris for the film. There are many treasured moments in the film particularly are the closing moments of the film that are beyond the power of words to describe.

These are one of my favorite quotes from the film -
"The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind deaf stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head."

Many films may pile up as my favorites but into the wild always stays on top of it. It's more than a favorite but an unusual addiction for me, an addiction so vehemently adhered to my soul. The reason can be well stolen from his words,   " It should not be denied that being footloose has always exhilarated us. It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations. Absolute freedom"